9-1-1: Turned Out

Admittedly, it’s a struggle to know exactly where to start this. If I’m being honest, I thought about writing an open letter last summer. There are things I thought about saying then, that I wondered if you’d care to hear out. Back then, there was a discussion among friends about starting a podcast under the name of this blog. We thought about opening up the post-episode conversations we already have to a wider audience—coming in with a different perspective. We did our research: we knew that there are other podcasts out there, including the one you’ve named in several interviews. The choice not to ultimately go down that road had nothing to do with other podcasts existing, but instead the fact that we didn’t feel that there was a space still open for us, storywise. 

Obviously, I can only get so far into this discussion before I mention that I’m writing it as a fan of the bucktommy ship. You might wonder why I’m not posting this under my account, and I’d like to make the point that it will be shared to it after posting. The point of posting this separately from my main account is to create the opportunity for open dialogue. 

I want to start from the beginning, and since I can’t tell you every person in this part of the fandom’s story, I’ll give you the short version of mine: I found 911 in the peak of the pandemic. No job, full-time student, distance-learning. I would’ve been considered a general audience member. In the years that followed, I waffled with viewership because of school and work. But in 2024, following the writers' strike, I had open time in my schedule. 9-1-1 was back on air, and I’d followed the news of the cancellation and rescuing of the show, the change in show runners, etc. At a time in my life when I hadn’t watched a show religiously in years, it was nice to be captivated again. 

Bobby Nash was a personal favorite for me (and my household). Evan Buckley is a character I relate to on a number of levels. I’ll admit that when Tommy turned up on my television, I didn’t remember him at all. However, I—like so many of my friends—was taken by him and Lou Ferrigno Jr’s portrayal of him. I haven’t really said this publicly, but the story of Evan Buckley’s coming out had personal implications for me. It was the first time I felt like someone said “heteronormativity doesn’t have to be the only option”. I felt seen in Buck’s queer storyline, and even more so in a partner as flawed (but still trying) as Tommy. 

I could write paragraphs on what the last two years felt like: what summer of 2024 was like as a bucktommy fan, having excitement for that relationship. How painful the fallout of that relationship was, especially given that it was during election week in a country where LGBTQ+ rights are being dismantled. How it felt to be told via interviews you did that Masks was effectively only told as a story to make Confessions more painful. But that’s all water under the bridge at this point. 

I will admit, it’s hard to temper this in a way that doesn’t come across with obvious frustration. There’s are feelings of total dismissal from you specifically, with your own words. Your recent interview in which you stated that the fandom “hates that Tommy” felt like a knife to the gut, especially as one of the few fans who has held out hope that one day soon, he might return to us. See, you don’t know me, but I’ve made justifications for creative choices on the show. I’ve supported the decisions to keep Buck single in season nine, made points about outside forces impacting what could’ve kept Lou from returning, and so forth. Honestly, without reading that recent interview, I likely would’ve stayed on that track. 

Now…now it’s hard to even argue my own point when, as someone on the side of the fandom that doesn’t seem to garner your attention, it’s apparent that if we can’t be the loudest in the room, we aren’t even heard. And because I like to cover all my bases: I’d also like to comment on consideration of toxicity, because I have considered that you’ve made comments about it in the fandom of the show in the past. To that end, it would be a lie to say it hasn’t taken place on both sides. At the same time, you were once the writer who said that you didn’t bow down to fandom demands just because it’s what people want, and yet it seems as though the buddie fandom is all that you take in based on your own statements. 

You’ve made statements in the past that Tommy is not a main cast member. That he’s not “liked” by the fandom. That he’s no longer a member of the 118, and so he’s not in a position to ever have a Tommy Begins episode. And yet, I’d argue that if you took a moment to look, you’d find a plethora of people who—while we don’t spam every social media post and interview—fell in love with the character and all of his flaws, and wanted to see him stick around. We wanted (and arguably still want) more. We loved (and still love) the banter between Tommy and Evan, the possibilities of what their relationship might bring, and even what he as a character could become on his own. He was/is a character that has clear flaws but was/is also capable of developing beautiful stories. And for a show that has built is fanbase on giving people a second chance, it’s gutwrenching to see a character with such a rough backstory not get a happy ending—especially from the show that gave Gerrard of all people a second chance (no hate on Brian Thompson whatsoever!). Meanwhile, a character you wrote, who (by his own wording) struggled with his sexuality into his thirties, hasn't had the luck of settling down into his forties, and has seen the impact of his personal relationships because of those—has, at the current moment, been sent off into the ether without any healing or support. It leaves us to wonder what the point of so many choices in that story were.

I only wish you knew how many people—both GA and fandom—actually supported this story.