‘911’: Buck and Tommy’s kiss, explained

Warning: The following contains spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 7, Episode 4, “Buck, Bothered and Bewildered.”

Season 7 of 9-1-1 celebrated the show’s 100th episode by turning up the heat for the Los Angeles Fire Department 118. Yet, it wasn’t a dangerous fire that left us dizzy and waiting for more — it was a steamy kiss shared by Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark) and Tommy Kinard (Lou Ferrigno Jr.).

Tommy was part of LAFD 118 during the show’s second season when he rudely welcomed new firefighters joining the team. In season 7, Tommy returns as an expert helicopter pilot who helps the regular team rescue Bobby (Peter Krause) and Athena (Angela Bassett) when all hope seems lost. After the danger has passed, Tommy sticks around for a while, awakening strange feelings inside Buck. At first, it seems Buck is jealous of Tommy, who appears ready to steal Eddie’s friendship (Ryan Guzman). However, we and Buck soon realize that he is actually attracted to Tommy, and what he had really been jealous of was Eddie getting the handsome (and very single) pilot’s attention.

Episode 100’s kiss makes it clear that 9-1-1 is allowing Buck to explore his sexuality and deal with his newfound feelings. That’s a massive character development for Buck, which some fans might think was being planned for a while. Surprisingly, Buck and Tommy’s kiss only came together a few weeks before the episode’s premiere.

How was Buck and Tommy’s kiss planned behind the scenes?

In an interview for Entertainment Weekly, 9-1-1 co-creator and showrunner Tim Minear explained that he doesn’t like to plan things much in advance. Instead, he tries to see how characters interact with one another before setting their fates in stone. Because of that, Buck and Tommy’s romantic entanglement surprised the showrunner. While Buck’s sexuality has been hinted at before in 9-1-1, it only became the focus of the firefighter’s journey thanks to the return of Ferrigno Jr.

In the first episodes of 9-1-1 Season 7, Bobby and Athena get stuck in a sinking cruise ship, leading the 118 in a race against the clock to save their friends. The daring rescue could only be done with the help of a helicopter pilot, who was supposed to be Lucy (Arielle Kebbel). Kebbel’s busy agenda prevented her from returning to 9-1-1’s Season 7, forcing Minear to look for replacements. Tommy fitted the description, but it wasn’t enough to make him jump in and out of Season 7 in a flash. Minear was interested to see how other characters would react to his presence. That’s when the showrunner came up with the idea of making Buck and Tommy a pair.

Before committing to the Buck and Tommy kiss, Minear also talked to Ferrigno Jr. to see how the actor felt about this development. According to Minear, the cast needs good chemistry to sell any romantic connection, so both parties need to be on board the concept of a new relationship. Ferrigno Jr. was excited to take Tommy on this new path, ultimately leading to the kiss that set our screens ablaze.

It’s incredible to learn how material constraints sometimes help shape a TV show. 9-1-1 has already offered its fair share of breathtaking moments, but the Buck and Tommy relationship gives the beloved procedural drama another exciting story to follow.