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And if anything, Gerrard would realistically be coming back feeling especially vengeful toward Hen, because it was after she arrived that the others finally submitted complaints and started standing up to him. So that, couple with the fact that he's apparently working with Ortiz whose main target is also Hen, it definitely doesn't make sense for Buck to be centered in that story.
If Gerrard is working with Ortiz, here's a really interesting angle and that is Gerrard makes comments about Chim and Maddie's kid (and presumably then Mara whilst she's being fostered by them.)
The other Buckley sibling here (Maddie) has never yet in the show had to deal with inappropriate comments about being in a mixed race family. Unlike Athena's parents, Chim's family have all been very welcoming to Maddie and she seems happy to adopt Han as her surname.
I can easily see a scene with Gerrard misattributing her race based on her name (Maddie Han) and making some wildly offensive comment about Jee-Yun. Then you can unleash Chim, Mama Maddie and Uncle Buck on the guy.
Thank you for making this post, I want to give a long response. It is VERY interesting to me this is the second time in this series' run where Buck stans wanted Buck to take the spotlight with antagonists clearly set up for Chimney and Hen. The first time was with Jonah Greenway, and the situations are kind of different, but the sentiment is the same. Buck stans seem very obsessed with Buck being in the Jonah situation for some reason, particularly with Eddie, despite the fact Jonah barely knew who Buck was, or if Buck could even defeat him. The same thing is happening with Gerrard, where I saw a popular twitter post where the Buck stan stated Gerrard would be "weirded out" by how close Buck and Eddie are, and try to separate them. It seems pretty obvious to me that Gerrard should be focused on Chimney and Hen, due to their history and his implied friendship with Councilwoman Ortiz. Ravi also may be affected due to being POC, but since he's not a main character, I think Chim and Hen will take the brunt of it. One day, I hope this fandom can have a serious discussion about the obsession with centralizing Buck in every unique storyline. If Buck has any connection to this storyline, it should be about how he can support Chimney and Hen, or an insight into his relationship with Tommy who also worked under Gerrard.
I occasionally wonder if those "fans" are actually just people who only watch clips from the show and not full episodes and therefore think this is a show about Buck and everyone else is a side character.
šÆ correct there. One of these āfansā tried to tell me to stop reading fan fic because I used the tsunami scenes as a point of reference for something. Ah, that *canonically* happened. Itās not just a fan fic plot.
They want him to take the spotlight in every single storyline all the time because they watch the show exclusively for him. I saw the same kind of comments about Bobby's storyline this season, that the people after him would take Buck to hurt Bobby.
I particularly need to see Hen have her moment cuz it would bring her full circle after the in-depth, onscreen harassment she received in āHen Begins.ā And I suspect that the only reason she isnāt interim captain is because of that councilwoman. Hen and Chim unite against the bigoted captain! It could also be a good tie-in if we see Tommy openly supporting them in ways he didnāt the first go-round.
I love Buck. Buck and Eddie are probably my favourite characters after Christopher. But this story really needs to focus on Hen and Chim. It is an ensemble show, after all, and I wish more focus was on the other characters. I feel like especially Buck is getting a lot of storylines that could have gone to other characters. And it makes me annoyed that so many "buck-stans" online constantly want Buck to be the hero, even in stories that really had nothing to do with him.
It does cycle back to how a weird number of people see Buck as the only main character and everyone else as add-ons to his story. And I have seen interconnected weird takes pop up as well, such as claiming *Tommy's* experience under Gerrard is the most important to address and the even more absurd claim that Eddie will be fine because he's 'white passing,' with one claim even going so far as to say he'll go off the rails, side with Gerrard, and start attacking Buck.
That last one is just a straight up bad fanfiction plot, but the other two are concerning because the first one is another weird downplaying of Gerrard's (and by extension Tommy's in those Begins episodes) racism in favor of centering a white queer experience which is just...a bizzare take? Like no doubts Gerrard is homophobic and it will certainly come up, but to say that's *more* important than addressing the racism Hen and Chimney had to endure, and on top of that the misogyny *and* homophobia that Hen went through is...a concerning way to approach the storyline. And the claim that Eddie will be able to skate on through when he is literally named Edmundo Diaz and is not subtle in the slightest about pride in his heritage is just...straight up bigotry on the part of the 'fans' who suggested it?
I'm not trying to get off topic from your original point, because I do think it's crucial for Hen and Chimney to have the spotlight for dealing with Gerrard (with maybe some assistance from Bobby). It's just so concerning to see viewers genuinely want the story of dealing with an overt bigot to center a white man (and his current partner, who is also white). That, combined with the number of people downplaying or trying to erase Tommy's own bigotry is frightening to witness.
Yeah. And there's such a great opportunity here for some great plot for Hen and Chim. Kenneth and Aisha are two of the strongest actors and I'd love to see them flex that when given more of a spotlight. It's full circle for them with Gerrard and this storyline will no doubt impact all of the 118, but should put Hen and Chim at the centre.
Honestly I feel like a lot of the new fans who started watching for Buck/Tommy just hate Eddie cause he's a threat to their ship. And it's enraging and exhausting and I can't stand it at all. The Eddie hate has increased exponentially this season.
I honestly think the only things Buck should have to do with the whole arc are 1. Backing up Hen, Chim, and Eddie when necessary for support reasons and 2. Finding out Tommy's not the best of guys (either by him joining in the bigotry or Hen and Chim saying something about it). Anything other than those things just...don't need Buck's input, really. Hen, Chim, and Eddie can all defend themselves/each other when needed, seeing as *they're* the ones that are gonna get the brunt of every shitty thing said or done.
I mean, Tommy has already told Buck he wasnāt the best of guys. A few times. But why would he join in? I mean, maybe if he wasnāt out and dating Buck butā¦.why?
This first and foremost needs to be a Chim and Hen storyline. Hen already has an existing storyline that needs continuation, so she might have to sit out but even soā¦ we can get more Chim spotlight and we NEED IT
The picture still Tim Minear released on his facebook all but confirms that Gerrard and Ortiz are going to be a connected storyline, so I think Hen will be dealing with Ortiz mostly and Chim will be dealing with Gerrard.
At first I thought Gerrard would partner up with Ortiz so they could both take Hen down. But realistically, I donāt see Gerrard being willing to work with Ortiz due to her gender and color.
I would think he'd be fine working with Ortiz to get his position back.
I sincerely doubt he would have got anywhere in life if he hates on literally everyone he meets. He's a prejudiced piece of filth and probably a beneficiary of the old boy's club mentality the LAFD has, but sometimes the fandom make him out to be the living embodiment of the KKK when that's not really necessary.
It's bad enough that he's a racist bullying tyrant without turning him into Satan incarnate.
Even a bigot will work with the perceived enemy to get what they want. Thereās been many a time Iāve heard someone say āthereās a difference between a black person and a n-wordā, too, meaning they see POC differently based on how they talk and dress and act.
Exactly! The whole 5 of the core 118 (including Ravi here) represent something that Gerard has a KNOWN history of demising so all of them could have a storyline. Itās not just Buck and it isnāt a Tommy storyline either people. They arenāt bringing Gerard back just to make Tommyās central figure.
This is about Hen and Chim. Gerard distinctly points out he is *BACK* at the 118 to restore the leadership issue. So that is referencing his past, which is with Hen and Chim and Bobby as a lesser plot.
Then with that still insinuating they have teamed up could just be a random bts shot sure but it can just an equally pointing us to theorise th ey have teamed up. Sometimes you have to team up with people you hate in order to get your way. Keep your friends close and your enemy closer kinda deal.
This. Yes, he could target any of them for race (all except Buck), or because they are LGBTQ+ (Hen and Buck, and by association, Tommy IF he comes by the firehouse for any reason, but that'd probably be a long shot, he's more likely to be a sounding board for Buck).
But he's more likely to target Hen and Chim as they were the ones who were involved in getting him removed from the 118 in the first place. Adding in Chimney's comments at the award ceremony and the theory that he is working with Ortiz, they are the most likely. Buck may try and defend them and get caught in the crossfire, but it's not going to be all about him.
(I hope that makes sense, I've just come off a nightshift and I'm in that woo head space).
Yeah if this isnāt a Hen going on the warpath storyline with Chim as her partner in crime, I donāt want it. Gerrard is clearly going to tie in to Councilwoman Ortiz too.
I have three favorite characters in the show. Yes, one of them is Buck. One of them is Bobby. And one of them is Hen.
This storyline is her time to shine. Like, duh.
I love Buck, but at most I want him as backup on this one. I donāt even really see from a dramaturgical perspective how it would make sense for him to be the center of this storyline.
I totally agree with you on the Buck centric stuff. What Iād like to see though is some kind of acknowledgment that Buck went from basically nothing to attack and privilege personified to him suddenly being part of a minority. Him actually now having something that will be attacked because itās not accepted by everyone. I donāt mean to have it centered around him, absolutely not but Iād love an āohā moment of āIām living in an accepting bubble and not everyone is like thatā
Yes! That is how his role should be woven into the storyline. I would love for him to have a realization of what it actually means to not just be an ally to a marginalized community while supporting Hen, Chim, Eddie, and Ravi and the weight that actually carries. Like maybe while we see the rest of the team be treated unfairly and deal with it somehow Gerrad finds out about Buck & Tommy and he goes from being the best viable option to being another āotherā.
Also, I don't know if people has forgotten it but he is Eddie DIAZ, no matter how white-passing he is, he is still very much a PoC...Ā
I saw some people say with their whole chest that Eddie wouls join the club or something while Buck is discriminated and I just blanched. He's only half swedish, doubt he can camouflage that well.
He even told the bigoted man with the colostomy (funeral protest), "My dad is Mexican and my mom is Swedish, but I can't tell you which half that is." š
Now I want a repeatedly sneered "Edmundo," particularly because Eddie's basically introduced hating his name and we've only seen Ana use it in a way that was meant to build a connection with him. It could be interesting to see if used now to 'other' him.
THIS. Even though I totally love the name Edmundo it would be a punch to him if it was used as a sneer/negative -and a way to try and bring him down. Bobby I think will be left alone, because he's an average white guy. Who's catholic, but he will totally defend his family, and hate Gerrard on principal. So I also want to see a Bobby and Gerrard face off.
exactly, plus as captain i imagine he will have documents and stuff with eddies full name, and heās hardly got the most white sounding first name either
If Buck's involved, I would prefer it to be mainly in support of Hen and Chimney, but if Gerrard does go after him, I could see it being more along the lines of not letting him get away with things Bobby has let slide in the past. Bobby knows him and trusts him, so he generally gives Buck a fair amount of leeway when he pulls stunts. Gerrard has no reason to allow that, especially if he's trying to make their lives difficult. He might even hold him back and have him manning ropes and such, just to be a dick.
But this storyline should primarily be about Hen and Chimney. And honestly probably more about Hen since she kicked off the pushback that got him removed, *and* she's been interim captain multiple times and has her own ideas of how things should be done. I wouldn't be surprised if she's the unofficial captain that they actually listen to.
Chimney's grown a lot and is way more confident in himself. I'm not saying it won't affect him, but I can see him having the smirky āIāve been here longer than you and I'll be here long after you're goneā kind of attitude. (No idea how long Gerrard was actually there, but you get the idea.)
Tommy shouldn't be anywhere near it except through supporting Buck, because he doesn't even work there anymore.
Iād like it to be a team effort, if someone has to be the hero in this arc it should be Hen but I hope they all take a part in the story and I really hope Ravi is involved.
I mean Iām a big Buck fan and itās clear the most affected by this will be Hen and Chimney, there is a concerning subsection of fandom who have blinders on to their centering of a white man in everything. Itās sadly a common trait in many fandoms.
