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callmebrycelee · 1 year

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9-1-1 REACTION

This reaction is for the season 6, twelfth episode "Recovery" which originally aired March 20, 2023. This episode was written by and directed by. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1***

After getting struck by lightning in the last episode, Buck is placed in a medically-induced coma where he experiences a world where he never became a firefighter and the brother he never got to meet never died. After being reminded of his importance to those around him, Buck finally breathed on his own and regained consciousness.

Now that we're all caught up, let's discuss episode twelve - RECOVERY.

The episode begins with a flashback to one of my favorite moments in the history of the show. We see Hen and Buck use the key that Bobby gave them to enter his apartment and they find him passed out from drinking too much. They help get him cleaned up and then we hear him utter the word "help". It's one of the most heartbreaking moments of the series but this is also the moment where Bobby, Hen, Buck, and Chimney become a family.

We then get a new flashback showing Bobby at his first AA meeting since moving to Los Angeles. Bobby meets and talks with Wendell (Maurice J. Irvin) and it was nice to see Bobby in a position where he's the one who needs help instead of him being the one who everyone goes to when they need assistance or advice. Bobby is very reluctant to open up to Wendell and you know what, I totally get it. Knowing Bobby's tragic history, I can't say that I blame him for being a little guarded. Plus he's probably feeling like such a huge failure for relapsing. Thankfully Wendell does manage to get Bobby to open up even if it's only a little bit and Bobby confesses to him that he's lost. It is so lovely to see everyone around Bobby - Hen, Buck, and Wendell - be so non-judgmental. My heart really goes out to those who are struggling with addiction of any kind because I reckon it must feel at times like walking a tightrope with no safety net knowing that at any moment, you could fall off.

In the present, Bobby tells Athena the medical examiner has finally gotten Wendell's toxicology report back. As it turns out, Wendell did die of a drug overdose. And since Wendell didn't die on the premises of the Winding Path (the treatment facility) the authorities are closing out his case. This news doesn't sit well with Bobby. He brings up the fact that there have been over a dozen investigations into Winding Path but nothing even sticks. Bobby suggests talking to Tamara, the young woman from Winding Path that May tried to befriend, but Athena reminds him that when May brought up Wendell, Tamara put a stop to the conversation and shut down communication with May. Bobby says he will be the one to talk to Tamara this time. He believes she will talk to him since they are both in recovery and they both knew Wendell. Athena hesitates, at first, but says there might be a way to make this happen.

Bobby finds Tamara at her job and approaches her. He introduces himself as May's stepfather and tells her that Wendell was a really good friend of his. Bobby says that Wendell was a good man and he did not deserve to die alone in an abandoned lot. Tamara tells Bobby that Wendell didn't die in the abandoned lot. When Bobby presses her for additional information, she lets him know that she did not meet Wendell at Winding Path - she met him before that. Wendell only checked himself in at the treatment facility to help her. Tamara lets Bobby know something's up at Winding Path and Wendell was out to prove it. She tells Bobby he needs to let this go otherwise he will end up like Wendell.

Title card!

Speaking of recovery, Buck is still recuperating from being placed in a medically-induced coma after being struck by lightning. Maddie shows up at his apartment with groceries and being that she's his big sister, she's been fussing over him which is obviously annoying him. When Buck insists that he is fine, she reminds him that he died (for three minutes) and no one knows what the long-term repercussions are going to be. Hearing that Buck died was very sobering to hear as a viewer. Buck reminds her that Maddie has a job, a family, and a new house and that she shouldn't be coming to his aid all of the time. Maddie says she doesn't mind. Buck tells her thank you and that he appreciates her fussing over him and Maddie tells him she's happy he's still there for her to fuss over. I know some would think what Maddie is doing is a bit overkill but these two have been through so much together. Maddie has been taking care of her brother since he was little because their parents were too consumed with grief over losing Daniel they could not be effective parents. I love that 30 years later, they are both taking care of each other.

