Latest Posts by exploring-the-cosmos - Page 2

911 (2018 - ) 2.01 // 8.12

getting my 8x11 meta in under the wire. i’ve been thinking a lot about maddie’s “maybe it’s time to learn the lesson again. how to be alone” line and how it fits into the context of the conversation. bc i know i’ve joked about it like oh buck fucked up maddie’s advice to get friends so bad that she told him to be alone instead but the thing is is that she’s NOT telling him to like . cut all ties and be completely alone. obviously. he still has her and the 118. his friends and family. shes not telling him to not have friends. so then what is she saying? surface level it’s her telling buck to not get back with tommy just to not be alone bc buck literally said "i was using tommy to avoid feeling alone" right before. but the logic here that was set up from the beginning of the episode is buck missed eddie -> buck used tommy to avoid feeling alone -> maddie tells him to be okay with being alone. so the type of being alone that maddie is talking about here isn't general loneliness or the loneliness that comes from not being in a relationship but buck specifically being alone without eddie and missing him. it's just interesting how, in the same conversation that buck refers to his and eddie's friendship as "what me and eddie have" that maddie is ALSO putting their friendship on a different level than normal friends. and buck doesn't correct her. its how you would talk about getting over an ex and not jumping straight into a new relationship just to be in one. it's not how you talk about your friend moving away. except it's how buck talks about eddie bc he's insane and thinks that it's normal. and everybody around him is also doing it bc it's just how their relationship is universally understood.

HOW AM I EXPECTED TO STUDY WHEN WE MIGHT GET A STEP CLOSER TO GAY EDDIE DIAZ TONIGHT? AND WE MIGHT GET BUCK FACING HIS TRUE FEELINGS FOR EDDIE AND NOT DENYING THEM?? AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HOW WE GET TO SEE CHRISTOPHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 10 MONTHS!

I CANT STUDY FOR TESTS WHILE I SHOULD BE STUDYING EVERY SINGLE THING BUCK AND EDDIE SAY!! (That sounds creepy but like it matters)

now call me crazy but if eddie were actually straight i dont think The Television would keep telling me that. i think they’d just let him be straight in peace. my humble opinion

I would like to put forth my idea for how I would like Eddie's coming out and feelings confession for Buck to go. I am a little torn on whether I want the feelings confession/Buddie getting together to happen this season— only because I worry we'll get it at the very end and miss out on early relationship development between them in a time skip for S9. I think I'd be fine with it eventually if that's what we end up getting bc Buddie being canon at all is important to me, but I would hate to not see how they handle everything after they get together. Regardless, I would love to see them do this:

I want Eddie to get his gay realization and/or acceptance and feelings realization while in El Paso. I want Eddie and Chris to come back home to LA after figuring everything out, and I want Eddie to eventually have that one-on-one coming out conversation with Buck like they did in S7. I want Buck to be visibly shaken by this information, internally having the biggest freak-out of his life because holy shit Eddie isn't straight before he composes himself. Because this moment isn't about him, it's about Eddie. He apologizes for his reaction— because of course Eddie noticed and seemed to have a brief moment of panic himself— and reassures him that he was just surprised. Maybe Buck asks him what happened in El Paso to make him realize or Eddie himself offers up that information. Maybe he met or befriended someone while he was in Texas and they got to talking one night about their relationships. Maybe this person is gay, and, like Eddie, had repressed their sexuality for a long, long time before realizing that they had fallen in love with their best friend (and maybe Eddie leaves this little detail out because in the process of talking through this persons' relationship with their friend, Eddie realizes just how similar it is to his and Buck's relationship and he isn't ready to share that). He tells Buck about how the conversation got him thinking about his past relationships with women and why they never seemed to work out. By the end of it, he realized it was because he didn't really want to be with women at all. Maybe he even realized he had a close friend as a kid, a boy, who his feelings for went beyond platonic. Buck's response to this is one of support, because of course it is. He hugs Eddie, thanks him for telling him, and reassures him that this didn't change anything between them, just as Eddie had when Buck told him about Tommy. And maybe Eddie leaves it at that. He doesn't say anything to the contrary, no matter how much he wants to tell Buck that he does want their relationship to change, because he still doesn't feel worthy enough to have what he wants.