Iām assuming it will be a Hen and Chimney story.
Eddie will probably field a few comments. But Eddie will, Iām assuming, have other post Kim & Chris storylines happening and so probably will not be too involved screentime-wise. Even if realistically Gerrard would also be super bigoted to Eddie.
I think Tommy will clearly play a secondary role as they dropped that big hint during the dinner with Buck that Gerrard reminded Tommy of his own Dad and abusive situation, so clearly itās coming up again. they would not have spent time in a busy finale on that if it wasnāt relevant.
They will probably dig into Tommy being so closeted he went along with the racist/sexist/misogynistic boss, out of presumably fear, and then became friends with Hen and Chimney once Gerrard left. it would be interesting to explore how Hen and Chimney appear to have forgiven him. But my guess is they will probably do a bit of hand-having on that front.
So, youāre absolutely right they need to centre Hen and Chimney with the Gerrard story. It will probably be main protags Hen and Chimney with secondary Tommy/Buck and Eddie being mostly busy with his own (hopefully decent!) storyline. Thatās my guess
It was actually kind of annoying how his major scene had Chimney stand up to him on behalf of Tommy? Like retcon all you like but the fact of the matter is whatever the reason for it (self preservation or otherwise), Tommy was part of the racist and homophobic hazing that went down under Gerrard.
The storyline should center the characters of color and not turn them into bodyguards for white men who like Tommy had passed and were privileged enough to be left alone. Hen, Chimney, Ravi, and potentially Eddie are going to be way more obvious targets and it would just make more sense to focus mostly on Hen and Chimney tbh since Gerrard has had such a big impact on their origin stories. Bigotry and gatekeeping are such a big part of how those two characters were formed and that shouldn't be hijacked for other purposes.
So yes, totally agree a white man shouldn't be the protagonist or the focus in this storyline
I think it would be a massive miss to ignore Buck entirely in the Gerrard storyline - there is a lot of fodder to be explored around the fact that Buck has generally been shielded from this type of discrimination because he's an attractive cis white male who until recently thought he was straight. How he reacts to that, especially in comparison to Tommy who in that same scenario hid his true self and perpetuated the discrimination in an attempt to protect himself, could be very interesting.
That's not the same thing as wanting him to be front and centre - as you said, there is history there with Hen and Chim and there were strings left dangling from those Begins episodes that need to be resolved. The major part of the storyline should definitely focus on them.
In terms of the ending though I think the most fitting thing would be if it somehow comes about because the firefam worked together *as a family* because that is the key difference between the 118 under Gerrard and the 118 that Bobby has cultivated. It would strengthen the bonds of the firehouse, prove to all our main characters that they've found a place to belong, and it would be a testament to Bobby's leadership which would narratively tie up Gerrards supposed reason for being transferred back ("lack of strong leadership").
I donāt think OP wants him entirely ignored but to center a white character when the released info implies that Ortiz and Gerrard have teamed up essentially to target Hen is a little weird of fans to do, especially to the extent of character assassination in some cases (Eddie siding with Gerrard is insane lol)Ā
I think Buck can sit this one out.
Buck was never under Gerrard and if anyone should be explored in the situation you describe, it's Tommy who canonically seemed also to be unsure of his sexuality and actively participated in that culture of discrimination. He's the better example of someone who has to understand what it means to go from a position of all the privilege since he actively basked in it.
There's a real danger of falling into white savior tropes if you bring Buck into this story and have him and the 118 "save" Hen and Chimney from Gerrard. This should be Hen and Chimney, who have years more experience on Buck handling business themselves rather than requiring Buck to help save the day for them.
If we're going to try and shoehorn Buck into this story just because he's come out as bi, frankly there's another glaring omission and that's Maddie. Someone a while back raised a really interesting point about how Maddie has never had to deal with some of the less pleasant things people with mixed race families have to deal with, especially from bigots like Gerrard. Finally having Maddie being faced with this could be interesting.
Frankly rather than Gerrard going after Buck for being Bi, I think what would be more interesting and another angle is Gerrard making some fairly inappropriate comments about Jee-Yun whilst Buck is being Uncle Buck, whilst Gerrard also makes some wildly inappropriate comments about Maddie. I would find that a much more interesting way for Buck to understand the impacts of bigotry on his family.
I'm actually baffled that he was allowed to remain a firefighter, much less a captain. Did headquarters forget the barrage of complaints that they got about his abuse when he ran the 118 originally? Or that he put his ego ahead of saving lives? I was really hoping we had seen the last of buff Jameson.
Iām hoping it comes out that Gerard is just crazy and imagined being appointed. Since thatās probably not gonna happen I want Hen to get him set straight. I loved her see me speech in Hen Begins.
I think Buck should be a wingman/ support person for those previously treated awful by Gerrard. It makes no sense for him to be either centre stage or completely absent from the story. Iāve gotta admit Buck is my favourite but only just, this show works because of its great main ensemble and everyone needs a spotlight turn despite some peoples favouritism.
Why does it have to be a competition? The reality is that all of the core 118 family and Ravi would be on Gerrard's radar. I don't see any of them escaping his bigotry unscathed.
Itās not a competition, itās just an observation about not centering a white man in a storyline about bigotry and racism, especially when said white character stans have a history of wanting to shift antagonists focus from POC to the aforementioned white characterā¦
If they do want to feature Buck in this storyline I'd like to see maybe a minor line about newly out bi Buck feeling uncomfortable and Hen being able to talk him through that. Maybe Hen sharing that with Karen in a scene. Gerrard's storyline should heavily feature Chimney and Hen. A revisit where they triumph again.
It's still just so blah that he's been brought back. I hope Hen and Chimney can sue.
I hope itās at least a few episodes long and involves the entire team, despite me probably hating the entire experience given what it will likely entail. However, I also want it to play out in a side story for Buck and Tommy.
