"9-1-1" has long been lauded for it's representation of the LGBTQIA+ community, and some stars of the spinoff "9-1-1: Lone Star" have even been inspired to come out publicly because of it.
Firstly, he shut down the complaints about Buck previously having dated women. But then, there are the stolen glances and the hands on the hips when hugging. And I really hope that we get to hammer home that point this season.”
Stark concluded his message by sharing his excitement over diving “deeper” into Buck’s bisexual identity in the show’s upcoming season.
‘9-1-1’s Oliver Stark Calls Playing Buck ‘Such an Honor’ on Bisexual Day of Visibility
Oliver Stark commemorated Bisexual Day of Visibility by paying tribute to his 9-1-1 character, Evan “Buck” Buckley.
“Good morning. go watch something else," he laughed. There was also Buck's connection with the gay couple in season one with the tapeworm emergency, and who can forget Buck's emotional connection with the elderly gay man Thomas in the season two episode 'Buck, Actually'?
But why now?
Maddie's co-worker, Josh, is openly gay. In fact, at the time of this writing, the "9-1-1" star is in a relationship with real-life partner Hannah Gotesman, his longtime girlfriend.
9-1-1 made a significant step forward in Buck's character development by revealing he’s not straight. One of the main characters, Hen, has been with her wife Karen since the first season.
I can not recall a series in recent modern memory that has told a storyline of this nature for a male character; Buffy the Vampire Slayer did it for Willow when she attended college and met Tara, and Grey's Anatomy and Glee have both told similar stories for Callie, and Brittany and Santana respectively.
There are, however, narrative choices made that are a disservice to viewers, in particular the decision to have Tommy and Buck continue their casual conversation after the kiss.
“It’s just such an honor to get to be a part of telling this story, so thank you guys,” he said.
Stark has portrayed the fan-favorite firefighter since 9-1-1 premiered on Fox in 2018.
Think back to the early seasons, and how Eddie Diaz's introduction to the 118 came from Buck's point-of-view with the song 'Whatta Man' playing as a shirtless Eddie appeared in slow-motion. "There's nothing shameful about this," he said. Buck loathed how Eddie giggled like a schoolgirl whenever he was on the phone with Tommy.
The following contains spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 7, Episode 4, "Buck, Bothered, and Bewildered," which aired Thursday, April 4 on ABC.
Other than a great story, character ships have long been the backbone of many television shows.
Tim has never shied away from admitting that the series is always evolving, and that no-one is ever safe from major changes – good or bad – and no true fan can deny that Buck had, in many ways, become stagnant.
Healthy male friendships are still not a common thing to see in media, and it was refreshing for Eddie and Buck to provide a new perspective.
As a long-time fan of this show, I truly never believed we'd see Queer Buck so it would be foolish to now rule out Buddie being the end game. Later in the season, after Buck and Eddie's contentious beginnings had mellowed into a strong friendship, the pair took Eddie's son Chris to visit Santa and Buck made the decision to not correct a Christmas elf who mistook Chris for being Buck and Eddie's son.
that viewers will see Buck "making use of that support system, and learning more about those relationships" he has with the 118 in episodes five and six, and Eddie's reaction to Buck's news will be one that many will watch closely. Buck's biggest weakness, however, is his scorching jealously, which is a focal point that leads to his first onscreen kiss with a man in "Buck, Bothered, and Bewildered."
Tommy Kinard is back on the scene after helping the 118 locate Athena and Bobby's missing cruise ship from the previous episode.
If the Buddie ship is truly going to sail at some point, it's better for both Buck and Eddie that they get their own storylines to process this part of their lives that they've not yet explored. As for those haters, he got them back in the best way possible. Yet, 9-1-1 never made a move on the two until Season 7, Episode 4, when Buck came out as bisexual -- a milestone that not only moves the series closer to a canonized Buddie relationship, but also shifts Buck into a necessary character direction.
Buck Came Out as Bisexual in 9-1-1 Season 7
9-1-1 Finally Puts Years of Speculation to Rest
REVIEW: 9-1-1's Season 7 Premiere Sails and Sinks Ships on ABC
9-1-1 gets its groove back on ABC, with favorite relationships taking center-stage and Angela Bassett breaking new grounds as Athena in Season 7.
Although Eddie gets his fair share of sexuality speculation from the viewers, it's Buck that 9-1-1 has chosen to focus on.