Evan Buckley

**Evan "Buck" Buckley** is a main character on *9-1-1* who works as a firefighter at Station 118 of the Los Angeles Fire Department and is Maddie Buckley's younger brother. He debuts in the first episode of the first season of *9-1-1* and is portrayed by Oliver Stark.

## History

### Early Life

Buck was born in Pennsylvania, in 1991 or 1992 and is the youngest of three children. At the time of Buck’s birth, his older brother, Daniel Buckley, had been battling juvenile leukaemia for three years, with little to no success from numerous treatment options. Desperate to save their son, Phillip and Margaret Buckley decided to conceive Buck as a savior sibling. This procedure ensured that Buck was born as a genetically compatible match to Daniel’s condition and, thus, enabled him to partake in a bone marrow transplantation. Despite being a match, complications arose during the transplant and the bone marrow cells failed to graft, causing a relapse of symptoms and Daniel's eventual death.

After Daniel died, Phillip and Margaret packed up all their belongings and moved to Hershey in order to start a new life. They also made Maddie promise to never tell Buck about their brother.

### Life Before Los Angeles

Buck only felt seen by his parents when he did reckless things, resulting in many minor bumps, bruises and accidents that Maddie helped to patch up. The Buckley siblings grew very close until Maddie followed her boyfriend Doug to Boston in order to attend nursing school. Buck continued to be reckless and eventually crashes his motorcycle. He meets Maddie at the hospital and admits to her that he got kicked out of community college, due to spending the tuition money on the motorcycle. He fears the anger and disappointment of his parents and begs Maddie to let him stay with her and Doug. Later, Maddie picks him up in her jeep during an argument he's having with their parents. But instead of letting him stay with her, Maddie hands him the keys to the car and some money. She then tells him to just go and figure out what he wants to do in life. Buck is happy for the opportunity but wants Maddie to come with him. He manages to convince her and they agree to leave town the next day. As Buck goes to pick his sister up at the hospital she works at, he is handed a note from Maddie telling him she can't leave and Buck angrily storms out, leaving town alone. Maddie is then seen being heavily bruised, presumably by Doug.

Buck starts to send Maddie postcards when he "was done being mad at her", telling her all about the journey he was on. He travelled up and down the east coast, picking up odd jobs here and there, finishing bartending school, learning mixology and surfing with a girl he had met in Virginia Beach. He grew to love the ocean, started working construction and made his way to the west coast, where he tried out to be a NAVY Seal. He acknowledges lacking some discipline but still passed the physical test without any problem whatsoever, but he had difficulty "turning off his emotions" and because of this, he dropped out.

Buck continues to travel and works some time on a ranch before he's drawn back to the ocean. He heads down to Peru spending another summer bartending, but then gets talked into going to Los Angeles by a customer. In LA he joins the Fire Academy and becomes a firefighter.

### Life as a Firefighter

Four months into his job as a firefighter at the Los Angeles Fire Department, Buck continually takes advantage of his role as a firefighter in order to impress women, even going as far as using the fire truck to make a point to a girl. After saving a 911 caller known as Jesse, he proceeds to have sex with her on the roof of the firehouse until his captain, Robert Nash catches him. As Buck already received one warning, Bobby decides the second is enough to fire him. However, their animosity is short-lived when Hen summons him to assists Sergeant Athena Grant in a 911 call involving a home invasion, where he helped Athena to locate the house without drawing suspicion early bfore stopping a perpetrator from escaping. Reutrning from the incident, Buck tells Bobby that he knows he acted like a "punk" but "a punk who understands what he lost" and Bobby decides to give him a second chance.

### Meeting Abby

While assisting Athena on a call, Buck speaks with Abigail Clark, the 911 operator. Although their relationship starts off with regular phone calls, it progresses into face-to-face interactions once Buck helps Abby look for her mother, Patricia Clark who suffers from Alzheimer's. They eventually become a couple after going on a date on Valentine's day; even though they are 16 years apart in age. When Abby leaves for Europe after her mother dies, Buck holds out hope for their long distance relationship even though practically everyone around him believes that Abby won't be coming back. Buck stays in Abby's apartment for a while until he finally accepts the fact that their relationship is over and leaves Abby and her apartment behind. Their relationship was the first serious one that Buck has had and he credits it for converting him into "Buck 2.0", the version of himself that no longer seeks out random women for meaningless sex.