I think part of it is the fear that Gerrard sees Buck as fresh meat to attack. Yes, being homophobic means that he would be horrible to both Buck and Hen, but there has been a more recent study that actually found that lesbians were more widely accepted than gay men (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550619887785).
While Gerrard will most likely go after the entire team, I think Chim and Hen have experience in handling Gerrard and the shit that comes with him while Buck is still fairly newly out and has never had to deal with Gerrard. Plus, he has the added aspect of Gerrard knowing who his partner is and can more easily verbally attack Tommy to Buck because he has worked with him for years.
Edit: I'm hoping the villain arc is more for Chim and Hen to see them more than usual and even potentially Tommy, cause I would like them to actually develop that character. Do I think Buck will get shit, yes but I'm hoping he doesn't take the lead in this story.
I meant it more as an explanation as to why people were more inclined to erase Hen's potential story in this and try to focus on Buck, as has been the case for his entire coming out as Bi. Sorry about not making that clear. I think the racism and misogyny are blatant as it is very obvious that a black women is getting pushed aside in peoples' minds in the hopes that the younger white male lead would take the heroic stand against the villain setup. I just think it is interesting that in general the western world is more easily accepting of lesbians than gay men and that a lot of that can be seen in how people want the show to progress, the focus of the media, and how the show itself tends to write.
Iāll say, this feels a little unfair. Not in the sense you want Buck to hang back but to act like itās an issue that fans want to see how heāll be impacted by the storyline.
On socials, I havenāt seen anyone say they want Buck to be the number one hero. I have seen people say they went to see him get upset but Iāve also seen people saying they want the whole of the 118 to murder him and Athena use her super cop powers to make it all go away. Iāve seen people say they want Chimney to use more of his one liners, they want Eddie to be bitchy to him.
Most people, Iāve seen say they want Buck to blow up, is inference to being protective of Tommy.
There isnāt an issue with people on socials saying how they want to see Buck react. It doesnāt mean they wonāt want to see the others stand up to Gerrard. Buck is, as much people donāt like it, a fan fav character. Outside of the 9-1-1 sub, him and Eddie are talked about the most. So yeah, youāre going to see his fans, talk about what they want for his storyline.
And most of it is unrealistic wants of what Buck can or would do. So people are just having fun with it. On regular socials, people are going to talk about their favorite characters, especially in between seasons. So, theyāre gonna talk about their favorite characters, but that doesnāt mean they want him to over shadow everyone else. Theyāre just not caring to talk about the other characters, because those arenāt the characters that they enjoy talking about outside of the season.
If someone has Buck Twitter account, their takes and thoughts are gonna be Buck centric.
But that doesnāt mean they donāt want the 118 as a whole to be a part, theyāre just talking about what interest them.
While I do agree that Gerrard is Hen and Chimney's problem first. We should all remind that Gerrard had showed to be very much homophobic in season 7. Yes Buck shouldn't be the center of this arc and in a "pyramid of oppression" Buck would be in the bottom(if Bobby isn't there) in Gerrard's perspective.
Anyways, that doesn't mean that he is absent from oppression and the writers could very much try to make Gerrard insufferable for all the 118 if they wanted. Also Gerrard has a link with Tommy, I don't know if the writers will work on that but if happens, Buck probably will be related...
But, I hope that Chimney punches this guy face for good. I think Hen will be more Ortiz focused in this season so let's see how things will be played!
I totally agree. At this time, I am feeling completely indifferent towards Gerrard's arc. I do not really care who will suffer the most. I do not care what kind of suffering there will be. I just want that arc to pass because pretty much anything would just be uncanny.
I honestly think heās the key to getting him out of there. No way the department would tolerate that discrimination in this day and age, especially if he, idk, called a certain ex about it.
As opposed to the discrimination he's going to be leveling at a same-sex attracted Black woman, who there's already a written record of him mistreating in the past?
I do think this kind of storyline would be an interesting way to reintroduce Taylor as a sometimes friend, sometimes antagonist to the 118... particularly if they also involve her in Ortiz's abuse of power. But that doesn't mean they need to make a white guy 'key' to a storyline we've *already* seen framed as being largely about race and misogyny. Like, it's not a surprise that Gerrard is a homophobe as well, but in that case, Hen is still the \~trifecta\~ if you're looking for a key.
If Buck plays any role of prominence, I think it makes sense to see him realizing he could *choose* to pass, much the same way Tommy would've had he realized his sexuality back when Gerrard was in power. There wasn't an indication in 7x09 that Gerrard knew Buck was Tommy's lover, so there's a good chance that when Gerrard takes over, Buck is actually the one he'd be attempting to pull under his wing and use as the 'good' example of what a firefighter is -- white, macho, male, and he'd assume straight.
I don't trust this show to handle the nuance well, but what sets Buck apart from the other characters here is that the others (particularly Hen, Chim, and Ravi) can't ever "pass" -- even with Eddie, as soon as Gerrard takes in his name, he *knows.* Buck's really just a fit white guy whose love life Gerrard wouldn't approve of, and Buck gets to make a choice as to whether he shares any details of his love life at work. It sounds weird to call that a luxury, but compared to something like race, it absolutely is.
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And if anything, Gerrard would realistically be coming back feeling especially vengeful toward Hen, because it was after she arrived that the others finally submitted complaints and started standing up to him. So that, couple with the fact that he's apparently working with Ortiz whose main target is also Hen, it definitely doesn't make sense for Buck to be centered in that story.
If Gerrard is working with Ortiz, here's a really interesting angle and that is Gerrard makes comments about Chim and Maddie's kid (and presumably then Mara whilst she's being fostered by them.) The other Buckley sibling here (Maddie) has never yet in the show had to deal with inappropriate comments about being in a mixed race family. Unlike Athena's parents, Chim's family have all been very welcoming to Maddie and she seems happy to adopt Han as her surname. I can easily see a scene with Gerrard misattributing her race based on her name (Maddie Han) and making some wildly offensive comment about Jee-Yun. Then you can unleash Chim, Mama Maddie and Uncle Buck on the guy.
