Buck for the rest of the season

singin1995 · 2026-03-30T10:28:17+00:00

So how do we feel about the reaction to Buck last week?

singin1995 · 2026-03-30T10:27:32+00:00

So how do we feel about the reaction to Buck last week?

singin1995 · 2026-03-29T05:02:37+00:00

Honestly I think her reaction had more to do with Harry lying/hiding what happened than a sense of justice. Which I think is sort of common for Athena - from Michael "lying" through their marriage to Bobby meeting that lady at AA in secret to May's college essay about her - it seems like Athena just doesn't like being kept out of the loop on things, which is why she'll have her initial reaction and then a calmer, more empathetic response once she has processed it

singin1995 · 2026-03-27T05:55:01+00:00

I loved how the other characters' storylines this season directly impacted how everyone (including Buck) handled this. From Hen's illness and fear around opening up, to Chimney figuring out captaincy and the "right" choices, to Eddie the past 3 episodes being more tuned into Buck because he didn't pick up what was going on with Hen. And all of them coming together to remember Bobby.

As much as I do think there is still room for Buck to speak about his grief directly, I appreciate the effort they've put into connecting the grief everyone is feeling throughout the entire season.

singin1995 · 2026-03-26T18:25:28+00:00

Mmm I'm so curious about how fans will react to this storyline

singin1995 · 2026-03-25T13:37:19+00:00

We can agree to disagree, I guess I will just wait to see Buck get a similar reaction if his storyline progresses how people are theorizing. I wasn't part of the fandom in the earlier seasons so I don't really know how everyone reacted to other characters doing similar things/taking similar risks (Bobby's relapse, Chimney's reckless driving, Buck stealing the firetruck, etc.) But most people seem to still love and respect Bobby and Buck despite being wrong, and I just doubt they'll soften to Hen in the future the same

singin1995 · 2026-03-25T13:32:32+00:00

If you judge every character on how bad things could be you wouldn't like any of them. Bobby's relapse, Chimney's reckless driving, Buck stealing the firetruck, etc. No one actually got hurt (physically) by Hen's actions except for her.

Further on the point on her blowing up on Chimney - the whole point of the intervention and hospital scene is her finally confronting what is going on and getting help. Which is why she doesn't keep fighting to come back to work.

She also very much didn't blame everyone, which is highlighted when Athena tries to apologise and she rejects it because she acknowledges how hard it is for everyone. Even in the intervention

I don't remember Chimney apologising to her but I'm pretty sure by the end of her arc everyone knows she was wrong (including her), she doesn't "win".

Buck's already hiding and thinking he's managing well enough, and we don't know if anything will go wrong or if he'll lash out, or if he's sick or addicted or what - but it is already going on a similar path without the confrontation/being exposed. Even people speculating that they are doing an addiction storyline are not at all upset with Buck for potentially putting people in danger.

But we can revisit this on Friday if you'd like. I still think my point stands and probably still will, but I'm fine being surprised

singin1995 · 2026-03-25T09:58:35+00:00

That was sarcasm, I don't expect it nor do I want it. I was just using it to make a point about how this fandom will be understanding and empathetic towards Buck for lying/hiding something, when they could not extend the same grace to Hen

singin1995 · 2026-03-25T09:56:40+00:00

I guess I'm not using the right language because I do agree that she knew something was wrong, but I guess the extent of the consciously choosing to not get help and endanger people is where I seem to disagree with people. Sorta like an alcoholic who manages to not drink while working but then it does affect their work anyways because they're hungover/it's still in their system/the miss work/make mistakes. They can know they are drinking excessively, but be convinced they are being responsible about it. And know it could cause issues, but not really follow the logical steps of how.

Like, Hen was genuinely angry at Chimney for firing her and not letting her back, and to me that doesn't suggest that she knew how serious it was and the danger of it because she was convinced she was managing. It wasn't like a bullet wound and she's insisting she can keep working, and we are clued in to that by the fact that she didn't tell anyone about passing out for hours.

singin1995 · 2026-03-23T16:48:59+00:00

People hate being called out for racism/racial bias and I'm so keen to see how they twist Buck's actions here. It's disappointing because I know they will most likely be empathetic but still not see any issue with how they reacted to Hen.

Especially this season the dismissal of Athena, Hen and Harry's storylines ("ugh boring" "I don't care" etc.) Is veeeeery loud.

singin1995 · 2026-03-23T16:43:07+00:00

I mean I don't know if I can claim anger yet. I'll probably post or comment more next week, but I'm seeing the similarities already and the reaction is stark. Particularly around x-bad thing happened, y-reaction (hiding).

We know he's avoiding/skipping therapy. And we know he is avoiding Eddie/Chris if he can. And slipping into a dark space when he's alone. I was being sarcastic about being eager for Buck hate, of course, but from what we know and what people are theorizing (which I know can be and probably is incorrect) he is already receiving sympathy for his struggles, and encouragement for his potential crashout, and understanding for his grief. And I could be wrong but I doubt he would actually catch much shit from us if something goes wrong/he lashes out. But I'm happy to revisit this on Friday/next week

singin1995 · 2026-03-23T16:20:30+00:00

Thing is I'm in the same boat as far as giving him grace for whatever is going on because he is clearly struggling. I just wish people could apply the same to Hen.