### Fire Truck Accident

While responding to a 911 call, Buck is caught up in an explosion orchestrated by Freddie Costas that leaves his leg pinned to the ground by a fallen ladder truck. It takes the assistance of several Los Angeles citizens and the rest of the 118 to lift the truck off of Buck's leg. Buck wakes up in the hospital after having had surgery on his crushed leg which is now held together by rods and screws. His greatest concern is whether he'll be able to work as a firefighter again and this ultimately ends Buck's short relationship with Ali Martin whom he met during the earthquake. Ali doesn't believe she can watch Buck inevitably get hurt on the job again. Later, Buck reveals to Maddie that he requires another surgery on his leg because the doctors weren't completely happy with what they saw on the X-rays. Maddie urges him to wait to have the surgery as it may have a large impact on his health, on the rest of his life but Buck stubbornly decides to proceed with it as "being a firefighter is his life" and he wants to get back to work as soon as possible.

In, "Kids Today" Buck regains his LAFD firefighting certification five months after his accident and is treated to a surprise celebration at Bobby and Athena's house. However, in the midst of thanking Bobby for being there during all the surgeries and rehabs on his leg, Buck starts throwing up blood and winds up in the hospital again. The doctor tells him that he suffered from a pulmonary embolism due to blood clots in his lungs and his leg which are likely to have appeared as a result of pushing himself too hard to get back to work. Buck is placed on anticoagulants or blood thinners and monitored at the hospital. Later on, Bobby visits Buck at the hospital and tells him that he is no longer cleared to be back at work because of the blood thinners and the LAFD's liability issues. Bobby adds that the fire chief may clear Buck for light duty in a few weeks but Buck, feeling hurt and angry tells Bobby that he could never settle for a "desk job" and quits.

### The Lawsuit

Following the aftermath of the tsunami, the 118 attends a fire-drill at a high-rise building where they are greeted by Buck who has embraced a new, light duty role as a fire marshal/inspector. Bobby tells Buck that he is proud of him for not throwing away his career after the setback with the blood thinners and Buck says that he learned to fight and not quit when things get hard after being caught up in the tsunami. Later, Buck visits the firehouse to drop off his report regarding the team's performance during the fire-drill and is upset to find that he has been temporarily replaced by Lena Bosko even though Bobby assures him that his spot on the team will be there when he's ready to return to work. Buck argues that he's ready now but Bobby is required to attend a call, cutting their conversation short.

As part of his role as a fire marshal, Buck meets with Chase Mackey, a lawyer who is hell-bent on suing the city due to supposed negligence during the fire-drill. Mackey tries to get Buck to help him because he thinks Buck's current conflict with the LAFD and how he is unable to return to his full duties as a firefighter makes him the perfect witness for such a case. Buck refuses to help him by telling him that city employees are heroes and that they are not just friends or co-workers but his family.

Later that night, Buck has dinner with Bobby and Athena. They commend him for taking care of his health and Buck responds by saying that the better he manages his health, the sooner he'll be back at work. However, things take a tense turn when Bobby reveals that he is the one who told the higher-ups in the department that Buck isn't ready to come back to work. Their questioning of his ability to perform as a firefighter leaves Buck feeling deeply hurt as well as betrayed and he leaves in the middle of dinner much to Bobby and Athena's protests for him to stay.

Through learning this new information, Buck decides to sue the city with Chase Mackey's help. Mackey warns him that suing the city is "no small matter" and that if he doesn't win the lawsuit, it is possible that he will never work as a firefighter again let alone be hired by any other department in the country. However, Buck is adamant that he *will* win and be able to return to the 118. Mackey adds that during the lawsuit process, it is best for him not to be in contact with anyone from or connected to his station house to which Buck replies that they wouldn't have much to say to each other anyway as he believes he is "alone in this fight." After his consultation with Mackey, Buck revisits Bobby and Athena to tell them that he is suing the city, the department and Bobby for wrongful termination.