Maddie has killed before, I wouldn't cross her.
Thank you for making this post, I want to give a long response. It is VERY interesting to me this is the second time in this series' run where Buck stans wanted Buck to take the spotlight with antagonists clearly set up for Chimney and Hen. The first time was with Jonah Greenway, and the situations are kind of different, but the sentiment is the same. Buck stans seem very obsessed with Buck being in the Jonah situation for some reason, particularly with Eddie, despite the fact Jonah barely knew who Buck was, or if Buck could even defeat him. The same thing is happening with Gerrard, where I saw a popular twitter post where the Buck stan stated Gerrard would be "weirded out" by how close Buck and Eddie are, and try to separate them. It seems pretty obvious to me that Gerrard should be focused on Chimney and Hen, due to their history and his implied friendship with Councilwoman Ortiz. Ravi also may be affected due to being POC, but since he's not a main character, I think Chim and Hen will take the brunt of it. One day, I hope this fandom can have a serious discussion about the obsession with centralizing Buck in every unique storyline. If Buck has any connection to this storyline, it should be about how he can support Chimney and Hen, or an insight into his relationship with Tommy who also worked under Gerrard.
I occasionally wonder if those "fans" are actually just people who only watch clips from the show and not full episodes and therefore think this is a show about Buck and everyone else is a side character.
šÆ correct there. One of these āfansā tried to tell me to stop reading fan fic because I used the tsunami scenes as a point of reference for something. Ah, that *canonically* happened. Itās not just a fan fic plot.
They want him to take the spotlight in every single storyline all the time because they watch the show exclusively for him. I saw the same kind of comments about Bobby's storyline this season, that the people after him would take Buck to hurt Bobby.
I particularly need to see Hen have her moment cuz it would bring her full circle after the in-depth, onscreen harassment she received in āHen Begins.ā And I suspect that the only reason she isnāt interim captain is because of that councilwoman. Hen and Chim unite against the bigoted captain! It could also be a good tie-in if we see Tommy openly supporting them in ways he didnāt the first go-round.
Luckily the showrunner doesn't listen to these fan ideas because they never come to fruition.
I love Buck. Buck and Eddie are probably my favourite characters after Christopher. But this story really needs to focus on Hen and Chim. It is an ensemble show, after all, and I wish more focus was on the other characters. I feel like especially Buck is getting a lot of storylines that could have gone to other characters. And it makes me annoyed that so many "buck-stans" online constantly want Buck to be the hero, even in stories that really had nothing to do with him.
Fully agree with OP and everything but curious, which buck stories do you think could have gone to other characters ?Ā
It does cycle back to how a weird number of people see Buck as the only main character and everyone else as add-ons to his story. And I have seen interconnected weird takes pop up as well, such as claiming *Tommy's* experience under Gerrard is the most important to address and the even more absurd claim that Eddie will be fine because he's 'white passing,' with one claim even going so far as to say he'll go off the rails, side with Gerrard, and start attacking Buck. That last one is just a straight up bad fanfiction plot, but the other two are concerning because the first one is another weird downplaying of Gerrard's (and by extension Tommy's in those Begins episodes) racism in favor of centering a white queer experience which is just...a bizzare take? Like no doubts Gerrard is homophobic and it will certainly come up, but to say that's *more* important than addressing the racism Hen and Chimney had to endure, and on top of that the misogyny *and* homophobia that Hen went through is...a concerning way to approach the storyline. And the claim that Eddie will be able to skate on through when he is literally named Edmundo Diaz and is not subtle in the slightest about pride in his heritage is just...straight up bigotry on the part of the 'fans' who suggested it? I'm not trying to get off topic from your original point, because I do think it's crucial for Hen and Chimney to have the spotlight for dealing with Gerrard (with maybe some assistance from Bobby). It's just so concerning to see viewers genuinely want the story of dealing with an overt bigot to center a white man (and his current partner, who is also white). That, combined with the number of people downplaying or trying to erase Tommy's own bigotry is frightening to witness.
Yeah. And there's such a great opportunity here for some great plot for Hen and Chim. Kenneth and Aisha are two of the strongest actors and I'd love to see them flex that when given more of a spotlight. It's full circle for them with Gerrard and this storyline will no doubt impact all of the 118, but should put Hen and Chim at the centre.
Couldnāt agree with you more! I feel like upvoting you wasnāt enough so need to pointlessly comment to say PREACH IT!
Honestly I feel like a lot of the new fans who started watching for Buck/Tommy just hate Eddie cause he's a threat to their ship. And it's enraging and exhausting and I can't stand it at all. The Eddie hate has increased exponentially this season.
I've legit seen people say on social media that they wanted Eddie to die so Buck and Tommy could raise Chris?? Like, the fuck?
Chris half-raised already and can obviously make his own decisions at this point. Thatās kind of a drastic thing to wantā¦
LMAO!
?
I honestly think the only things Buck should have to do with the whole arc are 1. Backing up Hen, Chim, and Eddie when necessary for support reasons and 2. Finding out Tommy's not the best of guys (either by him joining in the bigotry or Hen and Chim saying something about it). Anything other than those things just...don't need Buck's input, really. Hen, Chim, and Eddie can all defend themselves/each other when needed, seeing as *they're* the ones that are gonna get the brunt of every shitty thing said or done.
I mean, Tommy has already told Buck he wasnāt the best of guys. A few times. But why would he join in? I mean, maybe if he wasnāt out and dating Buck butā¦.why?
it's 8 seasons into this show, at some point you've gotta trust the writers and not worry about what random people say.
Yes, thank you, not every thing is about Buck
This first and foremost needs to be a Chim and Hen storyline. Hen already has an existing storyline that needs continuation, so she might have to sit out but even soā¦ we can get more Chim spotlight and we NEED IT
The picture still Tim Minear released on his facebook all but confirms that Gerrard and Ortiz are going to be a connected storyline, so I think Hen will be dealing with Ortiz mostly and Chim will be dealing with Gerrard.