Back at the Grant-Nash house, Bobby relays everything that happened to Athena. Athena suggests Wendell was doing an undercover sting, trying to dig up evidence at Winding Path. While going through Wendell's financial reports, she notices a $300-purchase at an electronics store the week he died. Bobby suggests Wendell bought a camera to wear while at the recovery center. Athena says she will go to the station and do some further investigating. Bobby thanks her for helping him, especially since Wendell was his sponsor - not hers. Athena says she knows how important Wendell was to him and to their family and that he's not the only one who misses him. I really love that Athena is going to bat for Bobby, especially since we saw him do the same for her earlier this season.

Meanwhile, Buck attempts to rest on his couch but there's a knock at the door. It's Hen and he invites her inside and they have pot roast for lunch. Hen will not let Buck help her clean up afterwards. Buck asks if he passed the Dr. Wilson follow-up exam and she playfully hits him for being ungrateful. She asks him about his cardiologist and Buck tells her that all he is waiting for is for her to tell him he's okay. Buck says he feels fine but he also felt pretty good before he got struck by lightning.

We flash back to December 2018. Wendell tells Bobby he thinks he's making a mistake asking Athena to marry him. He reminds Bobby that being impulsive is dangerous for folks in recovery. Bobby tells Wendell that Athena makes him feel like he's standing on solid ground and through her he has found a piece of himself again. Wendell softens his stance a bit after hearing this but tells Bobby he needs to slow down and that he and Athena should have a long engagement. I laughed when I heard this because Bobby and Athena got married at the end of season 2 which means maybe four months after they got engaged.

Back in the present, Bobby gets a call from Athena. She tells him that when Wendell's body was found, there was no trace of plastic found on him which means he wasn't wearing a camera on him. Bobby speculates that the camera was actually planted at Winding Path.

Buck gets another knock at his door and this time it's his friend Connor (Colin McCalla). He has a tupperware container with brownies and Buck asks him if those are the 'special brownies'. Just when me and my mom started to joke about 'weed brownies' Buck mentions something about 'high-fiber brownies'. Sure Buck ... side eye emoji face. Buck asks if his sister told him to come over and Connor seems confused by this question. Connor says he just wanted to check on him. They catch up and Connor tells him all about how his wife's pregnancy journey is going. Connor says that when you hope for something so long, when it finally happens, it just doesn't seem real. Buck tells him it will feel pretty real pretty soon. There's another knock on the door and it's Josh. I think it's so funny that Maddie has basically scheduled all of Buck's friends to show up to check on him since he basically told her she couldn't do it. I love Maddie so much!

Buck shows up to Eddie's place and when he answers the door, Buck tells him not to ask how he's doing. Buck goes and sits on his sofa and Eddie offers him beers. By the time Eddie brings over the beers, Buck is passed out.

Back at the Grant-Nash house, Bobby gets a call from Tamara. She sounds high. She asks him not to be mad at her and he assures her he isn't mad at her. Tamara blames herself for Wendell's death. Bobby suggests coming to get her but she tells him it's too late. She apologizes for Wendell and says she wishes she would have apologized to him. She says maybe now she can still do it. Tamara collapses and Bobby grabs his keys and leaves the house. On his way over to Winding Path, Bobby calls Athena and leaves a message on her voicemail letting her know he got a call from Tamara and that he's going to check on her.

Buck wakes up at Eddie's place. Buck asks Eddie what he remembers about getting shot. Eddie says he remembers a searing pain and then he fell. Everything got dark and then he remembers thinking this is it. The last moment of his life. The next thing he knew he was in a hospital.

"And that was it?".

Eddie nods and says, "That was it. No bright white lights. No trippy mind puzzles. Just thought I was dead and then I wasn't."

Eddie asks if he's allowed to ask how Buck is doing. Buck says he doesn't know how he's doing. Eddie reminds him that he died and he's allowed to feel a lot of different ways about it. Eddie tells him the best way to process things is to just feel. This is great advice coming from Eddie. Last season we saw him struggle with his mental health and it's great to see him pass on the lessons he's learned to his best friend. Eddie has another great line when he tells him that over time, when Buck wakes up, he'll be a little less surprised he's still there.

