9-1-1 S7E6: This Buck & Tommy Moment Was Totally Unscripted

Summary

• In the last episode of 9-1-1, one of the main characters came out of the closet.
• This shocked not only the viewers, but also his TV parents.
• However, their relationship could only get better.

While procedurals like Blue Bloods or S.W.A.T. have been one of the top highlights of the week on CBS for years, and NBC has had all sorts of projects within the One Chicago and Law & Order franchises, the procedural drama 9-1-1 was one of the most-watched shows on Fox from 2018 to 2023.

The show then moved to ABC (which is also owned by Disney ) starting in March 2024, and for nearly two months now, 9-1-1 has been posting very impressive ratings in its new home, which secured the show's renewal for a new eighth season in early April.

The fact that the show is generating so much traction is not just because its creators are television colossi Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear. It's a fascinating drama that has viewers rooting for Los Angeles first responders as they navigate their personal and professional lives no less than the other aforementioned shows.

And the most recent episode proved to be truly enlightening, as the bisexuality of one of the main characters was finally revealed — if anything could match the audience's jaw-dropping reaction at that moment, it was the reaction of the character's parents. And it looks like it wasn't scripted at all.

Season 7's Steamiest Scene

There was some chaos in the sixth episode, mostly related to Chimney (Kenneth Choi) coming down with encephalitis. Fortunately, his and Maddie's (Jennifer Love Hewitt) wedding went off without a hitch, but with it came the unexpected outing.

During the ceremony, Buck (Oliver Stark) ran into Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.), who had just returned from a rescue mission and was covered in soot. Back at the wedding party, we see Buck looking incredibly radiant. And with soot around his lips. That's when Buck and Maddie's parents, played by Gregory Harrison and Dee Wallace, discovered the truth and were absolutely flabbergasted!

And as Jennifer Love Hewitt reported, the reaction was genuine.

'What's hilarious is that Dee and Gregory, who play our parents, they hadn't read any of the scripts in between [their last appearance]. So they didn't know,' the actress told The Wrap. 'Her real reaction was like, "Wait, he's with that guy now?" And I was like, "Oh, I wish they were rolling on that. That's priceless." It was very funny. And I was like, "I guess I should fill you guys in on what you've missed when you come back," but it was really cute.'

How Will the Revelation Affect the Parents' Feelings toward Buck?

Given that Buck has a strained relationship with his parents, there is much room for speculation as to how this will negatively affect their future interactions. However, as Love Hewitt believes, it has only provided a greater opportunity for bonding.

'To be determined. I mean, I'm assuming in Season 8 there will be some conversations about that. Maddie and Buck are a good team, so if there's anything other than support, our parents better get ready for us to come at them. But, I'm assuming that they've grown enough by now and want a real relationship with Buck and Maddie that they didn't have before. I hope they handle it well.'

Well, now we have to wait for more episodes to see what happens to Buck after his steamy outing. The next episode of 9-1-1, titled Ghost of a Second Chance, will air on ABC this Thursday, May 9 at 8 p.m. ET. Season 7 consists of ten episodes, with the final episode scheduled for May 30, 2024. All previously released episodes are available to stream on Hulu.