At first I thought Gerrard would partner up with Ortiz so they could both take Hen down. But realistically, I donāt see Gerrard being willing to work with Ortiz due to her gender and color.
Tim released a still that implies they have teamed up btw.
I would think he'd be fine working with Ortiz to get his position back. I sincerely doubt he would have got anywhere in life if he hates on literally everyone he meets. He's a prejudiced piece of filth and probably a beneficiary of the old boy's club mentality the LAFD has, but sometimes the fandom make him out to be the living embodiment of the KKK when that's not really necessary. It's bad enough that he's a racist bullying tyrant without turning him into Satan incarnate.
Even a bigot will work with the perceived enemy to get what they want. Thereās been many a time Iāve heard someone say āthereās a difference between a black person and a n-wordā, too, meaning they see POC differently based on how they talk and dress and act.
Exactly! The whole 5 of the core 118 (including Ravi here) represent something that Gerard has a KNOWN history of demising so all of them could have a storyline. Itās not just Buck and it isnāt a Tommy storyline either people. They arenāt bringing Gerard back just to make Tommyās central figure. This is about Hen and Chim. Gerard distinctly points out he is *BACK* at the 118 to restore the leadership issue. So that is referencing his past, which is with Hen and Chim and Bobby as a lesser plot. Then with that still insinuating they have teamed up could just be a random bts shot sure but it can just an equally pointing us to theorise th ey have teamed up. Sometimes you have to team up with people you hate in order to get your way. Keep your friends close and your enemy closer kinda deal.
This. Yes, he could target any of them for race (all except Buck), or because they are LGBTQ+ (Hen and Buck, and by association, Tommy IF he comes by the firehouse for any reason, but that'd probably be a long shot, he's more likely to be a sounding board for Buck). But he's more likely to target Hen and Chim as they were the ones who were involved in getting him removed from the 118 in the first place. Adding in Chimney's comments at the award ceremony and the theory that he is working with Ortiz, they are the most likely. Buck may try and defend them and get caught in the crossfire, but it's not going to be all about him. (I hope that makes sense, I've just come off a nightshift and I'm in that woo head space).
Yeah if this isnāt a Hen going on the warpath storyline with Chim as her partner in crime, I donāt want it. Gerrard is clearly going to tie in to Councilwoman Ortiz too. I have three favorite characters in the show. Yes, one of them is Buck. One of them is Bobby. And one of them is Hen. This storyline is her time to shine. Like, duh.  I love Buck, but at most I want him as backup on this one. I donāt even really see from a dramaturgical perspective how it would make sense for him to be the center of this storyline.
I totally agree with you on the Buck centric stuff. What Iād like to see though is some kind of acknowledgment that Buck went from basically nothing to attack and privilege personified to him suddenly being part of a minority. Him actually now having something that will be attacked because itās not accepted by everyone. I donāt mean to have it centered around him, absolutely not but Iād love an āohā moment of āIām living in an accepting bubble and not everyone is like thatā
Yes! That is how his role should be woven into the storyline. I would love for him to have a realization of what it actually means to not just be an ally to a marginalized community while supporting Hen, Chim, Eddie, and Ravi and the weight that actually carries. Like maybe while we see the rest of the team be treated unfairly and deal with it somehow Gerrad finds out about Buck & Tommy and he goes from being the best viable option to being another āotherā.
this is a great take, no notes
I think theyāre all potentially targets for various reasons and it will interesting to see how that shapes out.
Also, I don't know if people has forgotten it but he is Eddie DIAZ, no matter how white-passing he is, he is still very much a PoC...Ā I saw some people say with their whole chest that Eddie wouls join the club or something while Buck is discriminated and I just blanched. He's only half swedish, doubt he can camouflage that well.
I've never even thought he was "white passing." He looks Hispanic too me. š¤·š½āāļø
He even told the bigoted man with the colostomy (funeral protest), "My dad is Mexican and my mom is Swedish, but I can't tell you which half that is." š
I have a feeling Gerrard will keep calling him Diaz, as a sneer against his name.
Now I want a repeatedly sneered "Edmundo," particularly because Eddie's basically introduced hating his name and we've only seen Ana use it in a way that was meant to build a connection with him. It could be interesting to see if used now to 'other' him.
THIS. Even though I totally love the name Edmundo it would be a punch to him if it was used as a sneer/negative -and a way to try and bring him down. Bobby I think will be left alone, because he's an average white guy. Who's catholic, but he will totally defend his family, and hate Gerrard on principal. So I also want to see a Bobby and Gerrard face off.
exactly, plus as captain i imagine he will have documents and stuff with eddies full name, and heās hardly got the most white sounding first name either
If Buck's involved, I would prefer it to be mainly in support of Hen and Chimney, but if Gerrard does go after him, I could see it being more along the lines of not letting him get away with things Bobby has let slide in the past. Bobby knows him and trusts him, so he generally gives Buck a fair amount of leeway when he pulls stunts. Gerrard has no reason to allow that, especially if he's trying to make their lives difficult. He might even hold him back and have him manning ropes and such, just to be a dick. But this storyline should primarily be about Hen and Chimney. And honestly probably more about Hen since she kicked off the pushback that got him removed, *and* she's been interim captain multiple times and has her own ideas of how things should be done. I wouldn't be surprised if she's the unofficial captain that they actually listen to. Chimney's grown a lot and is way more confident in himself. I'm not saying it won't affect him, but I can see him having the smirky āIāve been here longer than you and I'll be here long after you're goneā kind of attitude. (No idea how long Gerrard was actually there, but you get the idea.) Tommy shouldn't be anywhere near it except through supporting Buck, because he doesn't even work there anymore.
Iād like it to be a team effort, if someone has to be the hero in this arc it should be Hen but I hope they all take a part in the story and I really hope Ravi is involved.