It occurred to me while watching this scene that this is the first Buck and Eddie scene we've gotten since the show came back from hiatus. I often poke fun at the die-hard Buddie-shippers who swear up and down these two are gonna run off into the sunset together. I appreciate this scene mostly because this is all I've ever wanted of these two characters. 9-1-1 has always been about "found family" and while Buck never got a chance to meet his brother, Daniel, he got a best friend and an older brother in the form of Eddie Diaz. I don't need romance between these two because their relationship is special as is. I have a theory that the writers shy away from writing these scenes between Buck and Eddie because there's a very small, very vocal part of the fandom who likes to read into every word, every facial expression, and I imagine that gets annoying for not only the writers, but the actors as well. I know it annoys me as a viewer. With that said, I hope we get more Buck and Eddie scenes because their friendship and brotherhood is one of the key elements to this show.

Bobby arrives at Winding Path and heads inside. He is confronted by the receptionist, Rochelle (Louise Barnes) and Trey and Carrie Walsh (Chris Johnson and Alicia Coppola). Bobby tells him he's there because Tamara said she was in trouble and Mrs. Walsh tells him that Tamara is troubled. Bobby bogarts his way inside and when Mr. Walsh attempts to stop him, Bobby punches him. Wow! I don't think we've ever seen Bobby Nash throw a punch and I kinda dig it! Bobby finds Tamara barely clinging to consciousness in an office. Tamara tells him this is where Wendell died. Bobby asks her about the camera but Tamara is super groggy. The smoke alarm goes off and Bobby starts to smell smoke. The whole place is on fire and Bobby drags Tamara out the house.

Emergency units arrive and Bobby tells some paramedics that Tamara needs to be treated for smoke inhalation and narcotic use. Tamara thanks him before she's taken by ambulance. Rochelle, Carrie, and Trey blame Bobby for breaking into the facility and setting the place on file. A gas container is found in the bed of Bobby's pickup truck. Carrie Walsh brings up the fire that killed his family back in Minnesota and honestly I wanted to jump through the screen and throttle her because how dare you throw this in his face.

Bobby is taken into custody and is interrogated by Detective Phelps (Catherine Dent). She tells him that Carrie, Trey, and Rochelle have given their statements. Things are not looking good for Bobby since he's been seen at the facility more than once since Wendell died. They accuse him of stalking Tamara. Detective Phelps says that she has witnesses willing to testify that Bobby started the fire at Winding Path. She then tells him that she thinks there's more to the story and that she can help him if he talks to her. Bobby says he has someone he needs her to call.

Athena comes to the station and tells Bobby and Detective Phelps she tracked down the guy who sold Wendell the camera and he told her where she needed to look. Meanwhile, we see some LAFD combing the rubble of the burned down facility. They remove a wall socket and find the camera. Athena and Detective Phelps go to see Tamara in the hospital. Tamara asks about Bobby and Athena tells her that Bobby's in custody. She says that Carrie and Trey have fingered Bobby as the one who started the fire but Tamara says that's not what happened. Detective Phelps shows her the camera and Tamara says that Wendell thought the camera would save them but it ended up being the thing that got him killed.

In a flashback, we learn that Tamara had been in and out of Winding Path for over a year. She goes to an AA meeting at a church and that's how she met Wendell. Tamara opens up about her experience at the treatment facility and how it seemed like no one there ever got clean and all of the overdoses. Wendell got upset hearing this and decided to check himself into the facility under the guise of his employer making him do it. He wrote a bogus check to pay for it. Tamara helped him smuggle the camera in because she knew Wendell would be searched by Trey and Carrie. She then tried to distract Carrie while Wendell went into the office to install the camera. The two of them are caught by Carrie and when she asks what they are doing, Wendell tells her he needs a fix. Carrie goes into a cabinet and grabs some heroin (I think). She demands that he takes it in front of her and when he seems reluctant to do so she says Tamara will take it instead. Tamara says sure but Wendell takes it from her and injects himself so she wouldn't have to do it. Wendell effectively breaks his sobriety by doing this. Tamara and Carrie go out in the hallway and Carrie demands to know who Wendell really is. They hear a crash in the office and they find Wendell dead on the floor. Carrie blames Tamara for it and calls for Trey. Carrie and Trey drag Wendell to the abandoned lot and they set his body ablaze.

