9-1-1’s Oliver Stark Reacts to Tommy’s Crazy Reveal, That ‘Poignant’ Glee Reference, and Buck’s Final Scene with Eddie

Thursday’s episode of 9-1-1 was called “Confession,” and it was pretty much a lot for the 118 members to unload.

Let’s start with Eddie, who kicked off the hour with a traditional Catholic confession

about how badly he’s screwed up his life. Unfortunately, his first meeting with a (very flirtatious!) priest didn’t bring him the forgiveness he needed, so he left the church in displeasure. Like an angel stalker, the priest then runs into Eddie at the gym, where he breaks what we assume is every rule in the priest’s handbook by saying something like, “Hey, I recognize you from confession! Mind if I sit down?” Sensing aggressive flirtation in the air, Eddie gently drops the guy, informing him, “I’m straight.” (Of course, the accuracy of that statement is up for interpretation.)

What follows is an undeniably homoerotic-coded conversation about Eddie not feeling worthy of forgiveness or joy, admitting that his “handsome” new mustache is a kind of “camouflage.” In fact, if the LAFD hadn’t banned bushy beards because they’re too flammable, Eddie would be a “real mountain man.” (Camouflage? Beard?! Flammable?! Too much.)

Speaking of too much, let’s move on to the revelation that Buck’s boyfriend Tommy was engaged to Abby (aka Buck’s ex-girlfriend, played by Connie Britton) before Buck and Abby got together in Season 1. Buck knows how much Abby’s fiancé hurt her, and he can’t believe Tommy could be so cruel. Too much continues when Josh explains to Buck that he should have sympathy for Tommy because—wait for it—Tommy grew up in a world before Glee, when exploring your sexuality wasn’t as accepted and celebrated as it is today. (Is it completely insane that 9-1-1, a show co-created by Ryan Murphy, would make this statement about Glee, another show co-created by Ryan Murphy? We can’t say. It was God’s decision.)

This actually makes Buck appreciate Tommy more; He realized that he was only comfortable being himself because he had Tommy’s confident example to look up to. So Buck asked Tommy to move in with him, and Tommy said… drumroll… no?! Yeah, he said no. Worse, he ended their relationship so Buck could play around and figure out what he really wanted. Tommy enjoyed being Buck’s first boyfriend, but he didn’t see himself being Buck’s last. (Oh, so he’s a firefighter and a psychic? Cool.)

Which brings us to the episode’s incredible closing moment. Lured into doing something that brings him joy, Eddie shaves off his mustache and goes full Risky Business in his living room—underwear, stand-up collar, “Old Time Rock & Roll,” the whole thing. That’s enough for us, but imagine our delight when Eddie’s party welcomes a surprise guest: Buck, and he brings beer! Without a word exchanged, just beer, Buck walks into Eddie’s house for a night of “talking.” Sorry, we didn’t mean to use quotes. They literally just “talked.” Damn it, why does that keep happening?

This week’s C-plot involves Chimney and Maddie agreeing that they want to add another child to their family, and we’re thrilled for them, but how can we focus on Jee-Yun’s new baby when all of the above just happened?

Luckily, Oliver Stark was happy—even happy—to chat with TVLine about this week’s eventful episode of 9-1-1. In the following Q&A, Stark shares his thoughts on Tommy’s past with Abby, Buck’s next steps post-Tommy (#LetBuckF–k!), and how much we should read into that final scene between Buck and Eddie. Read our interview below, then leave a comment with your own reaction to the episode. And there was a lot to react to.

My jaw is still aching from how it hit the floor when Tommy revealed that he was engaged to Abby. I’m guessing you had the same reaction?

So [showrunner Tim Minear] called me before we wrote the episode. He basically explained that we had this great opportunity here, because Abby had mentioned a fiancé named Tommy in the first season. He felt like it would be silly not to use that, and I thought that was genius. Above all, it was a lucky coincidence, and it gave us a great opportunity to shake up Buck and Tommy’s world.