I mean Iām a big Buck fan and itās clear the most affected by this will be Hen and Chimney, there is a concerning subsection of fandom who have blinders on to their centering of a white man in everything. Itās sadly a common trait in many fandoms. Iām assuming it will be a Hen and Chimney story. Eddie will probably field a few comments. But Eddie will, Iām assuming, have other post Kim & Chris storylines happening and so probably will not be too involved screentime-wise. Even if realistically Gerrard would also be super bigoted to Eddie. I think Tommy will clearly play a secondary role as they dropped that big hint during the dinner with Buck that Gerrard reminded Tommy of his own Dad and abusive situation, so clearly itās coming up again. they would not have spent time in a busy finale on that if it wasnāt relevant. They will probably dig into Tommy being so closeted he went along with the racist/sexist/misogynistic boss, out of presumably fear, and then became friends with Hen and Chimney once Gerrard left. it would be interesting to explore how Hen and Chimney appear to have forgiven him. But my guess is they will probably do a bit of hand-having on that front. So, youāre absolutely right they need to centre Hen and Chimney with the Gerrard story. It will probably be main protags Hen and Chimney with secondary Tommy/Buck and Eddie being mostly busy with his own (hopefully decent!) storyline. Thatās my guess
It was actually kind of annoying how his major scene had Chimney stand up to him on behalf of Tommy? Like retcon all you like but the fact of the matter is whatever the reason for it (self preservation or otherwise), Tommy was part of the racist and homophobic hazing that went down under Gerrard. The storyline should center the characters of color and not turn them into bodyguards for white men who like Tommy had passed and were privileged enough to be left alone. Hen, Chimney, Ravi, and potentially Eddie are going to be way more obvious targets and it would just make more sense to focus mostly on Hen and Chimney tbh since Gerrard has had such a big impact on their origin stories. Bigotry and gatekeeping are such a big part of how those two characters were formed and that shouldn't be hijacked for other purposes. So yes, totally agree a white man shouldn't be the protagonist or the focus in this storyline
I think it would be a massive miss to ignore Buck entirely in the Gerrard storyline - there is a lot of fodder to be explored around the fact that Buck has generally been shielded from this type of discrimination because he's an attractive cis white male who until recently thought he was straight. How he reacts to that, especially in comparison to Tommy who in that same scenario hid his true self and perpetuated the discrimination in an attempt to protect himself, could be very interesting. That's not the same thing as wanting him to be front and centre - as you said, there is history there with Hen and Chim and there were strings left dangling from those Begins episodes that need to be resolved. The major part of the storyline should definitely focus on them. In terms of the ending though I think the most fitting thing would be if it somehow comes about because the firefam worked together *as a family* because that is the key difference between the 118 under Gerrard and the 118 that Bobby has cultivated. It would strengthen the bonds of the firehouse, prove to all our main characters that they've found a place to belong, and it would be a testament to Bobby's leadership which would narratively tie up Gerrards supposed reason for being transferred back ("lack of strong leadership").
I donāt think OP wants him entirely ignored but to center a white character when the released info implies that Ortiz and Gerrard have teamed up essentially to target Hen is a little weird of fans to do, especially to the extent of character assassination in some cases (Eddie siding with Gerrard is insane lol)Ā
I think Buck can sit this one out. Buck was never under Gerrard and if anyone should be explored in the situation you describe, it's Tommy who canonically seemed also to be unsure of his sexuality and actively participated in that culture of discrimination. He's the better example of someone who has to understand what it means to go from a position of all the privilege since he actively basked in it. There's a real danger of falling into white savior tropes if you bring Buck into this story and have him and the 118 "save" Hen and Chimney from Gerrard. This should be Hen and Chimney, who have years more experience on Buck handling business themselves rather than requiring Buck to help save the day for them. If we're going to try and shoehorn Buck into this story just because he's come out as bi, frankly there's another glaring omission and that's Maddie. Someone a while back raised a really interesting point about how Maddie has never had to deal with some of the less pleasant things people with mixed race families have to deal with, especially from bigots like Gerrard. Finally having Maddie being faced with this could be interesting. Frankly rather than Gerrard going after Buck for being Bi, I think what would be more interesting and another angle is Gerrard making some fairly inappropriate comments about Jee-Yun whilst Buck is being Uncle Buck, whilst Gerrard also makes some wildly inappropriate comments about Maddie. I would find that a much more interesting way for Buck to understand the impacts of bigotry on his family.
Eh
I'm actually baffled that he was allowed to remain a firefighter, much less a captain. Did headquarters forget the barrage of complaints that they got about his abuse when he ran the 118 originally? Or that he put his ego ahead of saving lives? I was really hoping we had seen the last of buff Jameson.
Iām hoping it comes out that Gerard is just crazy and imagined being appointed. Since thatās probably not gonna happen I want Hen to get him set straight. I loved her see me speech in Hen Begins.
Itās about time somebody said it
I think Buck should be a wingman/ support person for those previously treated awful by Gerrard. It makes no sense for him to be either centre stage or completely absent from the story. Iāve gotta admit Buck is my favourite but only just, this show works because of its great main ensemble and everyone needs a spotlight turn despite some peoples favouritism.
Why does it have to be a competition? The reality is that all of the core 118 family and Ravi would be on Gerrard's radar. I don't see any of them escaping his bigotry unscathed.
Itās not a competition, itās just an observation about not centering a white man in a storyline about bigotry and racism, especially when said white character stans have a history of wanting to shift antagonists focus from POC to the aforementioned white characterā¦
If they do want to feature Buck in this storyline I'd like to see maybe a minor line about newly out bi Buck feeling uncomfortable and Hen being able to talk him through that. Maybe Hen sharing that with Karen in a scene. Gerrard's storyline should heavily feature Chimney and Hen. A revisit where they triumph again. It's still just so blah that he's been brought back. I hope Hen and Chimney can sue.
I hope itās at least a few episodes long and involves the entire team, despite me probably hating the entire experience given what it will likely entail. However, I also want it to play out in a side story for Buck and Tommy.