In the present, Athena relays this story to Bobby who is now out of jail. Bobby realizes that Wendell broke his sobriety in order to keep Tamara from breaking hers and he paid the ultimate price. Bobby seems to have found peace in knowing that in the end, Wendell was still trying to save others. Athena and Bobby get to watch as Trey and Carrie are taken into custody. When Detective Phelps interrogates them separately, they each throw the other under the bus. Trey tells the detective that Carrie's the one who lured Bobby to Winding Path by having Tamara overdose and call Bobby. Carrie tells the detective that it was Trey's idea to burn the facility down. Detective Phelps tells Athena that Trey and Carrie Walsh have pulled this type of stunt before. Athena says that she checked into that background and didn't see anything about other facilities run by them. Detective Phelps tells her Trey and Carrie went by other names when they ran facilities in Westchester County and Palm Beach. Athena thanks the detective for her help. Detective Phelps tells her she's sorry for Wendell's death and we see Athena get emotional as she gets into her vehicle.

Buck is given a clean bill of health by his doctor (Aline Elasmar). She asks him how he's feeling and he tells her he feels like he's getting his strength back. Dr. Salazar tells him that he can go back to work as early as next week. Buck is shocked by this news. He then tells her he has been having a feeling of dread. She tells him that's not out of the ordinary. Buck brings up that Dr. Salazar has worked with a lot of patients who've had near-death experiences and he asks if they just go back to their lives as normal. Dr. Salazar says some do but others will quit their jobs, leave their spouse, and some of them like to travel. Recovery is a bumpy road but eventually everyone finds their equilibrium.

We see Buck revisit the place where he got struck by lightning and I know this is supposed to be a serious scene but all I could think about is how jacked Oliver Stark is and the tiny blue polo shirt he is wearing. Meanwhile, Bobby visits a fully-recovered Tamara at her job. She tells him her detox was rough but she's doing good. She thanks Bobby and Wendell for all they've done for her. It was so good to see Bobby smile because Peter Krause has a great smile and we haven't seen Bobby smile in quite some time.

Buck goes to Maddie and tells her she has to stop fixing him. Maddie tells him her experience leading up to her leaving Chimney and Jee-Yun. She says she felt so alone but she didn't want to ask for help because she didn't want to be a burden. She kept drifting farther and farther away from the people she loved. Maddie doesn't want Buck to ever feel alone which is why she went overboard on having people check in on him. Buck opens up to his sister about how every morning when he wakes up, he has this checklist he runs through his head so he can check to see if he is really there. He says the first thing he checks is the time of day. He says when he was in his coma, it was never night. The next thing he does is text Bobby to see if he's okay.

We then see Bobby delivering a eulogy for Wendell at his AA meeting. Athena is there supporting him like she always does. Bobby talks about how he and Wendell set milestones for their sobriety. He tells the group there's always a reason to live and no matter how dark the tunnel gets, there's always a light at the end. If he finds himself walking down that dark tunnel, he knows that all he has to do is hold out his hand because Wendell is there to walk with him. At the end of the meeting, Athena tells him that Wendell would be very proud of him. Bobby goes to talk to a young man (Ernesto Gonzales) and tells him he's been where he's been. End of episode.

We have another great episode of 9-1-1 and while it was low on the action-packed emergency scenes this show has become known for, we got my favorite thing of all which is rich storytelling featuring my beloved characters. Bobby has always been one of my favorite characters on the show because like Buck, he's had the most character development. When we met Bobby, he was so by the book and he wasn't super-invested in forming close bonds with his team. After he relapsed, he finally opened up and this gave permission for his team to open up to him. We have seen the 118 weather so many storms including Chimney's accident and subsequent coma in season 1, Buck getting crushed by a fire truck in season 2, Hen accidentally running an ambulance into a young girl in season 4, and Eddie getting shot at the end of season 4. Bobby has been there for every shooting, stabbing, and natural disaster and he's been inside every hospital room when one of own is down for the count. Bobby is so important and this episode proved that. I'm so glad we got to see more of his recovery journey and I'm so happy he has peace and closure concerning Wendell.

