Even Bobby Can’t Separate BuckandEddie, Their Names Are Just Meant To Be Said Together

The kind of posts I have seen on here since the last episode aired (and let’s be honest for a LONG while now) make wonder why some people still watch this show.

Like, if you hate the characters so much and every storyline that is being written, why bother watching? If it makes you so miserable, what’s the point?

There are so many fucked up things happening in this world, life is way too short to have a 60 minute procedural tv show make you feel so many negative emotions. It’s okay not to watch anymore if it no longer brings you joy.

Is that the closest we are gonna get to feelings this episode? I am glad it's no longer unsaid!!! But I'm hoping he goes from defensive denial to acceptance real quick 😩

One more thing though. So let's say this episode was supposed to just be about Athena's grief, and the rest of the fallout will be in the next two episodes. Well, unfortunately, they did a bad job of handling Athena's grief too.

Don't get me wrong, Angela Bassett was AMAZING. She did a perfect job with what she was given. Her breakdown with Hen was heartwrenching, and the scene at the end with his casket was the closest I got to crying, all on the power of her acting.

But as far as the character of Athena goes, I think the writing only failed her.

First of all, and most importantly, the subplot of the mom with the dead kid was not the mirror to Athena's grief that it should have been. Athena was not in denial that Bobby's dead. She wasn't avoiding planning the burial and funeral because she was in denial. She was avoiding it because those are hard things to do, things that no one who has lost someone wants to do. So did investigating this case help her avoid that? Yeah, but it did it in a way that was confusing to the audience, because it made you wonder if Athena, and we the audience by extension, SHOULD be doubting whether Bobby is dead. But then that emotional thread didn't play out and just left Athena's inherent cynicism reaffirmed. Miracles aren't real. The end. How did that show us anything about Athena's grief? How was that narratively satisfying?

Second of all, they did several things that didn't make sense for Athena as a character. The biggest one, I already mentioned: she was avoiding her kids' calls. I don't for one second believe that Athena would leave her children alone in their own grief. May and Harry saw Bobby as a father, and it would be one thing for her to be acting withdrawn or stoic, but to IGNORE their calls is cruel in a way I don't think Athena would be.

Also, while I did enjoy the scene where Athena gets angry with Chim, the fact that this is her only interaction with him in the episode is I think another disservice to her. The fact that she barely interacted with the rest of the 118 is a disservice to her. This was an important chance to show that Bobby was not the only glue holding Athena to the 118, but instead they drove a wedge between them. Maybe they will address this in the next two episodes, but even in the short term, in a season that has far too frequently had Athena off doing her own cop thing, to further isolate her when it really counts just makes you wonder what they even plan to do with her if Bobby is really gone.

And this is without even getting into what it says about the 118 that THEY aren't shown to be surrounding Athena. Anyone who has lost anyone knows that that's just not how it works. Families huddle together when someone dies. The episode made it seem like Athena was alone, and they could have justified it with writing that shows how grief can make a person feel alone, but they didn't do that. She literally just WAS alone in a way that doesn't make sense for her character or for any of the other characters either.

Honestly, I'm really disappointed they decided to go the DID route. The "evil alter" trope will always be incredibly tasteless, offensive, and just factually unfounded. I need tv and film to stop crafting narratives that perpetuate the demonization of vulnerable, traumatized groups please.

at this point we're going to get an emergency next season where a fan girl hurts herself or goes to a production studio with the intention of hurting other people because her favorite character on a tv show was killed off and she can't accept it or demands it be retconned and captain hen has to talk her down telling her while it's understandable that she's emotionally invested in the show and has so much love for this character she can't let that cause real life consequences for herself and others and ultimately it is just a tv show and she needs to come back to reality and accept the loss. 911's version of sherlock's season 3 fan theory fake out

AND ANOTHER THING:

I am disappointed that we didn't get a scene where Buck and Eddie actually went through the house and packed up everything Eddie wanted to bring with him to El Paso. It would have been nice to see them interact as Eddie decided what furniture and memories were the most important, that he couldn't part with. Also, it would have been cute to have Buck pick up and pack away something that Eddie may have forgotten about but that he knows Eddie would want to take with him. Because he knows Eddie and what he would find important. I wish they could have had a moment to reminisce about the memories they had together and with Chris in the house before they said their goodbyes. But alas, we did not get to see that 😔

Post-Episode 8x10 Buddie Thoughts

"You matter to me" Ugh just tell him you love him pleaseeee

That hug did not feel platonic in any way. I'll have to go back and watch it later, but the closeup focus on their faces before they pull away feels so much more significant in a way their previous hugs have not.

The awkwardness with which they interacted with each other as well can only be described as "how people act around their crush, nervous af"

Buck was so fucking awkward I love that dork. He does not know how to act normal about his feelings. He has to know, right??? The final shot of him as Eddie drives away feels like a revelation

I NEED TO KNOW IF EDDIE LEFT THE COUCH TO BUCK

“i never see you at the club” ok well i never see you on ao3 at 2am reading about the same two bitches falling in love for the 1000th time in the 500th way

One thing I hope they write/have written into the show is Buck getting a bunch of tattoos as another coping mechanism he uses to deal with Eddie leaving. It's a realistic coping mechanism that also, in a way, doubles as a form of self-harm that isn't just him reverting back to being Buck 1.0 in Eddie's absence. Plus, tattoos are hot imo, and I want to see Eddie's reaction to them once he comes back to LA lol.

Also, Oliver has a bunch of tattoos already that they've had to put so much effort into covering up that it would just make the makeup and costuming department's job way easier if they write it in.