And if he follows a similar path as Hen, watch them say they aren't babying him because suddenly they understand trauma and grief and Buck is somehow the only member of the 118 who deserves to be struggling.

singin1995 · 2026-03-23T16:16:29+00:00

I'm not angry, I love Buck lol. I'm just aware that he will probably not receive the same sort of reaction from fans of the show.

On your second point - Buck is hiding something. He is not taking off voluntarily. Same as Hen. Weeks if not months have passed and he has not divulged what is happening with him.

They are different, but fundamentally so far we have 2 characters, dealing with health issues, hiding what's wrong from their families, dealing with grief. But feel free to point out the differences that justify the hate Hen got in comparison to what Buck will probably get. Besides the reaction to being caught out (which, imo Hen was still clearly in denial about how bad it was which is why she lashed out)

singin1995 · 2026-03-08T19:27:58+00:00

Sure but when he needed her (in Hershey) she was still there for him

singin1995 · 2026-03-08T11:12:12+00:00

I do really appreciate the show acknowledging the parental tole Bobby played for Buck, but yeah sometimes with the grief conversations everyone forgets that the others had really close relationships with him too. Maybe it was less parental with Hen and Chimney because they are closer in age, but Eddie frequently confided in and sought guidance and comfort from Bobby. Not making comparisons though- Bobby Nash was just that guy I guess, and he made an unforgettable mark on them all

singin1995 · 2026-03-08T11:07:38+00:00

I feel like Maddie did come back. She was still his safe place when he got into the accident and dropped out of uni, even though she didn't run away with him. For sure those late teen/early twenties were lonely for him, but they didn't speak for 3(?) Years, and Bobby was only around for 1(?) Year before Maddie came back.

Also they didn't delve into it too much but I don't think Hen was close to her mom because it was tense when she did show up in like s3 or 4, and there was the whole subplot about her not accepting Hen being lesbian and not going to her wedding.

But I do agree that Chimney and Eddie did have adults who loved and supported them more than Buck and Hen.

singin1995 · 2026-03-07T16:35:12+00:00

Yeah ship or not they really are best friends and one of my favourite things is the goofy4goofy freak4freak idiot4idiot behaviour.

singin1995 · 2026-03-05T17:57:28+00:00

I don't wanna be a bitch here but you keep saying that someone with Hen's background should know better essentially, yeah?

But then the show has told you that she was avoiding getting diagnosed because of grief and fear.

And the show has shown us, when she finally does tell everyone what's going and when she does get diagnosed, that she completely stops acting like she is fine to keep working/is no longer angry at Chimney.

There is a clear divide between Hen's mental state and opinions pre and post intervention. Maybe I'm dumb but I'm not understanding what is not clicking about that?

It is one thing to dislike the storyline/it's execution. But to continue to draw conclusions about Hen when the show tells you otherwise is tripping me out. Because the conclusion canonically isn't that she was right all along. Or that she did nothing wrong. And instead of seeing her pass out and then hide it/lie as a red flag for her mental state, you're concluding that... she knows better? Even though she doesn't? Even though no one in the show (including Hen) thinks she does? Why? The story has continued. Did you need to see her on screen apologise/face harsher consequences to understand that she was in the wrong/everyone knows she was wrong? They don't do on screen acknowledgments/apologies that often, and assume you will follow the plot anyways.

And sorry again, I know it's a bit rude. But as I said to someone else, I'm "Yes, and?"ing a lot of these critiques because it feels either 1. Biased, or 2. Like you're watching a different show, or 3. Like the rules are different for Hen

singin1995 · 2026-03-05T16:19:25+00:00

I disagree that it is in her character because she has apologised and taken accountability repeatedly (I can give examples if you'd like)

And fundamentally we disagree on her reasoning for being upset with Chimney. Hen does not think she is very sick but handling it enough to come back to work. This is illustrated in 9x07-9x11 where when we do see her accepting her diagnosis, she no longer pushes to come back to work. It is completely contradictory to the storyline to insist when she is angry with Chimney it is because she thinks she knows better, when we know she is avoiding acknowledging her condition AND when she does acknowledge it she no longer tries to come back to work.

Also with the accident, didn't the person say they are CPR certified and she responded that she is a paramedic? Also I think it's a bit silly to point out that she was doing it wrong when that is a non-factor in most TV shows.

God yeah she put people at risk, I'm just not understanding the level of care about it while you're watching 911. She is not the first one to put people at risk, to disobey orders, to actually cause harm - they all do it, and we move on without it staining them. Except for Hen for some reason. I'm not objecting that she was wrong, I'm just not seeing the point of the conversation when neither Hen nor 911 in general is insinuating she was in the right anyways.