In "Rage" Buck moves forward with the lawsuit and subjects the 118 to an arbitration hearing whereby Mackey airs extremely personal information about each member in order to get his point about Buck's wrongful termination across. This information ranges from Bobby's struggles with alcoholism, Hen's previous job with a dishonest pharmaceutical company to Eddie's grief over his ex-wife, Shannon's death. Understandably, the 118 leave the arbitration feeling deceived and Buck worries about how all of this will affect the relationships he has with his former friends.

Mackey gives Buck some "big news" later on which is that the city wants to settle on the lawsuit by offering Buck millions of dollars, in exchange for never working with the LAFD again. Buck is unhappy with this outcome, as his objective was not retribution against the team or money, but rather to merely get his job back. Mackey argues that this is the best possible outcome Buck can get from the lawsuit and the chances of him being welcomed back to the LAFD or getting along with his friends again are very slim. Their meeting ends with Mackey asking Buck what he wants to do.

Later, during the 118's routine grocery shop for the firehouse, they run into Buck who apologizes for the way that things turned out with the lawsuit. He says he never meant for it to get so out of hand to which Eddie asks what Buck expected to happen when he told his lawyer such personal things about everyone. Eddie voices his anger further by telling Buck how Christopher misses seeing Buck and how the lawsuit prevented Eddie from reaching out to Buck when Eddie is needed the most. However, before Buck and Eddie's argument can reach a boiling point, the 118 units are distracted by an act of road rage taking place outside of the grocery store which effectively cuts their interaction short.

Bobby invites Buck to the rage room later that night with the rest of the 118, sans Eddie. Buck tries to apologize again but Bobby cuts him off by telling him that he is being reinstated to active duty by the chief since the fire department wished to settle without any media pressure. Buck is thrilled by the news and Bobby adds that he will be keeping a close eye on Buck.

On Halloween, Buck officially makes his return to the 118 and receives an icy, hostile reception from his fellow co-workers and Eddie, in particular. Hen and Chimney are the only ones who openly welcome him back and Hen tells him that while Buck does have friends at the firehouse, they are following Bobby's lead, who isn't eager to forgive Buck immediately. As a result, Bobby places Buck on light duty which involves handing out candy to children as well as smoke detectors and basic fire safety pamphlets to any parents. Chimney commiserates with Buck's position by recalling how he wasn't allowed to attend any calls during his first few months at the 118 and had to work his way through.

Hearing about Chimney's experiences helps Buck embrace his duty with renewed vigor and Buck eventually makes it through the majority of his shift by ensuring that he completes his assigned tasks to the best of his ability. While packing up, Buck tries to get Eddie to talk to him and the two of them have an important conversation about everything that went down with the lawsuit which ends with Eddie forgiving him and pulling him into a hug. They are interrupted by Bobby who commends Buck for his good work today and tells him that he should return home early, which Buck protests as he still has a couple of hours on his shift.

Later that same night, Buck, on his way home, spots a woman driving around with a man embedded in her car windshield. He alerts 911 to the situation, then pursues and intercepts the car before examining both the dazed woman and the semi-conscious man, eventually getting the driver to leave her vehicle. However, when paramedics arrive to take those affected to the hospital, they notice that Buck's arm is bleeding heavily. Feeling slightly panicked, Buck tells them that he is on blood thinners.

The following morning, a distressed Bobby arrives at the hospital, concerned with Buck's wounds. Buck calmly explains that he obtained some shallow cuts on his arm while checking on the man in the windshield and that the paramedics sealed the wounds before bringing him to the ER where he was checked out further by doctors and also asked to give his statement to the police. Buck adds that he knows it was reckless for him to jump in and save them without giving much thought to himself but that his uniform is like his costume, it helps him be brave as well as strong and that without it, he feels like he's "not much of anything."

