9-1-1 returned with a premiere that hinted at some surprise future tension between fan-favorites Buck and Eddie.
During the Thursday, October 17, episode of the hit ABC series, Eddie (Ryan Guzman) visited Buck (Oliver Stark) in the hospital after finding out his friend required medical attention. Buck — who had a broken nose — admitted that his son, Theo, injured him by accident but Eddie then found out that Buck had been in the hospital on multiple occasions after gaining custody.
Things take a turn when Eddie (and his son Christopher) have Buck and Theo over for dinner. Theo misbehaved the entire time and later accidentally knocked Chris down, which caused Eddie to be visibly frustrated. The subtle moment hinted at possible issues down the line as Eddie will likely continue to question Buck’s parenting.
Guzman, 39, previously spoke to Us about how Buck’s new role as a dad will play out.
“[Buck and Eddie] care about each other, and I feel there are just different seasons in their lives that they’ve been going through, that showcase the variations of their relationship and how that’s evolved,” Guzman shared in May. “And it’s really nice to flip the roles a little bit, because I think Eddie was relying on Buck in so many ways over the last, you know, eight seasons when it came to Christopher.”
At the time, Guzman weighed in on how the friendship could shift in season 10.
“I think they’re already close, to be honest — I don’t know how much closer you can get! That being said, I think it’s going to be so fun to watch the dynamic now between Theo and Buck, because it’s chaos meets chaos,” he teased. “He’s getting a version of himself that he has to deal with. Who knows what that brings out of Buck, too. If I were writing the show, it would be Eddie stepping away a little bit, just to see what would happen, and then the moment when Buck needs him, he’d be there.”
Guzman continued: “It’s really nice to flip the roles a little bit, because I think Eddie was relying on Buck in so many ways over the last, you know, eight seasons when it came to Christopher.”
Looking ahead, Guzman was excited about the storytelling possibilities.
“I feel that being a parent changes you inherently, and to be a good parent is just something that you cannot fathom prior to [doing it]. I’ve actually had this conversation with friends of mine who aren’t parents,” he noted. “They have so much time to give themselves, whether that’s [going to] the gym or reading books to help them grow. [With kids], you have to think about somebody else before you think about yourself. It forces you to be less selfish and more selfless.”
He concluded: “And Buck has always been selfless when it comes to the 118 and in so many areas. Now it’s going to test him in plenty of ways. So what that unfolds for him is going to be something great, and I feel the audience will love the journey from season 1, where he was just sleeping around with a bunch of people, to now where he is a father having to be selfless. It’s going to be great for his character.”
9-1-1 airs on ABC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.