And so begins the most awkward, adorable, hilarious series of events where these two oblivious dorks dance around their mutual feelings for each other, assuming that they are unrequited while we the audience and all their friends and family know that that's not the case. They'll stumble over their words and stare at each other longingly when the other isn't looking. Maybe there will be moments of jealousy when the other gets hit on by someone they know the other could he interested in. Maybe a guy flirts with Eddie and Buck does that thing where he tries so desperately to get all of Eddie's attention back on him. Maybe there will be moments here and there where one of them will attempt to confess their feelings, only to be interrupted before they can get the words out. Or they go into the conversation with shaky confidence only to completely change the subject when they realize they can't say it.

Eventually, one of their friends or family members intervenes because someone has to. The two of them are getting absolutely nowhere because they are too afraid to cross the line. I would love it if Maddie was the one to approach the conversation with Eddie. Mostly because I need more interactions between the two, but also because I think it makes the most sense for what Maddie would do in the situation. Sure, Buck is her brother, but she knows well enough after their previous conversations about Eddie that there is a very slim chance she can convince him to make the first move. I also just want Eddie to be the one to make the first move, period. For him to finally get to a place where he feels worthy enough to choose what he wants, and he does. And maybe that's the crux of his conversation with Maddie. That he doesn't feel worthy of Buck. And Maddie reassures him that that isn't the case. She tells him about how she used to feel the same way when she ran away from her family. How unworthy she felt for so long to be a mother and a wife after the bathtub incident with Jee-Yun. How scared she was to make a mistake that would ruin everything. But eventually, she pushed through it, despite the fear, and came out on the other side so much happier. And Eddie can do the same. His past mistakes do not define him if he doesn't let them. She's seen how much the two of them matter to each other, how they make each other better people. She's also seen how miserable they can be when they are apart. So she tells him to think about it, encouraging him to face his fears and push through them for a chance at the life that he wants, one full of joy.

And he does think about it, over and over again, but maybe it still takes him a bit before he's ready. Maybe he even tries to plan out the perfect love confession once he gets there. And maybe all of that goes completely out the window one night when it's just the two of them sitting side by side on the couch in their apartment (omg please let them be roommates once Eddie and Chris come back). There's a moment while they're talking where their eyes meet. Then a pause in the conversation as they look into each other's eyes. And this is the moment where the dam breaks. Eddie tells Buck that he loves him. He's loved him for a very long time, longer than he probably even realizes. That he couldn't stop thinking about him while he was away in El Paso. How scared he has been to tell him since he realized, especially once he and Chris came back home. And maybe he just starts rambling at this point because he's being very vulnerable in this moment and he's not used to that and once he starts he can't stop himself. And Buck is waiting patiently for him to stop talking so he can say what he needs to say, but at a certain point, he realizes Eddie isn't going to and takes matters into his own hands. He kisses Eddie. And it's not a great first kiss. It's not really meant to be, just a pressing of lips together long enough to get Eddie to shut up for a second so that when Buck pulls away he can tell him, "I love you, too". They look at each other for a moment and smile before leaning in again for a second kiss. And it's perfect. They'll eventually need to talk more about where they go from here. How and when they'll tell Chris, the 118, and the rest of their families. But for right now, it's just them sharing their first intimate moment as a couple, putting aside all of their fears and worries for as long as they can to make this moment last.

Okay, but imagine this: Eddie feelings realization brought about through another lookalike/doppelganger storyline. I know this sounds out-there, but considering the whole Shannon/Kim storyline was an actual thing that existed in the show— and we know how much the writers love doing parallels and they've been doing some very fanfiction-esque stoylines with 8b— I don't think this is completely outside the realm of possibility so stay with me on this completely ridiculous stream of thought for a bit.

Now I was not and am still not really a fan of the whole Shannon/Kim doppelganger storyline but I think if they did it again in a very specific way with a Buck doppelganger it would be so interesting. With the Shannon/Kim doppelganger, the importance of it is for Eddie to finally get closure for himself. To say the things he never got a chance to say to her so he could move on from that relationship. I think a Buck doppelganger can also be used as a way for Eddie to say all the things he couldn't say to Buck before he left. Only, this doesn't serve the purpose of Eddie finding closure and moving on, but as a catalyst for him realizing the full extent of his feelings.

