You never know what you’re going to get with a 9-1-1 finale.
A big emergency could be on the horizon, or something a little smaller, with all the principal characters involved in the action, but with the focus less on a massive rescue and more on the characters’ individual paths.
9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 18 was a thriller, with the 118 separated when the hospital went into a lockdown, as an active shooter set his sights on Athena.
To say the hour was tense wouldn’t do it justice, as so many things were in motion at any given moment. The hour had the feel of a suspense film, which is a nifty trick to pull off in a quick 42 minutes.
When the dust settled, various characters were in the throes of new paths, including Buck, who welcomed Theo into his home after the death of his parents, Buck’s friends Connor and Kameron, during 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 17.
The origins of this story date back to 9-1-1 Season 6, when Buck agreed to be a sperm donor for the couple and even delivered Theo when Kameron went into labor at his apartment.
All this to say, this story has been years in the making.
But even with the story’s deep roots, it’s not a storyline Oliver Stark saw coming.
In the aftermath of the emotional finale, I caught up with Stark not too long after our last conversation at the RescueVerse: A Salute to TV’s First Responders, where he teased this very episode.
So, what’s potentially ahead for Buck and Theo?
Stark was candid, thoughtful, and full of laughter as we talked through the finale and what may be ahead for Buck and Theo. He also shared a few thoughts about next season in this spirited conversation.
Hi, Oliver!
It’s been so long!
Right? A whole two weeks.
So long.
Let’s start at the finale. It’s filled with a lot of tension, and it’s kind of like a mini thriller in many parts, and it’s only made more stressful by everybody being split up in the hospital and not able to get to one another.
You’ve been through a lot of finales. What stood out to you about this one?
Yeah, I think the intensity from start to finish. It really does not let up from the first moment when we’re in the ambulance with Hen and Eddie. It never really dies down. And I don’t think that’s something that we’ve necessarily done before, where you are on the edge of your seat, heart racing the entire time.
I love emergencies where we are the ones at risk. I always think that’s a fun thing to watch as an audience member. And I love the 118 being together. So then when they’re separated, it just heightens it even more.
Right. I loved it when everybody came together, and there was the collective sigh. Everyone is thinking Athena’s going to be okay, everybody’s going to be okay. And then Buck’s like, “Where’s Eddie?” Then the perfectly dinged elevator opened.
Yeah. You want to know something funny about shooting that scene?
Sure.
Before we run down that hallway, it’s me, Elijah, Corinne, and Anirudh. And I kept on looking around and being like, “God, we’re all so young, the four of us.” The youth of the show.
And the way they looked at me and laughed at me for trying to include myself in that still bothers me to this day.
I don’t know. It’s been nine seasons. I don’t know.
I’m okay with it. I’m okay with it. [Laughs]
Buck goes through a really difficult, unexpected journey this season, culminating in the very bittersweet, monumental moment at the end when Theo comes home to him.
How do you see his growth at this point in his life, especially in terms of his resilience and ability to push through tough moments?
Yeah, I think one of the major aspects of growth that we’ve seen for him this season is acceptance.
He’s really made peace with the fact that, as you say, we’ve been on the show for nine seasons now, and he’s not the same young firefighter that he was in the first season.
He is older and slightly slower, and he’s just not the same character, but that’s okay, and that’s part of it. And in fact, embracing that. There’s a line earlier in the season where he talks about all these changes, and he says, “But I like the new Buck.”
And I think that, for me, it’s not only about seeing his own growth but also about contributing to it and embracing the fact that he’s becoming somebody different.
And I think that’s the reason that he feels like he is in a position to take on such responsibility, possibly moving forward.
When we talked during the sperm donor arc way back in the day, I feel like you were very much like, “Buck knows that he is the donor. He is not the dad.”
But at that time, did you think that it was going to evolve into what it is now, or was it truly a surprise for you?
This was definitely a surprise for me. I didn’t know. But looking back now, I do see that, in terms of making a television show, that is a storyline that can always be banked for the future.
It is something that you could always bring back. And obviously, here we are at the end of season nine, and it was definitely a surprise. Tim called me during the shooting of episode 15 to tell me about it.
And yeah, I was definitely stunned. It wasn’t something I would’ve anticipated, but now that we’ve dived into it a bit more, I’m really excited about the possibilities, and I’m having a lot of fun making it.
When Buck welcomes Theo home at the end, there’s a lot of warmth there, right? But then there’s also a lot of pain and a dark cloud that kind of envelopes everything, given the circumstances and the realities of Connor and Kameron’s deaths.
How do you think Buck is going to begin to reconcile those emotions while stepping into this new role in Theo’s life?
I think from my understanding, the beginning of Season 10 is not going to be an easy one for Buck.
They are going to have to look at what the foster system involves. And I think one of the key things that I know we’re keen to show is, why is Buck the one taking care of him?
Where are the other people in Theo’s life? Where is the extended family? Why couldn’t they find him another foster home? And I know those would be issues that we are keen to touch upon.
And yeah, I think it’s going to be a trying time for Buck, and he’s going to be finding those things out in real time and having to also deal with the responsibility of looking after this new child in his life.
That was my next question too, which is how do you envision Buck handling these changes that come with being somebody’s primary parent, from balancing the demands of his job, navigating future relationships, and also helping Theo navigate the loss of his parents?
I think what’s going to be key for Buck, and is very much the essence of 9-1-1, is that he’s going to have to lean on those around him.
It really does take a village, and there are people around him, namely Eddie, who has been a single dad, that he will be able to speak to and involve very directly because of his experience.
But he’s also got other parents in his life, Maddie and Chim, Hen and Karen, who have also navigated the foster system. So, they’ll be able to provide advice on that aspect. So yeah, I definitely think the key for Buck moving forward will be leaning on those around him.
Are there specific qualities you think he’ll take from the people in his life as he steps into this new role? Maybe there’s something they do or how they handle things that he thinks would be a good thing to bring into his relationship with Theo.
Obviously, Eddie has been a single father and has very much been through this, so there will be that.
Hen and Karen have been through the foster system and navigated that, so that will be of use to Buck, I’m sure.
Maddie and Chimney, just in terms of the parents that they are, and obviously, they’re both now in roles where they have a lot of responsibility. With Maddie running the call center and Chimney being captain, how do they navigate the time and the work-life balance of that?
I definitely think each person will have something to offer, Buck. And then we have Harry and Ravi, who can help Buck speak in young people’s talk.
You need that. You really do need to connect with the youth.
There you go. [Laughs]
If you were to put on your 9-1-1 writer’s hat for a second, how would you complete this sentence? “In Season 10, Buck will…”
You’re going to get me in trouble. [Laughs]
I’m never trying to get you in trouble, I swear.
He will learn a lot about how he was raised and how he wants to show up for others.
Okay. All right. I like it.
Did you say to answer that in one word?
No, no, no. I said to finish the sentence.
Okay. Because funnily enough, the first thing that came to mind was ‘die.’ That was only because I thought you said to say one word. [Laughs]
Oh, no, no, no. I wouldn’t want that one. All right. Thank you so much for your time.
Great. Thank you, Whitney. Nice to see you.
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You can watch 9-1-1 on Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.
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