I Can't Believe That We Just All Seemingly Forgot How Horrible Tommy Was In 9-1-1

Tommy Kinard was an influential character in 9-1-1, but his past actions can’t be swept under the rug. Lou Ferrigno Jr.’s character came to the forefront during 9-1-1 season 7, and remained a recurring role through season 8. Though Tommy was initially reserved as a helpful tool during 9-1-1’s intense disasters, his character was expanded and brought into the fold temporarily alongside LAFD Station 118. Ironically, Tommy had complicated relationships with most of the firefighters, including Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds), Howard “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi), and Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark).

The 118 formed most of 9-1-1’s found family, and the close relationship between the coworkers is at the very heart of the series. Bobby Nash’s (Peter Krause) captaincy was responsible for cultivating the fire station's supportive, familial atmosphere, which stood in contrast to direct predecessors such as Vincent Gerrard (Brian Thompson). Though Tommy interacted with recent additions to the 118, like Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) and Ravi Panikkar (Anirudh Pisharody), his history with certain members of the department runs deep. Unfortunately, Tommy’s past with the 118 is far different from the character's positive portrayal in later seasons.

Tommy's History With The 118 In 9-1-1 Explained

The Background Character Appeared Long Before Season 7

Tommy Kinard first appeared in the 9-1-1 season 2 episode “Hen Begins” as a rude coworker, contributing to the former 118’s toxic work environment. After Hen joined the LAFD, she was met with a rude awakening by her predominantly white male firehouse, who quickly dismissed her. Throughout the episode, Tommy persuades Hen and speaks disparagingly of her, culminating in a scene where Hen hijacks an engine to announce her dedication to her station and demand that they “see” her. Hen’s character in 9-1-1 has consistently been ignored and overlooked, and it began on her first day with the 118.

Sadly, Tommy’s behavior worsened in Chimney’s backstory, “Chimney Begins” (which is regarded as one of 9-1-1’s best episodes of all time). When Chimney first joins the 118, Tommy makes a racist remark about how Chimney must be there to deliver food. Alongside the rest of the team, Tommy ignores Chimney until the “probie” (probationary firefighter) saves his life. Only then does Tommy deem Chimney worthy of his attention, breaking the silence with a less-than-warm greeting. Throughout Hen and Chimney’s backstory episodes, Tommy was never a good person— he was merely the best of the worst.

Later, Tommy explains he followed Captain Gerrard in 9-1-1 due to fear and self-preservation. Tommy was living a lie, denying his homosexuality and trying to fit in. Just a few years before the start of the series, Tommy was even engaged to Abby Clark (Abigail Britton). Struggling with identity and feeling ostracized at work is one thing, but Tommy actively contributed to the bigoted workplace environment that Gerrard thrived in. Nothing about Tommy’s past can excuse the pain he inflicted on 9-1-1’s two most marginalized characters, but season 7 ignored his behavior entirely.

Tommy's Relationship With Buck & New Perspective Shouldn't Be Used As A Pass For His Past Sins

Tommy Can't Make Amends By Ignoring His Past

Rather than reintroduce Tommy slowly and include a developed redemption arc for him, the former 118 firefighter suddenly appeared in 9-1-1 season 7’s opening emergency as an LAFD Air Operations pilot. After helping to execute Hen’s plan to save Bobby and Athena (Angela Bassett) from their sinking ship, Tommy quickly becomes one of Buck’s romantic partners in 9-1-1, kick-starting the short arc of Buck realizing his bisexuality. Instead of truly exploring that identity and what it means for Buck’s character, 9-1-1 simply had Buck and Tommy immediately start dating and fade into the background.

Unfortunately, 9-1-1 never attempted to redeem Tommy, opting instead to bulldoze past his bigotry and treat him as a blank slate character. Actions may speak louder than words, but nothing about Tommy’s behavior implied contrition, nor did he ever explicitly take accountability for how he treated Hen and Chimney. Tommy used Gerrard as an excuse for his actions when there should have been an explanation, meaning Tommy needed to take responsibility for his discrimination without seeking sympathy for his plight. All Tommy did, however, was supplement Buck’s storyline.

Even during their breakup, Tommy never added anything of value to the plot as a standalone character. Buck and Tommy were never in the running to be 9-1-1’s best couple, but at least on dates, Tommy contributed to a larger idea (in that he facilitated Buck’s bi-awakening). As a character, Tommy was nothing more than a one-dimensional love interest who happened to have a documented history of discrimination and bigotry. The two never overlapped, and 9-1-1 seemed eager to treat them as separate entities altogether. Yet, avoiding Tommy’s past makes his 9-1-1 character so much worse.

How 9-1-1 Season 9 Can Properly Redeem Tommy

Confrontation Is The First Step

While 9-1-1 may have dropped the ball in reintroducing Tommy, redeeming his character isn’t necessarily a lost cause. After all, 9-1-1 redeems bad parents constantly, whether deserving or not, and makes them sporadic recurring roles. If 9-1-1 wants to turn Tommy into a side character who pops up every so often, there are avenues to develop that role without pretending like Tommy’s past doesn’t exist. If he’s changed, Hen and Chimney deserve an on-screen apology, and 9-1-1 shouldn’t immediately let Tommy off the hook just for the sake of saying he’s been forgiven.

It would be easy to inject Tommy into heartwarming 9-1-1 moments and hope that audiences grow to accept his inclusion, but there will always be those holding a grudge— understandably so, as Tommy has effectively gotten away with bigotry without showing any real remorse. Even Gerrard, who was the ringmaster of discriminatory policies, was offered somewhat of a redemption arc in 9-1-1 season 8 after he helped Bobby reclaim his spot as the 118’s captain. The difference between Gerrard and Tommy’s “redemption” is concerning, as it implies 9-1-1 assumed Tommy being gay would simply be enough to redeem him.

Still, the question remains of whether 9-1-1 should redeem Tommy at all. At this point, he has been formally reintegrated into the group as Buck’s boyfriend (and later ex), meaning he's had countless opportunities to apologize to Hen and Chimney but didn’t. 9-1-1 could always impose a ret-con flashback to show he did, but it would feel disingenuous. Tommy needs to confront what he did and admit his culpability, but 9-1-1 also needs him to prove he means it when he says he’s different now. Regardless, one thing is certain: 9-1-1 won’t get away with ignoring its Tommy problem.

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