In the present day, Eddie finds himself back in his hometown— a place he tried so hard to run away from— to be there for his son. He built an entire life for himself back in LA and now he's gonna have to start all over again. So he puts himself out there, attempting to meet new people and make new friends. In the process, he ends up meeting a man who looks and sounds a little too much like his best friend. And he knows it's a bad idea; he has had to live with the reality of just how bad an idea this is for months following what happened with Kim. But he misses his best friend so bad. Sure, they talk and do video calls to stay in touch, but it's not the same. He's not there with him in El Paso being a consistent presence in his life, and he feels so lonely without that presence. So he befriends this Buck doppelganger. They hit it off and start to spend more and more time together, and eventually, either Eddie decides to come clean or Buck's doppelganger finds out about his resemblance to Eddie's best friend, prompting Eddie to explain the whole situation and apologize for lying.

Maybe at this point, his Buck had already gone through his 8x11 storyline. He's already been confronted with the idea that his feelings for Eddie aren't platonic, and he's doing everything to push that train of thought aside. He can't entertain the idea that he is in love with his straight best friend, as he likes to say. He needs to distance himself from whatever feelings might be there. Which also includes distancing himself from Eddie. He doesn't answer his calls as much, doesn't make an effort to reach out, finds other distractions so he has an excuse for why he wasn't available to talk, etc. And it's driving Eddie crazy. He's never felt so disconnected from Buck, and it's starting to have an effect on his ability to function at this point.

So when Eddie tells him all this and Buck's doppelganger asks him what he would say to him right now if he could, Eddie throws all caution to the wind.

He says all the things he's been wanting to say, even the things he didn't know he wanted to say. He tells him how sorry he is for leaving. That he knows how deep Buck's abandonment issues run and how painful it is to have another person in his life leave him. How much he would give to have been able to stay and spare him that hurt. Hell, the thought of asking Buck to leave with him had even crossed his mind more than once, but how could he ever ask that of him? Los Angeles was his home. The 118 were his family. He built a stable foundation for himself that he'd never had throughout most of his life. Eddie wasn't going to be the one to take a wrecking ball to that stable foundation. As much as Eddie would like to be, he isn't worthy of that kind of consideration. Who would throw their entire life away to be with him? He would never ask him to make that choice. Just as he knows Buck was never asking Eddie to make a choice between him and Chris. But Eddie felt like that was what he was doing at the time— making a choice between what he wanted and what was best for his son. A choice had to be made whether he liked it or not, and he would always choose his son. But, if pressed on it, he would have to admit that if the choice were between Buck and anyone else? Buck would win every single time. He would say that he missed him and he wanted him to be a constant in his life again, in both their lives again. That the distance being put between them, both literal and figurative, was killing him.

And as he's listening to this— to his newfound friend pouring his heart out to him like he's his best friend— Buck's doppelganger makes the realization that everyone else in their lives has, waits for Eddie to finish what he has to say, and says to him:

"Wow. You must really love him."

And that is the moment. Eddie hears those words, processes them, thinks about everything he just said, everything they had been through together, and realizes.

Oh.

That's what this thing between them has been. That's what all this heartache and loneliness and panic he's been experiencing in the last few weeks has been about.

"Yeah, I do."

And this realization does not just magically fix everything. It's a starting point. He still has to work through what happened with Chris, and this revelation may be a central point to helping him get there. Because it forces him to examine everything about his life up to this point. His relationship with Buck, his relationship with his family, his relationship with Shannon, his relationships with women and his sexuality in general, and his relationship with religion. And once he does all of that, he can make the decision to choose something different, for himself and for Chris. They can reconcile. They can move back to LA, back to their found family with the 118 and Buck. He can love his best friend and choose to make him a part of their family.

I also like the idea of doing a parallel between Shannon and Buck as love interests for Eddie because I do think their relationships share similarities despite all of their differences.

