#reflection?

In this instance, for Buck, it's staying up in a research bender and not getting the rest he needs. (As someone is recently went through an injury, I can attest to how important sleep is to healing). Or the hospital scene where Tommy told Buck to stop picking. Sometimes that's what you did as Buck in that situation. Again, I've seen a lot of people talking about personal experience about their skin picking habits and how their partners often will have to break them out of that cycle. And it's for their own good.

Clearly we see/know that Buck tends to have a bit of an obsessive personality, he doesn't let things go until he's ready to do so, until he feels it's reached a natural conclusion that is satisfying to him. And he will ignore his own well being in search of that conclusion. So it really is a show of love from Tommy that he's coaxing Buck away from those, potentially super, harmful habits.

It's very realistic to me the way they're showing Bucktommy. And I think a lot of people look at them with fandom googles where everything is your OTP and your dream ship that they don't really understand that real relationships don't always look like they do in terms of fandom ships. They're not perfect all the time, they're not always super affectionate. It doesn't always have to be a 'i will fight for you to the death', there is still beauty in something as simple as 'i will continually show up for you'. It doesn't have to always be grand, all or nothing. There are multitudes. Again, it does a huge disservice to imply that there's only one way to be a couple.

It's only an issue if it upsets one or both parties. And then if that's the case, there needs to be open communication to work through those issues and ensure that they are both on the same page.

And yes, for a long time, we've seen Buck equate physical intimacy to love. Like in season 1 with his self proclamation that he's a sex addict. He doesn't understand then, that it's not the sex he's addicted to, it's the false emotional intimacy it provides. That's what he's truly searching for.

So it feels really harmful to his character for people to invalidate their status as a couple because they're not super affectionate. Buck doesn't need physical intimacy, he needs the emotional intimacy which they started to explore in this most recent episode.

And this is completely ignoring the fact that they have to think about so many other factors when they're planning these characters interactions. Like how the general audience will perceive them, in terms of shooting logistics (this pertaining to the whole couch debacle. Like I've thought a lot about how the scene would've shot upstairs, and would it have been possible, sure. But it shoots so much easier and more aesthetically pleasing downstairs. Plus it's safer in terms of less chance of Buck reinjuring himself trying to navigate stairs. Again I say this as someone who had a recent injury, who has to use stairs and be so painfully cautious about it. If I could stay downstairs the whole time I totally would've!)

Let's not forget Lou specifically requesting their first kiss be just that, a kiss vs an entire make out sesh. They've been showing us since Tommy's introduction as Buck's love interest, that they're soft and that Tommy expresses his love and affection by showing up.

Obviously, everyone is allowed their own opinions and can feel however they want to about this ship (provided they do so in a respectful manner because straight up, one group of shippers on either side, is ruining it for everyone and making everyone else look bad). I'm saying all this as someone who primarily ships Buddie, they are my fav, they are what got me into the 911 fandom. But tbh, I really fell in love with Bucktommy from this episode. And all this is obviously just my opinion that I wanted to share and if it resonates with you, that's wonderful! If it doesn't, that's okay too!

Bucktommy has done a lot in terms of making people feel seen through their representation. And this was kind of unexpected for me, to feel so seen by how they represented the Bucktommy relationship in 8×5.

Making this post and sharing all these thoughts is also not something I expected. If you'd told me yesterday I'd be posting this many thoughts on Bucktommy, I don't know if I would've believed you. But that really is just how pivotal of an episode it was for me, in terms of showcasing their relationship.