I Love a Slow Burn, but Now I Need ‘9-1-1’ To Actually Commit to Buddie

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for the Season 8 finale of 9-1-1.When a long-running show is planning to take that next step for a slow burn pairing, there are usually signs in the seasons building up to it, and 9-1-1 has certainly given all those signs for Buddie. There was Buck's (Oliver Stark) realization that he is bisexual, Tommy's (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) jealousy over Buck and Eddie's (Ryan Guzman) connection, and Buck's accidental Freudian slip where he inadvertently admitted to his feelings for Eddie while denying them. If 9-1-1 were following the structure of a typical procedural, this would have been building up to a feelings realization for each party in the Season 8 finale, then they would officially get together by the end of Season 9. This is just another storyline that has been derailed by Bobby's (Peter Krause) death.

Here we are now after the conclusion of 9-1-1's eighth season, and a massive emergency took up the season finale, meaning any next steps for Buddie had to, once again, get pushed back a season. I have no doubt that 9-1-1 is still on the path to Buddie, but I do worry about whether the payoff for this pairing will feel satisfying. I love a good slow burn, and I think it's important for shows to take their time with these pairings. At a certain point, though, dragging out the slow burn can take away its momentum, until the actual moment where they get together is overshadowed by the frustration of waiting.

'9-1-1' Missed the Opportunity To Move Buddie Forward in the Season 8 Finale

Even as Bobby's death crumbled the existing structure of 9-1-1, there was reason to believe that a proper feelings realization was coming for Buddie in the Season 8 finale. Prior to Bobby's death, the second half of the season was building towards Buck and Eddie realizing just how much they mean to each other. Buck was confronted by both Tommy and Maddie about his feelings for Eddie. Meanwhile, moving back to Texas forced Eddie to think about why it was so hard for him to leave Buck, and what was at the root of their fight about him leaving. Even though I didn't love how the fight about Bobby's death was handled last week, this, too, was set up. The two were cruel to each other in their grief, but they ultimately came together as a family with Christopher (Gavin McHugh) and Pepa (Terri Hoyos).

The Season 8 finale is set up in a way that it felt like a feelings realization was coming. There is the long, lingering look that Eddie gives Buck when he learns that Buck doesn't want to be captain and is planning to transfer out of the 118, but then they never talk about it. There is also the moment where Eddie shows up in his turnouts and pulls a heroic move to save Buck, Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody), and a resident of the collapsed building. The way that Buck looks at him then feels so weighted, and it seems like a deliberate choice to have Ravi hug Eddie, but Buck just fistbump him. What they feel for each other then is too heavy for a simple hug, and it seems to be setting up a later conversation that never comes.

Because Buck and Eddie's connection was the main point of tension when Eddie moved back to El Paso, it made sense that this would ultimately be what brought him back to LA. Instead, though, Eddie moves back after Chimney (Kenneth Choi) tells him to. I am all for Captain Han laying down the law, but this felt like 9-1-1 trying to wrap everything up under the umbrella of Chimney becoming Captain, instead of actually leaning into the Buck and Eddie relationship. Buck's reaction to Chimney's declaration clearly has romantic undertones, but again, there is no onscreen conversation between Buck and Eddie after it's decided that Eddie will be sticking around. After that, we see Buck looking at apartments as Eddie and Christopher move back into the house. 9-1-1 could have taken this moment to allow Buck, Eddie, and Christopher live together, even in a longer temporary period, as a family. Instead, Buck is moving out without an onscreen conversation between him and Eddie, and it's unclear whether Eddie even knows that he's planning to leave.

'9-1-1' Needs To Take the Next Step With Buddie in Season 9

Ideally, 9-1-1 would have given confirmation of both Buck and Eddie's feelings by the end of Season 8, so that Season 9 could slowly build towards them getting together. At this point, even if it might feel rushed, I need Buck and Eddie to get together in the Season 9 finale. I don't think that the show is doing a bait-and-switch with Buddie, but I do think that it is dragging out the pairing. This is likely for views, because a lot of people watch with the hope of this slow burn finally getting together. The problem is, the longer the show delays Buddie getting together, the less rewarding their first romantic moment together will feel.

The best cautionary tale here is The Rookie's recently botched reconciliation for Chenford. The buildup after their breakup was full of tension and angst, until it was dragged out so much that I don't even care about that moment where they reconcile anymore. Even before 9-1-1 made it clear that Buck and Eddie were going to get together at some point, there has always been something here between these two. As of the Season 8 finale, 9-1-1 is now in Goldilocks territory with Buddie: it can't get them together too quickly or too slowly, and I need them to do it just right.