Despite the fact that I do absolutely think Eddie loved Shannon, I do not think he was ever really in love with her. He had a genuine care and love for her, yes, but so much of that care and love was tied up in her relationship to him as the mother of his child, not just as his wife. Her relationship with Eddie will always be a part of who he is, undoubtedly. She was a friend to him, someone he loved, the first person he was ever intimate with, his wife, and the mother of his son. She played so many important roles in his life, and she can be all of those things and still not be the love of his life, nor even someone he necessarily loved in a romantic sense at all. Because they were still just kids when they got together and had Chris. They were still trying to figure out who they were and what they wanted to do with their lives when they got pregnant and rushed into marriage and parenthood. All the decisions that followed that were messy and difficult and their relationship shifted completely overnight. Would they have ever gotten married if they didn't have Christopher? My guess is probably not, but we'll never know for sure. When Kim says to Eddie "I guess she was the love of your life," he doesn't say, "she was," he says, "I think she was." He knows he loved her, but he is unsure if she was ever "the one". In hindsight, I think he looks back on their relationship with rose-colored glasses a lot of the time. He talks about how they were together as if the glimpses we saw of them constantly fighting and leaving each other and avoiding big conversations never happened or weren't as prevalent. They did love each other, but they did not love each other in the ways that either one of them deserved.

Compare that with Eddie's relationship with Buck, and I would argue he has played all of these same roles in Eddie's life that Shannon did, but in a much more harmonious and stable way. He's also the only other character to take on all of these roles in Eddie's life to the extent that he does. They are best friends, they love each other, Buck has become a parental figure of sorts for Chris and would legally be his guardian if anything happened to Eddie, and he has a closeness with Eddie and has done things for him/with him that romantic partners often do. Despite their rocky beginning, they became fast and inseparable friends. They've had each other's backs through nearly every single trial and tribulation that they've faced for the past 7 years. Buck seamlessly fit into both Eddie and Chris' lives as well, all three of them spending so much quality time together. They have been mistaken for a couple before. Buck heard that Eddie was struggling with childcare for Chris and provided a solution without needing to be asked. He helped Eddie find a solution to accommodate Chris' disability when he wanted to try skateboarding. He fought like hell to try to keep Chris safe when the tsunami hit. Whenever they've had major accidents/NDE's in the line of work, they are always each other's primary concern. Eddie made the decision on his own to change his will to make Buck Christopher's legal guardian if anything happened to him, and he is unwavering in his conviction that he would be the only other person besides himself that would fight like hell to make sure Chris has everything he wants and needs. Which could mean nothing, but as a single dad, Eddie's main concern when it comes to dating and marriage has to be how it will affect his son; what kind of parent would the other person be to him? Buck was there for Chris when Eddie got shot. He was the first person Chris ran to when he was angry with Eddie. He was there for both of them when Eddie went through his breakdown. He was there for Eddie when Chris decided to leave. He offered to help Eddie find a new place to live in El Paso. He was present for nearly every showing of his place to find a subletter— this one is actually ridiculous, like there's no way those folks didn't think they were together. And the big one, he chose to give up his apartment to sublease Eddie's house so that Eddie could leave without worrying about expenses. The entire episode we see him struggle with and unintentionally sabotage Eddie's move. The last thing he wants is for another person to leave him, but he willingly and happily put what Eddie and Chris needed over what he wanted in the end. It is one of the most selfless and loving things he could do and he did it.

One of the key similarities that I've noticed between Eddie's relationships with Shannon and Buck is what they get into their most heated arguments about. In both of these relationships, the big fights that each pair has centers around the other person leaving and how that effects them and Chris. Yes, Buck ready has pre-established abandonment issues, but Eddie's issues with other people leaving really only come up in the context of his romantic partners and how them leaving will affect his son. For Eddie and Shannon, it was Eddie running away from his responsibilities as a husband and father twice by enlisting in the army and Shannon doing the same once he came back into their lives. When she attempts to re-enter their lives, the main point of contention is whether or not she'll even stay if Eddie allows her back in. Ultimately, she does decide to leave once she's back in their lives, if only temporarily, to find out who she is as a person independent of her role as a wife and mother when she realizes she's not ready, and I don't blame her for that. But then she dies and that loss is permanent. Eddie doesn't get closure until he meets Kim and gets to say how he feels. How hurt he is that Shannon left seemingly without any consideration for him. She left a note for their son, but left nothing for him and that is devastating. His first major fight with Buck is over the lawsuit. All three of them are forced into a situation where they cannot be in contact because of Buck's decisions, and their confrontation over it is one of the few times we see Eddie so visibly upset. It's not exactly a "leaving" situation per se, but the outcome is similar. Eddie cannot contact his best friend for help, with his own personal issues and with what's going on with Chris. They both miss him; it feels like he left them and Buck made the choice to put them in that position when he didn't have to. The second time they have a big fight, it's over Eddie leaving. More specifically, over Eddie's perceived lack of care about Buck's feelings on the matter. And I say perceived because he obviously does care, it does matter to him that he's leaving his best friend behind. But he can't fully acknowledge to what extent he does and he won't allow himself to because his feelings come secondary to what he thinks he needs to do as a father. I feel I should also note that despite Buck's abandonment issues, it is so telling how he acts in response to Eddie leaving vs how the rest of the 118 act. They all consider Eddie family just as much as Buck, but the degree to which he's crashing out over it would suggest to me that there's more to their relationship than they realize. The proposed scenario with the Buck doppelganger is meant to be the moment where he finally allows himself to be fully, completely honest with himself about what he feels, what he wouldn't say. And in the aftermath, he has to reckon with what that means for him, for Chris, and his relationship with Buck.

Another things of note when it comes to Eddie's relationships: Every time we see Eddie in a relationship with a woman, we often see him run away from it or sabotage the relationship when things start to get more serious. They never work out because there is always something wrong on his end. By contrast, Buck and Eddie are both actively struggling with Eddie leaving. Neither one of them wants him to leave and that is apparent with the shift we see in their behavior. Idk maybe we'll get a gay Eddie storyline. To me it seems like the most logical endpoint for his character. I mean, the guy literally said that he feels like he needs to "perform" when he's out on dates with women... Plus, Tommy did essentially imply that he clocked him in the most recent episode and if there's anyone I'm gonna trust to know he isn't straight, it's the openly gay man who also repressed his feelings for men for decades and almost married a woman.

Tldr; all this to say, Shannon was Eddie's first love and Buck will be his last.

Do I think any of this is actually gonna happen in the show? No, I highly doubt it. But it was a fun little thought experiment about how I think this scenario would play out. I know this is ridiculously long, so if you read to the end, thank you!

Further thoughts on Buddie following episodes 8x11.

I'm speculating here, but I think this episode was about setting up a coherent and satisfying narrative around Buck and Eddie's feelings for each other. Look. Buck's recently figured out he's bisexual. If he's going to end up dating Eddie, Eddie needs to come out too. But how do you get two main characters to come out as queer when they've only ever dated women before? That's a wildly convenient coincidence.

(Audiences hate convenient coincidences.)

Now Buck is insisting he's not interested in Eddie. Why isn't he interested in Eddie? Well, Eddie's straight. Okay, that's not really an answer. But it doesn't matter! Because Eddie's straight! Why does everyone think he's in love with his best friend? His best friend is straight!

Suddenly Eddie's sexuality is a question. Is Eddie straight? Why is that important to Buck? What would happen if he wasn't? Fandom has been asking these questions since day one and we've already got more than a few answers of our own. But now Eddie's sexuality is being made salient by the narrative. And we're being told, Buck is not in love with his straight best friend.

So, hypothetically: Eddie comes out as Not Straight. This is no longer a wildly convenient coincidence. It's a complication. (Audiences love complications). Because now Buck has to answer the question that we've just established he does not want to answer. Are you in love with your best friend?

They can also reverse the order. Have Buck answer that question and move on to What Now? In this case, Eddie coming out is now a resolution. (Audiences also love resolutions). I think this is the less interesting path but it's also possible.

Usually when I dissect narratives like this I think in terms of "what I would have done." This is not what I would have done. This is better than what I would have done, because I've never had to convince my audience that People Can Be Queer, Actually, Yes Even Him. I would not have thought to structure it this way. I didn't think to structure it this way, and I've given a lot of thought to how I would hypothetically structure a getting together arc that would be convincing to a mainstream audience. I've been thinking that the only options for Eddie coming out are either Buck is supportive and excited for him as a friend, or Buck is painfully hopeful because he's been pining. Way, way better: Eddie comes out and Buck, who's been insisting for months that just because he's queer doesn't mean he's in love with his best friend, immediately realises he's in love with his best friend. And spirals.

(x)

Hey yo guys- so what the actual everloving FUCK did we just watch-

Nonono because- alright let’s- take a moment shall we LETS FUCKING BREATHE for a moment and think about how the only time someone has addressed the fucking Godzilla in the room was Maddie fucking Buckley IN SEASON 2 and it was a haha joke

It’s not a haha joke anymore I fear ITS NOT A HAHA JOKE GUYS BECAUSE to have two separate characters in one episode be like “you’re in love with Eddie Diaz” and one of them is your ex boyfriend. who was FRIENDS with him. Who Eddie apparently dropped like chopped liver -HIS ONLY OTHER FRIEND BESIDES BUCK- the moment you two weren’t a thing anymore and the other is your long suffering sister who has watched this is unravel since the moment she stepped foot in godamn LA, TO HAVE BOTH OF THESE PEOPLE BE LIKE ????you have feelings for Eddie Diaz ??????? And Buck being completely unhinged “I don’t have to sleep with everyone I have feelings for” my brother in Christ that sure was a sentence you just said what are we even talking about at this point we’re just saying words “he’s straight” WERE JUST SAYING WORDS I need to be shot in broad daylight through the eyeball goodbye-

buck, sweetheart, honey, baby duck, you being in love with your best friend has nothing to do with your best friend’s sexuality and/or relationship status.

"are you?" maddie stfu ik you're so done with him

Buck choosing to say “Eddie’s straight” “my straight best friend” ok what if he wasn’t.. what then

Sorry I don't care Bobby's mom should've taken him with her. I don't believe in not giving children a choice but I think abuse is one of the moments you can enforce that "I'm an adult you do as I say" thing.

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 😩

buck is clinging on to the “straight best friend” label because if he considers eddie being not straight for even a second.. deep down he knows what it would mean

evan buckley just confessed his whole ass feelings for eddie diaz without even knowing it on our screens in the year of our lord 2025

I DON'T HAVE TO SLEEP WITH EVERYONE I HAVE FEELINGS FOR EVAN BUCKLEY YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW

..... I don't have to want to sleep with everyone i have feeling for...... BUCK, DID YOU JUST ACCIDENTALLY ADMIT SOMETHING?

"dad would be so proud of you" is literally not a complement considering he was an abusive acholic asshole and bobby was the one who found him dead. not a complment and most likely a way to try to manipulate bobby. fuck that actualy

Even Bobby can’t separate BuckandEddie, their names are just meant to be said together

Bobby Nash dad through and through. only a dad repeatedly drops a bizarre piece of self lore that has somehow never come up in years and walks away. oh you were a childhood figure skating champion? oh your mom is a televangelist? and also not dead? your wife just found this out too? this is the guy whose known lore has a body count in the triple digits btw. I love Bobby so bad

‘bad credit score shopaholic’ buck and ‘just let me buy this shed real quick’ eddie are made for each other, i don’t know what to tell you. i hope they make horrendous financial decisions together for the rest of their lives

It’s literally so sick that the first episode where Eddie won’t be with the 118 is the “Bobby’s mom is a mega-church televangelist” episode. Like. He would have so much to say… so many faces to make… Eddie…

people who initiate conversations youre everything and i’m in love with you

Sam/Vampirebuckley and Racism

So it has been recently brought to mine and other people's attention that a prominent 9-1-1 content creator was exposed on Twitter for racism. I want to be upfront and say that I have not personally seen these posts or Sam's supposed apology that they posted shortly before deactivating all of their social media accounts. I am not on Twitter (X), nor do I intend to use the platform ever again. If any of you have screenshots of these posts that you could send me, I would be happy to add them to this post so it is easily accessible to those who want to know what was said. Update: I received a message with screenshots of Sam's racist comments and response. I have added them to the bottom of this post with the n-word censored. The individual who sent me the photos also pointed out that Sam has a blue check on their account, meaning that they have paid money to have their content pushed on a platform owned by a known Nazi.

From what I understand, Sam made a tweet back in 2013 in which they used the n-word. This is racist and completely unacceptable. If there are any other racist tweets or posts that Sam has made, I am unaware of them but condemn them all the same.

I do believe very strongly in rehabilitation and that people can and do change, especially over the span of a decade. However, Sam's actions in response to this information coming to light are very telling and that they still have work to do. Words can only get you so far if your actions don't reflect what you say. Posting an apology (which, from what I hear, was poorly done, seemed insincere, and contained excuses for the past behavior, but please correct me if I am mistaken) and then swiftly deactivating their accounts shows an unwillingness to engage and listen to the hurt that they have caused to the Black community. It also makes their apology essentially meaningless if the people that it affects cannot even directly access and respond to what they had to say about their past actions.

I also want to address some comments that I have seen under other content creator's posts regarding this situation that pull attention away from or are expressing undo sympathy for Sam. Some of this is paraphrased, but I will do my best to accurately represent what has been said.

"It was so long ago, a person can change a lot in that time". Sam's comments happening a "long time ago" mean nothing when what was said has caused and continues to cause so much pain and suffering to an entire group of people based on their immutable characteristics. Yes, people can change, but that doesn't change the damage their actions cause. They should still be held accountable for their actions and be willing to listen if they genuinely care about these issues.

"Sam is already going through so much right now, I don't blame them for deactivating". No, we are not going to do this. You can feel bad that they are going through something shitty in their personal life, but that has nothing to do with the situation at hand. We are all going through our own personal struggles, whether we share them online or not. That does not excuse the way Sam reponded and ran away from the situation. If they needed a moment to be offline until they were in a better headspace to engage, they could have done that without deactivating their accounts.

"The timing of this being released seems suspicious [because its following them talking about their recent struggles with a breakup]/The person who exposed them was trying to kick them while they were down". There is literally nothing to suggest this is the case, and I find it very, very hard to believe that someone would hold onto this information about Sam and only reveal it once they were at a personal low point. I find it far more likely that this is a coincidence and nothing more. Either way, this should not pull attention away from the main point of concern here: Sam's racist actions.

I strongly encourage content creators in this community, especially those with sizeable audiences, to speak up and address this situation. I know a lot of us join and engage in fandom to have fun and to escape the horrors of the outside world, but the reality is that we live in a deeply racist, white supremacist society and fandom (and society at large) will never be free of that unless we start to actually acknowledge it.

I also want to encourage folks to be respectful and refrain from engaging in harassment, death threats, etc. towards this content creator and anyone speaking up about the situation. We can hold someone accountable and not fall into harmful behaviors ourselves. From what I understand, Sam is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns exclusively. Please be respectful of this. Misgendering and other forms of transphobia are not excusable just because the person it is directed at has engaged in other forms of bigotry.

The most important point that I want to make is this: If you are not Black, you do not get to accept an apology from Sam.

If there is anything that I have stated here that is inaccurate or false in any way, please let me know so I can correct it. Thank you.

the existence of "maybe", "perhaps", "perchance", and "mayhaps" suggests there should also be "maychance" and "perbe"

eddie went to the seeley booth school of being actively behind the wheel but only staring at his passenger princess instead of the road

seeing people get mad at fictional characters for handling their grief differently or trying to moralize it is so weird. especially when it happens with buddie. they both think they're losing their best friend, snd the most solid parts of their support system, and someone they might be in love with, even if they haven't completely figured it out yet. can we spare both of them some sympathy and empathy and stop acting like it's a competition in who's sadder about it? and yes, that includes extending sympathy and empathy towards eddie, too. eddie who’s leaving so much he’s grown to love and lean on behind. eddie who’s literally willingly stepping back into the wolf’s den with his own throat bared because that’s how selfless he is when it comes to his son. eddie who’s trying to power through all of it because he thinks he doesn’t have any other choice. i don’t know how to even try to explain it to anyone but his pain and fear are just as human as buck’s, just as big, just as fragile. if you can see all those complicated layers in buck’s behavior, because there are so many layers to it, you should be able to see them in the way eddie’s dealing with that whole situation, too. not just because he’s objectively in a more precarious position. but maybe just because he deserves it, too.

and if you can’t do that. well.

they're going to brush past this entire episode like it shouldn't give maddie and chim their seventh dose of PTSD but you fucking know that chim isn't getting the sight of maddie with her throat cut out of his head any time soon