Spoilers ahead!<\/b><\/p>\n
When it comes to TV shows, it\u2019s hard to get to the hundreds \u2014 especially nowadays \u2014 so whenever a TV show completes 100 episodes, it\u2019s a special occasion. Long-gone characters return as special guests, callbacks to the pilot and earlier episodes are made, main characters reflect on their pasts, and a love letter to fans is written as the episode celebrates the show\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n
Buck, Bothered and Bewildered<\/b><\/i>, the 100th episode of 9-1-1, gets to be most of these things. It has a crossover with the ABC reality show The Bachelor, it has a returning character, it has some callbacks to the past and it sets some stuff up for the future. Also, it ends with a huge and special moment for a fan-favorite character.<\/p>\n “Buck, Bothered and Bewildered” \u2014 9-1-1, Pictured: <\/span>RYAN GUZMAN as Eddie, OLIVER STARK\u00a0as Buck<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>. Photo: ABC \u00a9. All Rights Reserved<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n So let\u2019s start with the crossover: it\u2019s nice to see that with the show moving to ABC, there\u2019s room for these new and exciting things to happen, like the 118 attending a call in front of the Bachelor mansion. I\u2019m not familiar with this reality show, but it was a funny moment used as the opening call. And although I enjoyed it \u2014 especially since this had a nice scene involving Chimney (Kenneth Choi), Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), and Josh (Bryan Safi) in full fangirl mode \u2014 looking back at the episode as a whole, I think it would be better if this crossover happened later in the season. Maybe the time used in this initial sequence could go to a short Hen\/Karen scene, or some scene of the 118 reunited talking in the kitchen (you know, these quick ensemble scenes used to highlight the team as a whole, I think they\u2019d make sense in this one special occasion).<\/p>\n The episode had also two other calls: one related to a man trapped in a sewer (which serves as a callback to the pilot incident of the baby stuck in a pipe) and another related to an injured woman who confuses her son with a home invader and kills him. The first one is attended by Buck (Oliver Stark), Eddie (Ryan Guzman), and Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody), and is used to highlight the confusing feelings Buck is experiencing in his life. The second one is attended by Athena (Angela Bassett), Hen (Aisha Hinds), and Chimney, and is used to mirror the problems Athena is facing with her returning son, Harry \u2014 now played by Elijah M. Cooper, in a recast that surprised me in the beginning, but made perfect sense by the end of the episode.<\/p>\n Harry returns after years gone (at least on screens, he last appeared in season 5), but this time he\u2019s different: all grown-up and involved in a conflict with a convenience store owner, which resulted in a warrant out for his arrest. And just like the facially blind woman, Athena doesn\u2019t recognize her son anymore. This plot was well-done, especially when it comes to the tragic accident between mother and son. Also, there\u2019s a moment in which Elijah M. Cooper delivers his lines in such a powerful way \u2014 of course, Angela Bassett is always upping the game with her acting, but Cooper acting on a similar level was really good to watch. And I think what Harry had to say to his mother was deserved and makes sense even if his actions were not the smartest, so I\u2019m looking forward to seeing more of Harry and Athena in the next episodes.<\/p>\n “Buck, Bothered and Bewildered” \u2014 9-1-1, Pictured: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>OLIVER STARK as Buck, JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT\u00a0as Maddie<\/span><\/span>. Photo: ABC \u00a9. All Rights Reserved<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Okay, now let\u2019s dive into the main parts of the episode, the ones related to Buck\u2026 Are you guys fine after what happened on Thursday? I\u2019m still recovering. I wrote so many different versions of this review, and I keep having to rewrite it because they\u2019re all mostly (screaming and crying sounds) (baffling noises) (incomprehensible phrasing choices as a way of telling the reader that the writer is going insane)<\/i>. Jokes aside, the journey they chose to write for Buck hits too close to home, so it\u2019s hard to write about it (in the sense that I want to find the right words and do it justice).<\/p>\n What happened on Thursday anyway? A quick recap before I share my impressions: when visiting the place where Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) works, Buck discovers that Eddie (whom one could call his closest friend) is forming a close bond with the pilot. And this bond keeps getting them closer than ever, which triggers Buck and leads him to some unexpected and confusing places.<\/p>\n During the entire episode, Buck seems very jealous (and bothered and bewildered), and he doesn\u2019t know what or who is causing this. During a conversation with Maddie, he seems to be envious of Tommy for taking his place in the Diaz family \u2014 he\u2019s jealous of how Tommy impressed Christopher (Gavin McHugh), and he\u2019s also jealous of how much time Tommy and Eddie are spending together.<\/p>\n Then, he starts fighting for Eddie\u2019s attention, which leads to some of the funniest scenes this episode has to offer \u2014 I mean, Buck lifts weights without a spotter hoping that Eddie will notice him. Buck also orders a basketball to the 118 station hoping that Eddie will see it and invite him to play. Note: Eddie was always inviting Buck to play with him, but Buck always said no, then Eddie and Tommy started playing together\u2026 The rest is history.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgg0aNAm7t9TRJwBMmOCVKoVWWEEH5lktzmpfoTqZYTIWxlEfc9zjpbKTYfEliX29YCe8qNSZHoFCbEsU4N-J3_o4LVzTrSVIjTos3k1qHrv5swPYDIfESDT8S3k_QC7pegJGWe2MZV0mNYaUvhaB36__jwa6Pz9DPBHb-DFkxJkuTkYWE1_1RwJ-Q5GLG3\/s3000\/buddie.jpg\")
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