Bobby disagrees and proudly commends Buck for his heroic actions by saying that he saved two lives without his uniform and because of that, his uniform is not a costume but rather who he is as a person. Buck wonders whether this means Bobby is ready to let him back to work for real and Bobby tells him it doesn't matter because Buck clearly is and he won't stand in Buck's way much longer. Buck offers to buy Bobby breakfast, and they reconcile.

## Personality

Buck is shown as confident, compassionate and impulsive. He tends to act without thinking about the possible consequences which often lands him in hot water but his intentions always stem from a place of goodness. He wears his heart on his sleeve and cares very deeply about those around him. Buck is also very knowledgeable, driven and determined. He never gives up, whether it is on the job or throughout life in general, and always supports his friends and family.

## Relationships

### Maddie Buckley

Buck is shown to have a strong relationship with his older sister, Maddie. In "Under Pressure", Buck is very surprised to find Maddie in his apartment that he was watching for his then girlfriend Abby. Buck is upset that she has not attempted to contact him as they have not seen each other in three years. Maddie explains that she was staying there to hide from her abusive ex-husband Doug, as he had threatened to kill her and that he had "meant it this time". Buck is concerned about this, and he reminds Maddie that both he and their parents had not approved of Doug from the beginning. Maddie tells him that she wants to help people, as she is a trained nurse, but she doesn't want to put people in harms way from Doug. Buck recommends that she should work as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, and Maddie is hired after she completes dispatcher training. Maddie also shows concern for Buck when the earthquake hits, and is relieved when they make it out alive.

In "Buck, Actually", Buck is shown to be supportive of Maddie's new relationship with Chimney, although he is secretly surprised that Maddie is more interested in Chimney than Eddie. By this point, Maddie has moved into her own apartment and Buck eventually joins her after bouncing around from place to place after moving out of Abby's apartment. In "Fight or Flight", Buck finds Chimney stabbed outside of Maddie's apartment, and he discovers that Maddie had been kidnapped by Doug. Buck is furious, and he attempts to make things better by unlocking Chimney's phone, but he is caught by Athena. However, Athena sees that Buck wants to find Maddie desperately as he believes that it is his fault that she was kidnapped. Athena and Buck track down Maddie to the cabin in Big Bear, and Buck runs to find Maddie, screaming her name. Buck finds her, and the two embrace. Buck is relieved, and he rides with Maddie in the ambulance to the hospital. He is also the first one to tell Maddie that Chimney had survived, and Maddie is overjoyed.

In "This Life We Choose", Maddie becomes greatly distressed when she sees Buck trapped under the fire truck on TV after Freddie Costas had blown up the fire truck. Maddie is relieved when Buck is freed from under the truck, and she rushes to the hospital to be by his side. Before Eddie's ceremony at the firehouse, Buck tells Maddie that he will have to have another surgery on his leg. This upsets Maddie, as she wants the best for Buck. In "Kids Today", after Buck has a setback in his rehab, Maddie is upset with him for pushing too hard to get back to work. In "Sink or Swim", Maddie believes that Buck is at home resting, when he had really gone to the pier with Christopher and had gotten caught up in the tsunami. Chimney also hides this fact from her when he speaks with her on the phone, as he doesn't want her to be worried about Buck. In "The Searchers", Buck calls Maddie and tells her about losing Christopher and about how he was at the tsunami scene. Maddie tells him that he has to tell Eddie the truth about losing him, even though Buck is concerned it would destroy his friendship with Eddie.

In "Christmas Spirit", when Maddie has to go back to Big Bear with her therapist to relive the day she was kidnapped, she calls Buck on the way there and Buck tells her that he would have been there for her if he had not had to work that day.

### Bobby Nash

From the Pilot, it is clear that Buck and Bobby have a rocky relationship as while Buck treats his job with some modicum of seriousness, he acts in a disrespectful manner to his captain. This only changes after Bobby fires Buck and makes him realize how important being a firefighter is to him. When Buck is ultimately given his job back, Bobby tells him that this is his last chance and that it's time for him to grow up. As a result, Buck gradually starts to mature in life and on the job which greatly improves his relationship with Bobby to the point where he starts seeing Bobby as both a father-figure and role model of sorts.