And then we have Buck dealing with his recovery from a very traumatic experience. Over the years, we've seen examples of Buck being impulsive and rarely taking time to think about the potential consequences of his actions. It was very refreshing to see him in a place of introspection. Buck is a lot more complex than people give him credit for and it was so nice to see him be able to articulate and communicate his thoughts and feelings to the people he cares about most. I'm so happy that Eddie gave him some sound advice because sometimes Eddie can have a 'suck it up' attitude when it comes to dealing with trauma. I do think that if Eddie hadn't gotten help prior to this, he wouldn't have been able to come through for Buck in this episode. I'm also happy Maddie was able to break down why she felt the way she did concerning Buck. This wasn't just a case of a big sister worrying about her little brother. She, too, has weathered more than her share of trauma and her concerns were very valid. I don't know what's next for Evan Buckley but something tells me whatever comes his way, he'll be more than prepared to deal with it.

Overall, I really liked this episode. 9-1-1 has been really knocking it out of the park this season. The show feels fresh and new and the creators have really gone out of there way to get back to the roots of why people fell in love with this show in the first place. Last season felt so fractured and all over the face but now we're getting back to focusing on the characters we love. I look forward to seeing how the back half of this season continues. Until next time ...

#911 reaction #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #911 reaction 2023 #fox 911 #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023 #911 6x12 #911 season 6 #peter krause #oliver stark #angela bassett #aisha hinds #jennifer love hewitt #ryan guzman

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callmebrycelee · 1 year

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9-1-1 REACTION

This reaction is for the season 6, eleventh episode "In Another Life" which originally aired March 13, 2023. This episode was written by Lyndsey Beaulieu and directed by Joaquín Sedillo & Jann Turner. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1***Maddie and Chimney prepare for the arrival of Margaret and Phillip Buckley at their new home. Albert surprises Chimney when he brings their father all the way from Korea. Bobby investigates the death of his sponsor, Wendell, with the help of Athena and May. Buck gets struck by lightning while responding to an emergency.

Now that we're all caught up, let's chat about episode eleven - IN ANOTHER LIFE.

We begin the episode at Maddie and Chimney's house. We see Maddie making tea and talking to her mother, Margaret Buckley (Dee Wallace). The latter offers to go shopping for flowers and plants with Maddie. It seems like she is really trying to have a better relationship with her daughter. Reading some of the comments on Reddit this evening, a lot of folks aren't into the whole parent redemption storyline. I don't mind it because it seems like Maddie and Chimney's primary motivation for bringing the families together is for their daughter to have grandparents.

While Maddie goes to check on Jee-Yun. There's a knock at the door. Margaret goes to answer it and we don't immediately see who is there. Margaret calls out to Maddie and when Maddie comes to the door we see an officer. Maddie sheds her first tear of many in this episode when she asks him, "Which one?". Speaking of which one, we see the ambulance arrive at the hospital with Buck. Bobby, Chimney, Hen, and Eddie are working on Buck, trying to get a pulse which they get. Bobby tells the doctors that Buck is prone to having blood clots and that he has an allergy to naproxen. As they wheel Buck away, the rest of the 118 look beyond miserable.

Title card (sort of)!

Buck wakes up in a hospital room. His doctor (Aaron Staton) tells him he fell off a ladder and hit his head even though Buck's memory tells him otherwise. Maddie arrives and she's sporting the cutest pigtails. She calls the doctor Daniel. Maddie is Buck's nurse? The doctor tells him he is free to go home. Maddie tells Buck about family dinner and he asks, "Whose family?"

