Editor’s Word: The next incorporates spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 13.9-1-1 has had an elephant within the firehouse for fairly a while now. This elephant is formed like a pair of finest mates who’re deeply connected to one another, cannot ever appear to make their romantic relationships work, and have basically been elevating a child collectively for the higher a part of the present. This week’s episode, Season 9, Episode 13, “Mom’s Boy,” promised an installment that might lastly correctly concentrate on each Buck (Oliver Stark) and Eddie (Ryan Guzman), and that might give them house to exist collectively away from the firefighting world.
Certain, the promo for this episode teased that they’d get right into a automotive accident, during which Buck can be kidnapped, and Eddie can be left in a hospital room by himself to fret about him. Nonetheless, although, it regarded like “Mom’s Boy” was going to be precisely the episode that this dynamic wanted at this level within the season. As a substitute, “Mom’s Boy” is a disappointingly surface-level episode that does not really feel new or contemporary for 9-1-1, and that resolves all the pieces in predictable and cookie-cutter methods.
‘9-1-1’ Season 9, Episode 13 Offers Buck and Eddie Generic, Floor-Degree Battle on Their Street Journey
The episode opens with the automotive accident that was teased within the promo, during which a badly-injured Eddie is pulled out of the crash alone. It then goes again in time to Buck and Eddie on the Nashville airport, the place all flights have been grounded as a result of a software program situation (which might be setup for 9-1-1: Nashville‘s episode this week). They’re in a rush to get house for Hen’s (Aisha Hinds) shock party, which is a do-over after nearly everybody forgot her birthday final 12 months. Buck suggests they simply drive, which results in a very enjoyable Buddie highway journey sequence the place they sing alongside to the music, rank their favourite Arnold Schwarzenegger films, and toss snacks into one another’s mouths. It is a breath of contemporary air to see them appearing like foolish finest mates collectively, however in fact, the enjoyable is short-lived.
Buck and Eddie’s dialog within the automotive stays surface-level, touching simply on their earlier 9-1-1: Lone Star crossover, after which turning right into a battle after Buck will get them misplaced when he suggests an unconventional route down south by way of New Mexico. Buck loves the meals and will get alongside very nicely with the waitress, Bonnie (Melinda McGraw), whereas Eddie is simply offended, after which they get into an explosive argument proper there within the diner. Their argument may be very generic and commonplace, with Buck getting mad at Eddie for getting “gloomy” like he says Eddie all the time does, whereas Eddie is barely mad about being misplaced. It is not particular sufficient for 2 individuals who have been finest mates for eight years, and even their loud and harsh diner battle would not really feel detailed or chopping sufficient for 2 individuals who know one another that nicely.
Essentially the most compelling a part of their argument is Buck expressing his anger that Eddie is mad at him for a selection that they each made. Buck is pissed off that Eddie would not communicate his thoughts and say what he needs, whereas Eddie admits to taking the “path of least resistance” with Buck more often than not to keep away from arguments. This had the potential to the touch deeper on their dynamic, nevertheless it simply skates alongside the floor and as a substitute turns into an over-the-top argument that has Buck dramatically holding a fork to his personal neck and screaming at Eddie to kill him. A gaggle of homophobic truckers errors this for a lover’s quarrel, and one in all them tells Buck and Eddie that “We simply do not see a variety of your type round right here.”
When Eddie asks what the trucker means by his and Buck’s type, the trucker says, “You inform me, Princess.” It is a deliberate narrative selection to point out homophobia being directed particularly at Eddie, however the episode by no means unpacks this additional. Buck and Eddie each apologize to one another and cement their place as a crew, then they get adopted by a truck on the highway. They consider that it is a homophobic hate crime, and so they’re pushed off the highway, which turns right into a automotive accident. Eddie wakes up alone within the hospital the place he is instructed that he was the one particular person within the automotive. In the meantime, Buck is trapped alone in Bonnie’s home, the place she believes that he is her son, Derek, who has been brain-dead since a bike accident 15 years earlier (and continues to be on life assist in her basement).
