One of the best storylines introduced this year on 911 has by far been the exploration of Buck’s sexuality as he came out as bisexual and entered a relationship with former 118 member Tommy Kinard.
After coming to terms with his feelings for Tommy leading to a kiss that broke the internet, Buck and Tommy entered a relationship that had become a highlight of the show. It took fans no time to fall in love with the couple, embracing the unexpected pairing and the show’s depiction of their relationship which was incredibly well done.
Perhaps it’s for that reason that fans were so shocked and heartbroken when Tommy broke things off with Buck in season 8, episode 6, “Confessions.” The episode began with the pair celebrating six months together and brought about the shocking revelation that Tommy was previously engaged to Abby for two years, the same Abby Buck had fallen for creating a more than awkward connection.
However, it wasn’t the pair’s connection to Abby that proved to be their downfall. When Buck turned things into overdrive asking Tommy to move in with him, Tommy instead broke things off in realizing that a breakup was inevitable as they’re both in two very different places in their lives.
“I know how this ends. Look, Evan, you’re an incredible guy, big-hearted, hot as hell. Funny, impulsive. But what you’re feeling right now is new. And it’s exciting, and it feels like forever. But you’re still figuring yourself out and that’s good. I’m saying no matter how bad I wanted to be, I’m not your last. I’m your first. If I were to move in with you, you wouldn’t mean to, you wouldn’t plan for it, but you’d end up breaking my heart. And I don’t think that I could deal with that,” Tommy tells a crushed Buck as he breaks things off and leaves Buck’s apartment.
The moment was one that literally took the wind out of the viewers’ sails and left us just as stunned as Buck, and it turns out we’re not the only ones who recognize that the breakup for the pair was premature. It turns out, that was apparently always the plan for the pair and was by design.
“Look, I think the breakup was premature, but that was by design,”911 showrunner, co-creator, and executive producer Tim Minear revealed in an interview with Decider. “For me, the story that I was trying to tell was here’s a guy, Tommy. He’s not a main character on the show. We haven’t done ‘Tommy Begins’ or something. But you do see him in the ‘Begins’ episodes, in flashbacks, and by the time he leaves in ‘Bobby Begins Again,’ he’s turned over a new leaf. He’s feeling more comfortable. He’s hanging out with the new people at the 118 once Bobby takes over, and they throw him a party and bake him a cake when he goes off to his new post. There was even a reference in Broken when Chimney calls him to do the water drop. But Tommy’s a guy who’s in a different place in his life than Buck is. And I think what Tommy realizes is exactly what he said, which is, ‘I’m not your last. I’m your first.'”
As Minear expanded, at the end of the day Tommy knows he’s in a very different place than Buck who has only just recently come out as bisexual and is still figuring himself out and what that means. While Tommy was insanely supportive of Buck and truly did love Buck, he just realized in that moment when he spoke the truth and didn’t exactly come into the conversation prepared to break up with Buck.
“I think Tommy, in the end, understood that this was not forever — that Buck is exploring himself. He’s still figuring himself out. And even if Tommy doesn’t know it, he might sense the fact that Buck likes to jump in with both feet a little bit precipitously. So was the breakup premature? Yes. Because Tommy was put in a position where he had to be honest. And once he speaks the truth, which is, ‘I think I know where this ends, and I can’t move in with you,’ he’s kind of breaking the spell — the spell of that honeymoon. Tommy even says, ‘I didn’t see this coming either.’ I don’t think either one of them did.”
We can definitely understand where the decision came from creatively, but that certainly doesn’t make it any easier for fans to accept the decision – which seems fitting. It’s a journey the audience gets to go on with Buck, who was just as stunned by Tommy’s decision and now we get to see what the future holds for Buck.
While Tommy might not have been his forever person, we’re looking forward to getting to see Buck explore his sexuality more in the episodes ahead and enter the dating game again. He might not meet his forever person right away, but we can hope that in time the show will set up Buck’s next great love story and that he’ll eventually get his happy ending just as the show’s many other couples have as the seasons have gone by!