Buck arrives home with Daniel (his doctor and also his older brother). Buck is fascinated to see his parents doting on him. We learn via Margaret and Phillip (Gregory Harrison) that Buck is a school teacher in this reality. It totally makes sense that someone like Buck, who has compassion for everyone, especially children (as evident through his relationship with Christopher Diaz). is a teacher. Buck, however, is shocked by this revelation. He then sees a toy ferris wheel which reminds him of the tsunami that hit the pier back in Season 3. We even hear Christopher's screams. Buck sits down to watch a game with his dad and older brother, Daniel. He seems content with his new reality.

In our next scene, Buck and Daniel arrive at Maddie's house. Buck sees a painting of a winterscape which reminds him of the time Maddie was abducted by her ex-husband and she ended up fighting for her life in Big Bear. We (and Buck) learn that in this reality Maddie has a daughter named Genevieve (Autumn James Hallisay) and Chimney is not the father. Turns out, even in this idyllic fantasy world, Maddie is married to Doug Kendall (Brian Hallisay). Buck, like me, is very confused.

Back in the real world, Buck remains in critical condition and has been placed in a medically-induced coma. Maddie arrives at the hospital with Margaret and Phillip. Bobby tells them that the lightning strike sent Buck into cardiac arrest. Maddie sees Chimney and tells him she's worried about Buck. Chimney feels extremely guilty because it was supposed to be him on the ladder until Buck asked to swap places with him.

Back in Buck's fantasy world, Doug is talking incessantly about being a surgeon. It appears that Doug Kendall is an asshole in any reality. Maddie seems annoyed and uncomfortable especially when Doug says her food was salty. Everyone goes into the living room to play cards giving Buck the opportunity to confront his sister. He asks her what she's doing with Doug and tells her that he's not a good guy. Maddie assures him everything is fine but Buck sees the bruises on her arms. She tells she had an accident but he's heard that line before. Maddie gets upset and walks away from him just as Daniel comes into the kitchen. When Buck asks him about Doug, Daniel seems oblivious although he encourages Buck to stay out of whatever's going on between Maddie and her husband. Buck asks Daniel if someone in a coma can have dreams but Daniel says he doesn't know. Bucks asks him if he can take him somewhere.

Buck goes to see Chimney who doesn't recognize him. In this reality, Buck never became a firefighter so he never got to meet Chimney. Chimney shuts the door in Buck's face but decides to invite him inside when Buck says he knows the meaning behind his nickname. Naturally, we, the viewer, do not get to hear the meaning behind Howard Han's nickname. Well played, writers! Buck sees a toy firetruck which reminds him of being a firefighter. Chimney likens Buck's situation to the film It's a Wonderful Life which I should see at some point since it always seems to be in the cultural zeitgeist. Chimney believes that like the main character in the movie, Buck needs to learn a lesson in order to return to his real life. Buck thinks he needs to fix Maddie's issues and tells Chimney that Maddie is with him. Chimney asks him to leave and Buck decides he's going to go see Bobby. A dark look falls over Chimney's face. He tells Buck that Bobby died five years ago. Bobby Nash is dead. The news is enough to stop Buck's heart and he collapses on the floor.

Back in the real world, Buck is having trouble breathing and Chimney calls for help.

In the next scene we see May talking with Athena. The former asks her mother about Bobby. Athena tells her that Bobby's not doing great and that he blames himself for what happened to Buck. May thinks that's ridiculous. It's not like Bobby has the power to control lightning. Athena reminds her that Bobby will always feel responsible for his team - especially Buck. May says she wishes there was something more she could do to help him. Athena believes that Bobby seeing her face will be enough. May worries that with Bobby dealing with the death of his sponsor, if something happens to Buck, it's gonna send him spiraling. I have the same worries, too, May. Buck's nurses and doctor (Ana Dela Cruz) arrive in his room. Back in the fantasy world, we meet Dream Hen who has been summoned by Dream Chimney to help Buck. In the real world, Chimney, Maragaret and Phillip watch as the doctors manage to stabilize Buck. Back in the fantasy world, Buck appears to be okay.

In the hallway, Real Chimney talks to Albert and updates him on Buck. Chimney makes a comment about how it's easier handling your kid dying when you're a thousand miles away. This is clearly a dig at his father, Sang. Eddie and Real Hen arrive and the latter tells Chimney to go home and get some rest. Chimney points to Bobby who has been at Buck's bedside the entire time.

