Evan Buckley is such a kind soul.

That was on full display during 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 16, as Buck got a glimpse into what his future could be like if he continued down the same path.

While it was a heartwarming story, it felt like the beginning of a much larger journey for Buck.

Buck has always been a rambunctious, confident man who takes great pride in his work. And it’s that love of the job that has carried him over the past few years.

He’s pretty consistently put the job first, and he hasn’t seemed to waver from that thinking. It’s what lead him to file the lawsuit, and it’s cost him relationships.

But meeting Red got him thinking about what the rest of his life could be like if he kept on doing what he was doing. Would he always be alone?

Red was a good man who gave it all and then some to the job. He was so engrossed in his life as a firefighter that he let the great love of his life pass him by. He grew older without much of a life outside of his memories.

Equating Red’s love, Cindy, to Ruck’s former love, Abby, may have been a bit of stretch, but it worked in bringing Buck’s loneliness into focus.

Red: You got anybody, kid?
Buck: Me? Uh...no. I did once, but---
Red: Now listen to me. You can be the hero, save lives, but don't neglect having your own. Last thing you want is to be at the end holding nothing but regrets. Trust me. I know.

Permalink: Now listen to me. You can be the hero, save lives, but don't neglect having your own. Last...

He may not be lonely in the traditional sense of the word. He does have his 118 family, Christopher, and Maddie.

But he does go to bed by himself, and he doesn’t have his person to relax with after a long day at the firehouse, like all his closest friends.

Abby was a great character during 9-1-1 Season 1, and her relationship with Buck was an important one for both of them. For Buck, his relationship with Abby helped him to grow beyond a macho firefighter who was always looking to prove something.

He was a better man after his time with Abby, but once she left, he continued to grow and has only become an even better man since she’s been gone.

I know there is a very vocal Buck and Abby fandom out there, but it feels like too much time has passed for them to just jump back into anything. She will be back this season, and perhaps that’s not where the story is headed, but it feels like there will certainly be at least a bit of rekindling.

What Buck truly needs from Abby is closure. It took him a very long time to move forward from Abby, and while he’s done that, he hasn’t been able to close that chapter fully because things were left so unfinished.

With the truncated season, hopefully, he’s able to find some resolution on the Abby front.

You're always the one who leaves. You don't know what it's like to watch someone you love walk away.
Buck [to Maddie]

Permalink: You're always the one who leaves. You don't know what it's like to watch someone you love...

We don’t get a ton of solo Buck and Maddie moments, but they always bring it when they get together. The notion of Maddie always leaving and Buck always being left is a powerful thing for the siblings to share and absorb.

They’ve been through a lot since Maddie moved to Los Angeles, and the siblings are closer than ever.

The main parts of the hour were dedicated to Buck’s journey with Red, but the Hen sub-plot was pretty fascinating.

Hen is a wonderful paramedic, and we didn’t need to see her engage in a risky surgery to remind us of that. But we haven’t gotten to check in on how Hen is coping in quite some time, after the events of 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8.

The death of the young driver was an incredibly devastating moment for Hen, and hearing that it continues to weigh on Hen was a real, visceral moment.

Hen will grieve that accident for the rest of her life. And she will always go above and beyond to save others, but surgery in a moving ambulance probably wasn’t the smartest thing, though everything worked out in the end.

I know Hen loves what she does, but boy would she be an amazing doctor. She’s so kind, thoughtful, thorough, and the perfect person to trust with your life.

But let’s not speak that into existence because she can never leave the 118!

Athena’s drone case took a very dark turn when it was revealed that the shady drone owner was a serial rapist.

This felt like a storyline that could have been an entire hour in and of itself, and it’s a good thing that the mystery started but didn't get rushed.

If there’s even the tiniest bit of criticism that can be leveed at 9-1-1, it’s that we don’t get to spend enough time with some of the more complex mysteries.

They made the right decision letting this case play out over time. A case like this deserves the time to be explored.

Loose Ends

Buck does do things for himself. And he is A LOT. But underneath it all, he has an incredibly kind heart and would do anything for anybody. So, I get the idea behind making Buck out to be selfish, but he has a warm heart.

How many tears did you shed when Red got escorted out of the hospital?

The nurse who just couldn’t keep his disdain towards Hen a secret was annoying. Was Hen’s decision super smart? Maybe not, but she saved a life, and all he could do was sulk. It's a good thing the surgeon was Team Hen.

With only two episodes left, we know we’re in for another crash landing!

Connie Britton will be back for sure, and I’m interested to see what you guys want to see from her.

Here's a peek at the two-part finale: