Processing the breakup between Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark) and Tommy Kinard (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) in 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 6 is like trying to finish a puzzle when you’re missing a few pieces all while a fascist stands over your shoulder threatening LGBTQ+ rights. And yes, the election results play into the strong reactions surrounding this breakup.
Last week in 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 6, Buck asked Tommy to move in with him. Tommy said no because he thinks Buck is still figuring himself out. The first part of this explanation leans on biphobic stereotypes, such as bisexual people not knowing what they want, or needing to sleep around with a lot of people to know what they want. However, Tommy’s next words paint a deeper, more tragic reason:
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“You wouldn’t mean to, you wouldn’t plan for it, but you’d end up breaking my heart,” Tommy tells Buck. As he walks out the door, Tommy puts the final nail in the coffin: “I’ll see you around, Buck.”
Ouch. After referring to Buck exclusively by his first name, Evan, Tommy immediately distances himself from his intimate connection with Buck. And that feels pretty definitive. Immediate post-episode interviews indicate that’s it for Tommy.
But is it? And why are people so upset about the supposed departure of a guest character? There’s plenty of room to explore Tommy. The breakup scene showcases two people very much in love. Buck, for the first time in a long while (at least since Abby) genuinely feels ready for the next step, so he asks Tommy to move in.
The pain on Tommy’s face and in his words speak to an already damaged heart that isn’t ready to go through it again. And despite his misstep in distrusting Buck’s feelings and being the one to break it off, Tommy comes out of this breakup as the one we can’t help but root for.
That’s all thanks to Lou Ferrigno Jr’s performance in 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 6, who layers so many nuances to Tommy in this scene that it would be a disgrace to not follow up on this character, because if we don’t then all the show has done is leave a gay man lost, heartbroken, and alone with seemingly no plans to resolve it.
It’s a tragic place to leave Tommy. The implications of Tommy’s past — that his struggle with his sexuality keeps him from trusting any love sent his way — is only emphasized by Josh’s (Bryan Safi) speech to Buck earlier in the episode.
“You honor those scars. And you thank them,” Josh says of the men like him and Tommy, who grew up in a less-than-accepting time that forced them to do things they wouldn’t be proud of today to feel safe. Coming from Josh, this sentiment hits even harder when you consider that the last time we saw Josh try to date someone, he was the victim of a hate crime in a larger 911 dispatch take-over plot. His brief connection with Carson in 9-1-1 Season 5 never received a follow-up.
This breakup coming off the back of an election that put Donald Trump back in power, who’s already promising to walk back LGBTQ+ rights, makes this all feel a little worse. One look at the comments of 9-1-1’s social media pages and it’s clear the general audience and fans alike are feeling the loss of this relationship during an already volatile week.
If this is it for Tommy, then that’s a gay character gone from our screens the same week a fascist regains power, leaving Tommy in pain and his story wholly unsatisfying. It’s unfortunate timing, for sure, but that doesn’t erase the impact of the moment.
This breakup also affects Buck moving forward. Yes, he’s bisexual and you don’t have to be in a relationship to be bisexual. But also considering Buck and Tommy had very little screen time anyway, it’s unfortunate that we’re left hanging with their relationship, too. While it seems like Buck will be going through it in the wake of this breakup in future episodes, it’s a shame we didn’t get to see more of their development before they broke up on screen, and before Buck struggles in the aftermath. But at least we’ll see Buck’s aftermath. For Tommy, we’re left to wonder.
It’s a disappointing development but one I can’t help but hope is all a part of the plan (likely not, as showrunner Tim Minear has admitted to not planning things out.) However, it’s too good of a setup. Despite his little screen time, with 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 6, Tommy secures a rich backstory. Not to mention all the times he’s referenced feeling alone, even as far back as 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 4 and as recent as 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 5. All of that, coupled with the true reason for breaking up with Buck, spells a future rich with potential.
Buck’s desire to move in with Tommy also speaks to major character development for him. Tommy’s “I’ll see you around, Buck” is such a powerful last line that for now, puts a stamp on Buck and Tommy. But if they revisit it? That’s angsty real estate, baby.
Here’s another one for you. If Buck and Tommy are in a romantic comedy, then we’re only in the third act heartbreak, and no one’s laughing. That’s network television for ya, kids. It’ll break your heart, even for the most surprisingly refreshing side characters.
9-1-1 airs weekly on ABC.