‘9-1-1’ Season 9, Episode 13 Does not Give True Emotional Payoff to Buck and Eddie’s NDEs
Buck’s predicament this episode feels usually low-stakes, as a result of Bonnie is clearly simply grieving and unwell, and there isn’t any doubt that he’ll make it out alive. The far more high-stakes storyline this episode is Eddie’s. Eddie tries to get the native Sheriff to hearken to him and take Buck’s case critically, however Eddie is as a substitute met with racist and homophobic microaggressions from the Sheriff, who very clearly thinks that Eddie killed Buck in an act of intimate associate violence (which is a baffling selection when this, alongside the homophobia from the truckers, is the solely time the romantic undertone of Buck and Eddie’s dynamic is addressed this episode). Eddie turns to the crew again house for assist, and Athena (Angela Bassett), Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), and Chimney (Kenneth Choi) do their finest to help from afar.
Athena calls the Sheriff, who continues to be set on Eddie as a suspect, and who would not need to really do his job. With Buck trapped in a locked room and no one else round to assist, Eddie must be the one to avoid wasting him. Eddie is hesitant to interrupt out of the hospital and make himself extra of a suspect, however Athena pushes him to go save Buck. It is a disappointing writing selection contemplating how shut Buck and Eddie are, however Eddie’s issues are comprehensible as a result of Sheriff’s apparent racism, despite the fact that the episode would not ever discover this additional. An injured Buck and Eddie are paralleled with each other as they each escape to attempt to get to one another. Buck will get caught, first by Bonnie, after which by her ex-husband and Derek’s father, Earl (Jeff Kober), who’s additionally the cook dinner on the diner. Eddie’s seek for Buck takes him to the diner, the place one of many waitresses flirts with him, and Eddie, in fact, reveals a scarcity of curiosity. She affords her his quantity, and he nods with a critical face, presumably as a result of he needs to have the ability to contact her within the seek for Buck, however that is the final we see of this odd detour.
Eddie goes to Bonnie’s home, the place Earl now has Buck tied up within the basement. Bonnie is aware of that Buck is not Derek now, and he or she is aware of that there isn’t any manner out now, so she tries to persuade Earl to kill him. Buck talks to Bonnie one-on-one and reveals compassion for her, relating her lack of Derek to his personal lack of Bobby (Peter Krause), and inspiring her to let Derek go. She nearly kills Buck, however Eddie reveals up proper on time to ask her questions concerning the truckers, whom he believes has Buck. Buck asks Bonnie and Earl to persuade Eddie to go away, keen to sacrifice himself to avoid wasting Eddie. He appeals to Bonnie as a mother or father, telling her about Christopher (Gavin McHugh), and saying that Eddie is all Chris has. She tries to steer Eddie away, however he sees the truck and is aware of that Buck is there. Eddie will get right into a confrontation with Bonnie and Earl, the place he has a gun to Bonnie’s head, and Earl has a gun to Eddie’s. Buck then escapes and tackles Earl, saving Eddie.
The cops interrupt at that time, and the Sheriff sees that Eddie was proper. Buck collapses and Eddie rushes to him in a second that ought to have been the emotional payoff that this episode so desperately wanted, displaying simply how a lot they imply to one another. As a substitute, the second is undercut with a joke, and Buck and Eddie by no means get a second to correctly debrief both what they simply went by way of collectively or the argument that that they had. It felt like this episode is making an attempt so laborious to keep away from getting into something romantic with Buck and Eddie, that in doing so, there’s a huge lack of emotional payoff for what they simply went by way of collectively. Even when this was alleged to be performed as platonic, they might’ve at the least had a scene like Hen and Chimney received on the finish of “Hero Advanced.”
As a substitute, that is it for Buck and Eddie, and the one emotional payoff is for Maddie, who’s been terrified for Buck all episode. She drops all the pieces, able to go discover him herself, till she will get the decision that he’s alright. Even Eddie’s telephone name after with Chris takes place off-screen, and we by no means see Buck confirmed mistaken about his personal place in Christopher’s life. The episode ends on a joke, because it’s revealed that the entire thing was pointless, as a result of Hen missed her get together for a shock journey with Karen (Tracie Thoms). The episode is uneven all through, nevertheless it had a variety of potential, if solely Buck and Eddie’s emotional battle and concern for one another had been given correct emotional payoff. Finally, although, 9-1-1 appears afraid to let Buck and Eddie have an actual dialog, and the episode shoots itself within the foot due to it.
9-1-1 airs Thursdays at 8:00 P.M. on ABC.