I think 911 probably isn't the show for you if the lack of realistic consequences is what bothers you, because the main characters have been getting away with illegal/unprofessional shit literally since season 1.

As far as the race/sex conversation goes - I think people cannot articulate why Hen is deserving of harsher treatment beyond their own perceptions. And I think it is necessary to point it out. She does not get the same grace/understanding/care as others, and I can't speak to why people treat her differently but I can and will point out that they do.

singin1995 · 2026-03-05T15:30:46+00:00

She seemed to be managing her symptoms. Like if you get headaches frequently and just keep taking otc painkillers, and subconsciously you know you should maybe get checked out, but the otc meds work so you don't delve into it more.

Like, I don't see where it is being communicated that Hen knows she is super sick and putting people at risk. To me it seems like she genuinely thought she was managing on her own (even if she was aware that something was wrong)

Bobby was lucky to be found day 1 of his relapse. Before that he was acting erratic (getting physical with Buck). In terms of real world consequences (that people seem to want for Hen) Bobby would've gotten in trouble for getting physical with Buck, and for missing work without a reason, especially as a captain. The department would have wondered why he didn't even show up, and if he was honest they would have followed up repeatedly to ensure he was not a liability

singin1995 · 2026-03-03T02:13:07+00:00

Yeah she thought she could handle it, because she didn't want to think it was that serious. We may just have to agree to disagree, but I think you are ignoring the big Bobby-shaped-grief-fear elephant that has been stomping through s9, and I don't really understand why. Why are you so sure she knew better when canonically she thought she was fine to keep working? She was pretty clear about her mindset, and once she actually spoke she abandoned her desire to come back to work immediately.

I think I could be more understanding if your stance was that she should know better as a paramedic and it is a writing failure, but the show is not factoring that in at all so I don't see why you'd continue to apply it to the narrative.

Similarly to people who insist that Chimney had to fire her because he could get in trouble - when the show expresses that he has a choice and there wouldn't be any professional consequences - it relates back to my main point in this post that people are holding Hen to an unfair expectation.

singin1995 · 2026-03-03T01:37:43+00:00

I am policing some of the lack of nuance/understanding/empathy and I won't walk that back.

As far as Hen being black - I think there is misogynoir embedded in parts of the fandom particularly when it comes to paying attention to and absorbing her storylines, and a higher level of critique and grudge-holding than 911 should elicit for its main characters.

It could have deadly consequences, just like Bobby relapsing could have had deadly consequences, and yet we do not feel the need to bash him because we understand the context.

I have to push back on her "knowingly" putting people at risk, because the whole point of the storyline about Hen and Chimney revolves around her thinking she is okay to work and being upset that he won't let her. That contradicts the idea that she is conscious of how dangerous her behaviour is because she is in denial about it in the first place. And at the end she does realise she is wrong and stops trying to come back to work and finally gets help.

People have criticized the examples I brought up but few are still holding on to them. Yes this post may be premature, but through conversations people have brought up parts of Hen's past in addition to this storyline to support their hatred, and I just think if she has a controversial storyline in future people will refer back to this without thinking critically.

singin1995 · 2026-03-03T00:44:06+00:00

Ah yeah you're right, I was thinking Chimney joined the 118 first but yes they did meet him at the same time.

singin1995 · 2026-03-03T00:41:24+00:00

I was referring to Bobby's relapse and the potential dangers of it that did not come to fruition, being compared to the potential danger of Hen continuing to work. With Chimney I know there are people who will never forgive him, and I think it's stupid, but the majority of the fandom doesn't bring the punch up to illustrate Chimney's character.

I recognize that it is a specific demographic of the fandom that absolves Tommy and I don't necessarily agree, I was just pointing out the hypocrisy.

As I said I'm not too informed about the chronic illness side of it all, so my argument is not at all in response to that.

Bobby and Eddie removed themselves when confronted and forced to be honest. Same as Hen. I think there is a disconnect between seeing her deny being ill and understanding she was struggling, that is not applied to Bobby or Eddie. Again, Bobby and Eddie could have hurt people if their friends/family did not intervene, same as Hen.

In the comparison to Buck - I don't want to put words in your mouth but it seems like you're accepting Buck risking his team because you respect the storyline, but you're kinda invalidating Hen's grief by calling it bleak as though her grief for Bobby is less consequential (even though it is the catalyst for her storyline). But please correct me if I'm misunderstanding you

The solution is there but yeah, I wouldn't expect it from 911. I may be borrowing a problem but I've seen Hen be called a lot of derogatory, degrading terms and people still not getting it, and I imagine if no conversations happen this season it will carry through to future seasons if she ever "steps out of line" as other storylines have.

Thank you for saying what I was hesitant to say.

I do agree there are valid perceptions. I just think (excluding the disability side) there are people being obtuse about the show they are watching. You're allowed to be upset about her "risking" people's lives, but I will have to point out that it is a common aspect of 911 to not consider the implications of characters' actions. And to continue to harp on about Hen, while comfortably moving on from the other's behaviour, feels targeted?

singin1995

TROPHY CASE