Happy New Year to 911 fans as we return to your regularly scheduled television programming! Season 9 returned with episode 7, focusing on Buck’s foray into dating as a bisexual man while Hen’s health issues lead to a stunning decision from Captain Chimney Han.
The episode “Secrets” opened with an emergency involving chastity belts and a dominant/submissive relationship. While 911 certainly has played up the kinky factor in some seasons past, this definitely brought a new level for Buck when he caught the eye of a married couple without realizing it.
Buck and Ravi decided Eddie needed a night out since he had not had a relationship with a woman for over a year. Eddie claimed it was due to what happened with the last woman he dated and Christopher running back to Texas. However, considering there was more to this situation, we have a feeling Eddie hasn’t fully come to grips with why he got himself into that predicament.
Regardless of any issues Eddie may still need to deal with (therapy, Eddie, it’s called therapy), he still goes to a bar with his friends. However, when Buck tries to wingman for him, he ends up getting a woman named Jade’s number. When Buck leaves them to run to the bathroom, a cute guy named Zane flirts with him.
Buck explores his bisexuality and learns a surprising fact about his dates
Buck clearly is enjoying the attention and he ends up going on individual dates with both of them. This is the first time we’ve seen him on a date with a man since he dated Tommy, and it’s clear he’s grown more confident in who he is as a bisexual man. Actor Oliver Stark has said in interviews past he wanted to show the audience that Buck was a bisexual man since many people online would say he had “turned gay.”
After his nights with both Jade and Zane, Buck tells his friends at the firehouse gym that he feels something for both of them, but doesn’t know what to do. Ravi tells Buck he needs to stop asking people what to do, which is solid advice. Buck’s decisions always come after someone has told him what to do, or made a decision for him.
In fact, this episode even brought subtle hints to remind the audience about his ex-boyfriend, Tommy Kinard (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) When Buck says he is single by choice, Ravi mutters that it was actually “Tommy’s choice,” pointing out Buck never actually got a say in the matter. Buck then tells Eddie and Ravi that he hasn’t felt anything real with anyone else since his relationship with Tommy. This shows that Buck may not actually be as over his ex as he thinks he is, but as Ravi hinted, they aren’t going to tell him what to do.
Now while it is not confirmed that Ferrigno Jr. will return as Tommy, the fact that he has been brought up twice this episode shows there may still be more to their story. Plus, in previous episodes, it has been made clear when Buck’s relationships are completely over. But with the hint that Buck never got his own choice in the matter and that the last time he felt like something was real was with Tommy, well, it would be wise for the show to settle the question of if Buck and Tommy are done for good, or if there is still a chance for reconciliation.
At the end of the episode, when Buck finds out the people he was dating are actually married and partaking in an ethical non-monogamous relationship (although keeping Buck in the dark wasn’t exactly ethical), he tells them he is still figuring out how to be half in a relationship.
All this tells us is that Buck is ready to settle down and be with the person he is meant to be with. Is it Tommy? Is it someone else? Whoever Buck’s person is, we hope the show will deliver and allow him to be settled in a happy relationship after so long of being the single guy of the group, especially with a younger generation coming into the fold with characters like Ravi, May, and Harry.
Hen's health crisis leads to a difficult decision for Chimney
With Buck’s plotline being the most light-hearted of the episode, it was only right that we got the tension and drama with Hen’s arc. We learned that she has been secretly going to a clinic for three months to figure out what is wrong with her. However, she couldn’t keep it a secret for long, considering Karen found the credit card bill for the clinic in question. Hen really needs to stop hiding things from her wife, given that this is the second time Karen has learned information from Hen after reviewing their finances.
Karen urged Hen to discuss her symptoms with Chimney. While she eventually went to tell him, they were interrupted by an emergency call. It was a structure fire, and even though Buck was also there to help guide victims out, Hen stayed behind to find a little girl.
Hen got dizzy, however, and barely made it out with the girl before collapsing in front of the team. When Chimney found out what was happening, he was devastated and upset to discover that Hen lied to him. He felt like he was in a tough spot, considering how he had higher-ups calling him to find out what happened. Because she put everyone at risk, he had to let her go.
It was a stunning decision that is sure to have ramifications, especially since Chimney and Hen have always been best friends. However, for Chimney, he felt as though Hen couldn’t trust him and he also told her that he couldn’t see her doing this if Bobby were still Captain.
With the 118 always being described as a family, this is a great way to show how sometimes close bonds can impact working relationships. Now that Chimney is the Captain, he has tough decisions to make, and he can’t always be lenient because of how close the team is. But how do those decisions come back to haunt him later is a story we are looking forward to seeing Kenny Choi tackle as the rest of the episodes play out in Season 9.
We’re looking forward to seeing how this arc impacts the team, and Hen’s relationship with the team as a whole, as she still tries to determine what her health issues are stemming from. In the meantime, you can catch up on the newest episode of 911 on Hulu.
911 season 9 airs on Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.