The popular first-responder drama 9-1-1 has once again fired up fan speculation about the relationship between Evan “Buck” Buckley and Eddie Diaz.
The latest episode delivered a series of high-stakes emergencies, from carbon monoxide poisoning to a heartfelt reconciliation between Bobby Nash and his estranged mother, Ann.
Still, it was a surprise reunion between Buck (played by Oliver Stark) and his former flame Tommy Kinard (portrayed by Lou Ferrigno Jr) that truly set the online fandom ablaze.
Throughout the first half of the episode, Buck grapples with making his new house feel like home after its previous occupant, his best friend Eddie (played by Ryan Guzman), moved to Texas.
With Maddie Han (Jennifer Love Hewitt) encouraging him to meet new people, Buck instead bumps into Tommy, igniting conversations about their past relationship and the changes in Buck’s life.
In a steamy twist, Buck and Tommy share an intimate moment, only for Eddie’s name to crop up repeatedly in ways that leave fans speculating about deeper feelings.
The biggest shock comes when Tommy alludes to Eddie as “competition,” effectively calling out Buck for possibly harboring unspoken emotions.
Buck vehemently insists that Eddie is “straight” and that they are just close friends.
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Fans took to social media in a flurry, pointing out that Buck never directly refutes having romantic feelings for Eddie, instead focusing on the fact that Eddie is unavailable.
The show’s online community exploded, with “Buddie” supporters—those who ship Buck and Eddie—celebrating the inclusion of dialogue that confirms the characters’ bond is not lost on the writers.
One viewer tweeted about the excitement of hearing Eddie referred to as “competition,” while another fan joked that Buck’s only reason for not pursuing Eddie might be his presumed heterosexuality.
In a recent interview with The Wrap, showrunner Tim Minear addressed why Tommy brought up Eddie, emphasizing that any romantic rival in Buck’s life would naturally question his close bond with Eddie.
When pressed on whether this episode edges “Buddie” closer to canon, Tim Minear played coy, explaining that he wants to stay true to the characters’ current journeys rather than force a particular outcome.
He hinted that the story remains open-ended, saying it is “alive” and continues to evolve.
While fans passionately debate whether “Buddie” will ever become official, the presence of Tommy injects new drama into Buck’s life.
As viewers tune in to subsequent installments, they’ll be watching closely to see if Buck and Eddie take a step beyond the dynamic of best friends, or if this was simply a clever tease to acknowledge the fandom’s hopes.
Either way, 9-1-1 continues to prove that it knows how to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, blending high-octane emergencies with the simmering tension of potential love stories.
New episodes of 9-1-1 air every Thursday, and the “Buddie” conversation remains as heated as ever.
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