Back in Buck's fantasy world, Dream Hen tells Buck about the plane crash (Season 1). Neither she nor Dream Chimney knew about Bobby's addiction prior to him dying. It makes sense. Back in Season 1, Buck tries to sneak a peek at Bobby's black book which causes the latter to lash out at Buck. It is Buck and Hen who head over to Bobby's apartment after he fails to show up for his shift at the firehouse. They find Bobby and this is where Bobby tells them about his drug and alcohol addiction. Bobby then asks them for help. Since Buck became a teacher, he never got to meet Bobby and therefore he never had a chance to intervene. Buck asks about Eddie and Chimney tells him that Eddie went off the deep end when he lost Christopher. It was at this moment that my heart stopped. Thankfully, Chimney quickly clarifies by saying that Christopher was taken by Eddie's parents. Because Bobby died, by the time Eddie showed up at the firehouse, there was a new captain. The new captain wasn't as accommodating as Bobby when it came to Eddie having a child with special needs. Oh, and because Buck never became a firefighter in this reality, he never met Abby (Connie Britton) which means he never met Carla Price which means he never got a chance to introduce Carla to Eddie and Christopher.

Back in the real world, Carla (Cocoa Brown) brings Christopher to the ICU unit. While Carla distracts a nurse, Eddie sneaks Christopher in to see Buck. Poor Eddie looks so sad in this scene. Christopher tells Buck that he's going to be okay. He asks Buck to come back.

Meanwhile, Buck, Dream Hen, and Dream Chimney arrive at the hospital. Buck feels like he's running out of time. Dream Hen tells him that the hospital is connected to Buck.

We then see May bring Bobby food. She tells him to eat and Bobby teases her by saying she reminds him of a certain person. Bobby says there's no change in Buck. May says it must be hard not being able to do anything. She reminds him that her mom brought two kids to their marriage and Bobby brought one - Buck. May says that Buck is stubborn and that he will find his way back to them. She tells Bobby she loves him. I love their relationship so much.

Buck's doctor tells the Buckleys they are gonna check to see if Buck can breathe on his own. They take him off the ventilator. Now it's up to Buck. Back in the fantasy world, Buck sees a toy plane. He has flashes of the plane crash from Season 1. Buck thinks he sees Bobby and goes after him. I thought it was cool how the hallway kept getting longer and longer. Buck finds Dream Bobby in a medical supply cabinet filled with drugs. Dream Bobby is serving some serious junkie realness. Buck thinks he's in purgatory. Dream Bobby tells him to relax and warns him that if things become too real in his dream world, he will end up getting stuck there. Dream Bobby sees the real Bobby in Buck's hospital room. Dream Bobby tells Buck he could be dying or he could be fighting for his life. He has to choose. Dream Bobby believes Buck can fix things. Buck says his parents never really saw him when he was growing up because they were too caught up in their grief over losing Daniel. For the first time, even if it isn't real, they are seeing him the way he has always wanted to be seen.

Back in the real world, Bobby has his rosary in hand and is keeping a vigil over Buck. Athena arrives and tells him to take a break. Now that Athena is alone with Buck, she reminds him that he never gives up. She reminds him that Bobby has lost two children and won't survive losing him. She tells him to wake up.

Back in his fantasy world, Buck yells at Athena and tells her he's trying. I thought it was a nice Easter egg to show all of the pregnant women in this scene. It reminded me of the scene in Season 1 where a bunch of women in a yoga class all go into labor at the same time and Buck and Bobby have to deliver three babies. Dream Bobby reminds Buck that he can't fix everything. Buck tells him that he fixed the real Bobby. We get flashes of Buck and Bobby over the years. Dream Bobby reminds him that he is Buck and that's enough. He tells Buck to go and Buck starts running. He runs past Chimney and Christopher (who is looking for his dad) and his parents. When he gets to his room, he is stopped by Daniel who tells him he can't leave. Buck tells Daniel he loves him but he isn't real. Daniel blocks the door. Buck manages to get through the door but Daniel tells him it's too late. Buck sees himself in his hospital room being removed from the ventilator. His oxygen levels are dropping and if he doesn't take a breath, the doctors will have to reconnect him to the ventilator. Buck takes an axe and breaks the glass separating himself from the room. Daniel turns into Buck or as RuPaul would say, his inner-saboteur. Buck does manage to breathe on his own which releases him from his dream world. Buck regains consciousness and is told he needs to take two weeks off from doing any heavy lifting or rigorous work. The doctor tells him he has visitors and the entire 118 including so rando firefighters enter the room. Buck hugs Christopher.