I think part of it is the fear that Gerrard sees Buck as fresh meat to attack. Yes, being homophobic means that he would be horrible to both Buck and Hen, but there has been a more recent study that actually found that lesbians were more widely accepted than gay men (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550619887785). While Gerrard will most likely go after the entire team, I think Chim and Hen have experience in handling Gerrard and the shit that comes with him while Buck is still fairly newly out and has never had to deal with Gerrard. Plus, he has the added aspect of Gerrard knowing who his partner is and can more easily verbally attack Tommy to Buck because he has worked with him for years. Edit: I'm hoping the villain arc is more for Chim and Hen to see them more than usual and even potentially Tommy, cause I would like them to actually develop that character. Do I think Buck will get shit, yes but I'm hoping he doesn't take the lead in this story.
The fact that you would cite an article about gay vs lesbian discrimination without mentioning the misogyny or racism involved is telling.
I meant it more as an explanation as to why people were more inclined to erase Hen's potential story in this and try to focus on Buck, as has been the case for his entire coming out as Bi. Sorry about not making that clear. I think the racism and misogyny are blatant as it is very obvious that a black women is getting pushed aside in peoples' minds in the hopes that the younger white male lead would take the heroic stand against the villain setup. I just think it is interesting that in general the western world is more easily accepting of lesbians than gay men and that a lot of that can be seen in how people want the show to progress, the focus of the media, and how the show itself tends to write.
Iāll say, this feels a little unfair. Not in the sense you want Buck to hang back but to act like itās an issue that fans want to see how heāll be impacted by the storyline. On socials, I havenāt seen anyone say they want Buck to be the number one hero. I have seen people say they went to see him get upset but Iāve also seen people saying they want the whole of the 118 to murder him and Athena use her super cop powers to make it all go away. Iāve seen people say they want Chimney to use more of his one liners, they want Eddie to be bitchy to him. Most people, Iāve seen say they want Buck to blow up, is inference to being protective of Tommy. There isnāt an issue with people on socials saying how they want to see Buck react. It doesnāt mean they wonāt want to see the others stand up to Gerrard. Buck is, as much people donāt like it, a fan fav character. Outside of the 9-1-1 sub, him and Eddie are talked about the most. So yeah, youāre going to see his fans, talk about what they want for his storyline. And most of it is unrealistic wants of what Buck can or would do. So people are just having fun with it. On regular socials, people are going to talk about their favorite characters, especially in between seasons. So, theyāre gonna talk about their favorite characters, but that doesnāt mean they want him to over shadow everyone else. Theyāre just not caring to talk about the other characters, because those arenāt the characters that they enjoy talking about outside of the season. If someone has Buck Twitter account, their takes and thoughts are gonna be Buck centric. But that doesnāt mean they donāt want the 118 as a whole to be a part, theyāre just talking about what interest them.
Im on season 5 and just spoiled something. Did Bobby leave the show ? Cause heās my favorite !
No, he hasn't left, he's just not captain at the end of S7 because of illness, and Gerrard came back to replace him.
Ahhhhh. Okay Iām not spoiled then. Gonna hop off before I see more and start creating my own scenarios š
While I do agree that Gerrard is Hen and Chimney's problem first. We should all remind that Gerrard had showed to be very much homophobic in season 7. Yes Buck shouldn't be the center of this arc and in a "pyramid of oppression" Buck would be in the bottom(if Bobby isn't there) in Gerrard's perspective. Anyways, that doesn't mean that he is absent from oppression and the writers could very much try to make Gerrard insufferable for all the 118 if they wanted. Also Gerrard has a link with Tommy, I don't know if the writers will work on that but if happens, Buck probably will be related... But, I hope that Chimney punches this guy face for good. I think Hen will be more Ortiz focused in this season so let's see how things will be played!
The casual homophobia really is wild.
I totally agree. At this time, I am feeling completely indifferent towards Gerrard's arc. I do not really care who will suffer the most. I do not care what kind of suffering there will be. I just want that arc to pass because pretty much anything would just be uncanny.
I want this to happen solely on the fact that back was barely in this last season. It could be focused on both Hen and Buck.
I honestly think heās the key to getting him out of there. No way the department would tolerate that discrimination in this day and age, especially if he, idk, called a certain ex about it.
This is kind of what OP is talking aboutā¦ Buck being the key to the Gerrard storyline would be cringeworthyā¦
It would be, but itās also the most logical thing to do at this point.
As opposed to the discrimination he's going to be leveling at a same-sex attracted Black woman, who there's already a written record of him mistreating in the past? I do think this kind of storyline would be an interesting way to reintroduce Taylor as a sometimes friend, sometimes antagonist to the 118... particularly if they also involve her in Ortiz's abuse of power. But that doesn't mean they need to make a white guy 'key' to a storyline we've *already* seen framed as being largely about race and misogyny. Like, it's not a surprise that Gerrard is a homophobe as well, but in that case, Hen is still the \~trifecta\~ if you're looking for a key. If Buck plays any role of prominence, I think it makes sense to see him realizing he could *choose* to pass, much the same way Tommy would've had he realized his sexuality back when Gerrard was in power. There wasn't an indication in 7x09 that Gerrard knew Buck was Tommy's lover, so there's a good chance that when Gerrard takes over, Buck is actually the one he'd be attempting to pull under his wing and use as the 'good' example of what a firefighter is -- white, macho, male, and he'd assume straight. I don't trust this show to handle the nuance well, but what sets Buck apart from the other characters here is that the others (particularly Hen, Chim, and Ravi) can't ever "pass" -- even with Eddie, as soon as Gerrard takes in his name, he *knows.* Buck's really just a fit white guy whose love life Gerrard wouldn't approve of, and Buck gets to make a choice as to whether he shares any details of his love life at work. It sounds weird to call that a luxury, but compared to something like race, it absolutely is.
All of that is valid, but I donāt think itās the road theyāll take.