Oliver Stark glancing over in 9-1-1 Season 9
The sudden death of Bobby Nash in 9-1-1 Season 9 was a devastating turn that upended the entire show. The death was heartbreaking on its own because it meant the loss of a beloved main character, but it also permanently changed the tone of 9-1-1.
It's significant that every episode of Season 9 has been marked by grief. Beyond just the loss of this character, though, Bobby's death was a frustrating end to a beautiful storyline that showed a character recovering from addiction to live a full life again. Bobby was previously an excellent representation of a character with addiction, so it was infuriating that his storyline ended with him earning true redemption by sacrificing himself when he didn't want to die. Now, a full season later, 9-1-1 has just tackled a new addiction storyline through Buck . This storyline had a lot of potential, especially when paralleled with what Bobby had gone through, but the show only scratches the surface here. Now, Buck's addiction arc has been seemingly resolved after just two episodes, and this rushed pacing has done a disservice to an incredibly important topic that used to be vital to the series. Buck's Addiction Storyline in '9-1-1' Season 9 Is Too Rushed Last week's episode of 9-1-1 had the perfect setup for a longer arc that explored Buck's addiction. Buck started acting strangely after his traumatic abduction in New Mexico. At the end of the episode, it was revealed that Buck was taking pills in secret. At the start of this week's episode,"Pick Your Poison," Buck goes to a doctor's appointment to try to get prescribed more opioids. It's revealed that it's been five weeks since New Mexico, and that Buck is addicted to opioids after being prescribed them for his injuries from the car accident. When the doctor doesn't give him more meds, Buck quits cold turkey and tries to face withdrawal entirely on his own. Buck's experience with withdrawal is handled very well at first. He tries to live his life as he did before the addiction, but suddenly stopping the medication causes severe side effects. Buck struggles with chills and pain, but nobody realizes what's going on until he tells them. A desperate Buck almost steals medication from the ambulance before he ultimately reports himself to Chimney , leading the whole extended 118 family to step up and help him. Everything leading up to this is handled very well, showing that addiction is not a moral failing. One injury has upended Buck's entire life, and now, he needs the support of his loved ones to help him through it. Related '9-1-1' Fans Should Be Very Worried for Buck After a Crushing New Reveal | Review This episode explores the lasting consequences of Buck's abduction. Posts By Jennie Richardson But the biggest issue with Buck's addiction storyline is the rushed pacing, which has become a consistent problem in the show. 9-1-1 has tried to handle a number of important topics this season through its main characters, from Eddie's complicated relationship with religion to Hen's chronic illness diagnosis, and now we have Buck's addiction. Each of these storylines had the potential to go on for a number of episodes, but instead were resolved way too quickly. While it was lovely to see the 118 family helping Buck through a touching montage, the day-to-day moments are the most fundamental part of addiction recovery, and 9-1-1 did this storyline a disservice by rushing through it in favor of a faster recovery for Buck. When Buck says that he's really better by the end of the episode, he seems to mean it and it ultimately doesn't feel like an earned ending to this arc. '9-1-1' Should Have Done More With Buck's Parallels to Bobby's Addiction Buck's addiction storyline coincides with the one-year anniversary of Bobby's death, and it culminates in a beautiful moment where Buck tells Athena that his own experience with addiction has helped him understand Bobby better. The thought behind this is an important one, but it doesn't feel earned after an arc that gave Buck a speed-run through addiction, withdrawal, and the early stage of recovery in just two episodes. 9-1-1 already failed when the show killed off Bobby in a sacrifice that was framed as the only way to make up for the fire that he accidentally started because of his alcoholism. Giving Buck his own addiction storyline is not enough to make up for the poor handling of Bobby's, and by not giving it the time it deserves in the season, it weakens its impact. Subscribe to our newsletter for deeper 9-1-1 analysis Want more nuance on storylines like Buck's addiction and Bobby's legacy? Subscribe to our newsletter for thoughtful coverage and context that explores how shows handle addiction, character loss, and their narrative impact. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. 9-1-1 will likely return to Buck's addiction storyline later on in the season, but missing the opportunity to show us the day-to-day road of recovery for Buck is already a failure on the show's part. It certainly would have been difficult to see Buck struggle with withdrawal and recovery for multiple episodes, but the rushed montage didn't do justice to a topic that 9-1-1 was once unafraid to portray in an authentic and realistic way. 9-1-1 TV-14 Drama Crime Action 8 10 Release Date January 3, 2018
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