We then see Buck relaying all of his dream to Bobby while they play cards. Bobby tells Buck that his parents do care about him. Buck tells Bobby that he saw him sitting next to his bed with his rosary beads and honestly, if I were Bobby I would've been so confused as to how Buck knew that. Buck tells Bobby that he is the one who helped him find his way home.

In our penultimate scene, Myung-Soon (Jenny Baek) talks with Chimney. She tells him that his dad is sorry. She tells him that his father was ashamed and he felt like a failure. Everything about being in the United States reminded him of his failures. He couldn't save his business nor his marriage which is why he left the country. His ultimate failure was not being able to convince Chimney to come back to Korea after his mother died. Myung-Soon tells Chimney that he and his father have a lot in common. They're both prideful. Chimney sees his father, Sang (David Young Lee) playing with Jee-Yun. He asks if he and Myung-Soon can stay longer. I thought it was funny that even with Buck being in a coma, he was still helping his friends.

In our final scene, Buck comes home to his apartment. He has so many flowers and cards and Maddie tells him there's even more at the firehouse. Margaret and Phillip offer to buy Buck a sofa since he no longer has one. While they go off in search of a tape measure, Maddie kisses Buck on the forehead and he hugs her back.

While others may disagree (I'm looking at all you bitter Redditors out there who are acting super pissy about there being no 'Buddie' in this episode, I think this is one of the best episodes of the show. I first binged this show back in 2020 when we were all in lockdown and I've rewatched every available season at least four times a piece. What makes this show so special to me is how well-written each of our main characters are. Buck is the heart of this show. At first glance he is a bit of a loose cannon who likes to go off half-cocked. But, upon deeper exception, he is also very loyal to those he calls a friend. He would move heaven and earth if it meant keeping his sister, his best friend, his teammates, his captain, and his mother figure (Athena) safe. I love how this episode was a celebration of the very thing we all love about Buck.

I thought this episode was well done. I like the bouncing back and forth between the real world and Buck's fantasy. I love that we got to not only see Daniel, we got to see him as an adult. I thought they did a great job of casting someone who looked like he could be related to both Oliver Stark and Jennifer Love Hewitt. The biggest complaint I've seen about this episode is how little Eddie we got. It is pretty obvious what the writers are doing this season. There has been very little interaction between Eddie and Buck which is so funny considering they are best friends. I've been a fan of their friendship since Eddie's introduction in Season 2 and as a queer man, I never thought there was anything romantic about their relationship. I find it baffling, honestly, that this show has had multiple gay and lesbian characters, most of them POC, yet a very vocal part of the fandom would rather ship the two straight-coded characters. I get it though. Buck and Eddie are extremely attractive and their friendship is free of toxic masculinity which is a breath of fresh air. Plus it's very rare to see two men, two straight-coded men, co-parent a child on-screen. But at the end of the day, what I wish Buddie shippers would realize is that these two are not a couple and it would be way more revolutionary if they remained as is. Unfortunately, the writers, who are most likely as weary of these shippers as I am, have gone out of there way to ensure that Eddie and Buck never get together (which I'm perfectly okay with) but it's at the expense of not having them on screen together (without Christopher serving as a buffer) and that honestly sucks. This is the reason we can't have nice things. Sigh.

Anywho, as I mentioned before, this was a perfect conclusion to the events of last episode. I'm happy our beloved Buckeroo is safe and it won't be long before he's back in action with the rest of the 118. Until next time ...

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