pandora

bobby’s episode showed how he lost his family and blamed himself

athena’s episode showed how she lost her family (the potential of it) and blamed herself

bobby and athena helped each other overcome their grief (including athena’s grief over her family with michael). they took what was broken and built something beautiful together while keeping the memories of what was lost forever in their hearts

they both wanted to be first responders. they were meant to be first responders. it’s who they are, it’s in their blood, and they just get each other

they are the only ones who understand each other to the core because of what they’ve experienced

and then i watched “buck begins”, and something clicked in my brain.

eddie’s episode is about his f*cked up parents, who see him as a lost cause that destroys everything he touches. it’s about him joining the army, trying to escape what he knows because he can’t take it anymore. it’s about him disappointing his family and being abandoned by the person he loves the most (shannon). and it’s about him finally deciding to get away, break free, and find something better for himself - to build a new life, one he can call his own

buck’s episode is about his f*cked up parents, who see him as a lost cause that destroys everything he touches. it’s about him doing reckless things, trying to escape what he knows because he can’t take it anymore. it’s about him disappointing his family and being abandoned by the person he loves the most - first maddie (i know it wasn’t her fault, but buck didn’t know that at the time), then abby (though that wasn’t in this episode + i don’t think she was the one that got away, she was just the first person to teach buck what a real relationship is). and it’s about him finally deciding to get away, break free, and find something better for himself - to build a new life, one he can call his own

(another parallel i realized - they both had near-death experiences in their episodes and were saved by their real family (eddie by chris, buck by the 118))

shannon inspired eddie to move to la.

some random dude in peru inspired buck to move to la.

they both wanted to become firefighters. they were meant to be firefighters. it’s who they are, it’s in their blood, and they just get each other

they are the only ones who understand each other to the core because of what they’ve experienced

that’s why, the moment they met, there was chemistry. something clicked. they immediately became best friends

because the universe had planned it all along.

they were meant to leave their old lives behind, and they were meant to meet each other in their new one

there’s no buck without eddie

there’s no eddie without buck

two halves of one soul found each other and reconnected, and from that moment on, their world was changed forever

also, shannon was the one for chris, but she was never the one for eddie. if she were still alive, buck and eddie would still end up together - and they’d have the same dynamic as athena, bobby, and michael’s family, where they all co-parent their kids and have immense love for each other

shannon left eddie. he wasn’t enough for her.

abby left buck. he wasn’t enough for her.

buck and eddie never want to leave each other. they are enough, they’re everything to each other (and chris is everything to them)

anyway, “birds of a feather” and “cowboy like me” were written about them.

i knew you in another life you had that same look in your eyes i love you, don't act so surprised (i'll love you ‘til the day that i die)

i've got some tricks up my sleeve takes one to know one you're a cowboy like me

what is love besides two souls trying to heal each other?

- i had to do it. - i know you did.

- that was mitchell. always daring the clock. and me, i always followed along. all those foolish things we did. we only ever wanted to go together. - i guess i can only hope to find something that good. - you don’t find it, son. you make it.