I operate on the outskirts of the 9-1-1 fandom, and thus I rarely engage in discourse. However, the previous anon who stated that Tommy is “the worst boyfriend” is mistaken.
One scene the 9-1-1 fandom loves to deliberate over is Buck and Tommy’s first date. The scene Anon was referencing was Marisol and Eddie joking about needing a bigger wardrobe. Tommy replied, “Ain't that the truth, right, Evan?” shortly after Buck had stated that he and Tommy were going out to meet hot chicks, in response to the wardrobe conversation. The meaning of the joke was that more closet space was needed(the metaphorical closet of heterosexual security) because of both his and Bucks's large stature. Regardless of whether or not you believe Tommy was trying to out Buck, people give Buck far too much leverage in this scene.
When Buck and Tommy first got together, people treated him as a “gay Yoda”. Someone Buck could use to guide him to Eddie. I’m a gay cis man, and I can say that nothing is more irritating than people claiming that older gay people must give leverage to newly out people, as though we must give to society out of obligation. People like Tommy have no requirement to stay for a bad date or twiddle their thumbs when they receive a rude remark. Keep that in mind if you watch their scenes.
Anon is right however about Tommy claiming to know people's feelings for his benefit. That's what happened in the breakup. Buck wanted to move in, and Tommy claimed he didn't know his feelings well enough to make that decision. He had to leave Tommy. He was always going to because this was his first boyfriend(I'm going to sidestep the homophobia). He makes accusations without evidence. He merely reflects on his own experiences and makes judgments based on that. This also continues in the morning after scene.
However, Tommy has also shown loyalty and care that no other LI or character has done for Buck.
1. Showed up for the Bachelor party despite being on standby and then going to the hospital despite having fought a fire for 20 hours(how does the average person feel after running a few blocks)
2. He showed up to his loft for dinner after Bobby had nearly passed and listened to Buck talk about his problems, while adding a bit of his own experience(a rarity for his character)
3. In 8x05 he showed up at the hospital twice, Took care of Buck, and listened while he rambled about the cowboy, momentarily adding in a few snarky remarks, and drove Buck to the cemetery so that he could give a eulogy to the cowboy despite not believing in curses.
Not to mention Bobby and Athena would likely be several thousand feet down were it not for Tommy coming to the rescue after being requested by Chim despite having not talked to him in 5 years.
People will always talk about hating Tommy. They've pulled apart the narrative and strung it back together so many times it is no longer a cohesive version of the show. Yes, Tommy was a terrible person in the past, but so were most other characters in the show. Society will never improve if we only ever stamp one label on someone due to their lapses in judgment.
Also, there have never been feelings for Eddie on Tommy’s part. This wasn't discussed in anons post, but that was something Buddie fans created to feed their narrative. No matter how they try to villanize Tommy, he has also showed that he cares. He has flaws like everyone else on the show.
Anyways, I’m done. I don't actively watch the show, nor have I ever because I hate procedurals, but I hope you enjoy it. Whatever your preference is, know that 9-1-1 is just a show.
Enjoys tonights episode :)