He often confides in Bobby and asks him for advice such as in "Heartbreaker" where Bobby helps Buck prepare for his first date with Abby. Bobby also supports Buck during all the surgeries and rehabs on his crushed leg. However, Bobby's refusal to let Buck return to work and the events of the lawsuit places a strain on their relationship. They eventually move past it when Buck realizes that Bobby was just looking out for him like he always is and when Bobby realizes he can't stand in the way of Buck doing his job, especially when that job is a depiction of who Buck is as a person. In "Christmas Spirit," it is made clear that Buck and Bobby are back to their usual dynamic when Buck worries about Bobby's health after he is exposed to hazardous radioactive waste. Buck states that Bobby is "one of the most important people in his life" and that he wouldn't know what to do if anything were to happen to him, showing how much Buck has grown to depend on Bobby being a permanent fixture in his life.

### Henrietta Wilson

In the Pilot, it is shown that while Buck and Hen get along very well together, Hen sees him as someone who doesn't have a lot of discipline and requires a tight leash in order to be kept in line. However, their relationship grows once Buck starts taking his job more seriously. They often banter with and make good-natured fun of each other in a way that siblings usually do but they also support each other when it really matters.

Hen is the first to commiserate with Buck's situation when she learns that the blood thinners are affecting his ability to return to work. She sympathizes with Buck by asking the others what Buck actually has other than being a firefighter because before joining the LAFD, she and the others had lives and jobs but "what does Buck have?" Hen is also among the first to actively welcome Buck back to the 118 after the lawsuit in "Monsters" and also goes above and beyond in rooting for him by advising Bobby that Buck chose his job over a settlement of millions of dollars and that Bobby should just let him do it because clearly, it means a lot to Buck.

### Howard Han

Like Hen, Buck's relationship with Chimney is amicable and sibling-like for the most part. Although, in "Next of Kin," it is shown that Chimney feels a little jealous over Buck always being given the exciting things to do while on call. This jealousy fades over time, especially after Chimney lands himself in hospital after being critically injured in a car accident. Buck stands by him during that difficult time and later on, Chimney repays the sentiment by offering Buck advice as well as a place to stay while he struggles to move on from Abby. Buck is also very supporting of Chimney's relationship with Maddie. He is the one who finds Chimney after he is stabbed by Maddie's abusive ex-husband, Doug and worries deeply about his condition while he races to find Maddie.

These events only serve to strengthen their relationship and while it has not been explicitly confirmed, it is clear that Buck sees Chimney as an older brother. He is someone to joke around with but also someone who Buck can turn to for advice when he needs it.

### Eddie Diaz

*Main article: Buck-Eddie (relationship)*
When Eddie joins the 118 in "Under Pressure," Buck immediately acts coldly towards him because he feels threatened by Eddie's presence as well as how quickly and seamlessly he becomes a part of the team. This hostility is short-lived, however as the two bond over a dangerous situation that involves taking a live grenade out of a 911 caller's leg. Once the grenade is safely obtained, Eddie commends Buck for being "a bad-ass under pressure" and they vow to have each other's back which effectively consolidates the beginning of their friendship. From then on, Buck and Eddie work together harmoniously while on the job and eventually becoming best friends. Eddie also trusts Buck with his son, Christopher, often having him babysit or coming over to hang out with them.

### Christopher Diaz

Eddie first tells Buck about Christopher in "7.1" while they are on their way to deal with the destruction caused by the earthquake. Buck responds by saying that Christopher is "super adorable" and that "he loves kids" before proceeding to reassure Eddie that Christopher is safe at school. Later, in "Help Is Not Coming," Buck gives Eddie a lift to pick Christopher up from school and while it is not explicitly shown, it is believed that this is when the two officially met.

From then on, it is clear that Buck has a very loving, wholesome and genuine relationship with Christopher. Buck enjoys spending time with Christopher and is constantly in awe of how independent Christopher is because he doesn't let his disability slow him down or prevent him from doing anything he sets his mind to.

In "Kids Today," Christopher spends the day at the pier with Buck while Eddie is at work. The two have an important conversation in which Buck tells Christopher that he hopes he finds something he loves, something he's good at and something that makes him feel like he "matters" because it will both "tell you who you are" and "show you the rest of your life" which, according to Buck is "the best feeling." Evidently, Buck is talking about being a firefighter and how much it means to him but Christopher understands exactly what he's saying and consoles Buck by gently touching his face and telling him that he's going to be okay.

However, their day is quickly ruined when they are both caught up in the tsunami. In "Sink or Swim," Buck saves Christopher and several other people from being swept up in the rushing water. They take refuge on a top of a fire vehicle and attempt to distract themselves from the situation by playing "I-Spy." Buck tells Christopher how much he admires him and his never-give-up attitude, suggesting that despite their age difference, Buck views Christopher as an inspiration.

The two of them eventually become separated and Buck is beside himself as he searches for Christopher throughout "The Searchers." He drives himself to the brink of exhaustion while looking for Christopher, so much so that he collapses once Christopher is actually found and reunited with Eddie. Later on, it is made clear that the events of the tsunami only served to strengthen Buck's connection with Christopher, especially after Eddie tells Buck that he knows Buck loves Christopher enough to "never stop trying" to *not* fail him, if the way that he never gave up searching for Christopher was any indication.

Although the lawsuit dims their connection slightly with Eddie mentioning how much Christopher misses Buck in "Rage," it is clear that it has been resolved by "Fallout" where Christopher plays video games with Buck and Eddie. In "Christmas Spirit," the closeness of their relationship is highlighted further when Christopher asks Buck if he can spend Christmas with him because Eddie will be working on Christmas. Buck is unable to say yes because he, too will be working on Christmas but makes it up to Christopher later by bringing the Christmas celebrations to the firehouse. This shows how their relationship has developed in the past few months to the point where they see each other as family. Christopher feels comfortable with Buck and shows him a level of affection that is similar to what he shows his father, Eddie.

## Trivia

* Buck has a birthmark on the left side of his face, originally from his actor Oliver Stark, which is commonly mistaken for a bruise of some sort in episodes.
* In "Heartbreaker", Abby mentions that Buck is 26.
* In "Under Pressure", Buck mentions to Maddie that he and Abby are still together, when he's still living in Abby's apartment.
* In "Haunted", Buck breaks off his relationship with Abby and moves out of her apartment. He later lives with Maddie after Chimney kicked him out.
* In "Under Pressure" , Buck makes first mention of his parents while talking to Maddie.
* In "Bobby Begins Again", it is revealed that he replaced Tommy Kinard at Station 118 when Tommy transfered to the 217.
* When Buck first joined the 118 as a new recruit in "Bobby Begins Again", he introduces himself as Buck rather than his first name Evan.
* In "Buck, Actually", Buck begins dating Ali Martin whom he saved with Eddie during the earthquake in "7.1." However, they broke up prior to events of "Kids Today" because of Ali's concerns about Buck getting hurt on the job again following his leg injury in "This Life We Choose".
* In "Buck Begins", we learn that Buck had three other Evans in his firefighting class, so he was referred to by his last name.
* Buck has only been absent in three episodes ("Chimney Begins", "Athena Begins", and "The Devil You Know"). He appears in archive footage in "Hen Begins" and "Boston".
* in “Triggers” and “Treasure Hunt” it is implied that Buck is not good at Math.
* in “Pilot” it’s stated that both Buck and Bobby are both fans of Bruce Springsteen as they attended a concert together.

## Appearances

 "**Heartbreaker**"

 "**Haunted**"
 "**Fight or Flight**"

*Note:
\* denotes archive footage only appearance.*

 "Athena Begins"
 "**Pinned**"

 "**Jinx**"

 "**Ghost Stories**"
 "**Fear-O-Phobia**"

*Note:
\* denotes archive footage only appearance.*

 "**Cursed**"
 "**Mixed Feelings**"

 "Everyone and Their Brother"

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Pilot"
2. ↑ "Full Moon (Creepy AF)"
3. ↑ "Heartbreaker"
4. ↑ "A Whole New You"
5. ↑ "Haunted"
6. ↑ "Buck, Actually"