ABC Introduces The Biggest Obstacle To Buck & Eddie’s 9-1-1 Romance

Published Oct 17, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT

Misty Layne started as an actor and sketch comedy writer before deciding to concentrate mainly on writing. Utilizing both her love of television and film and her behind-the-scenes knowledge, she began a website reviewing films in 2013, with a focus on horror and indie media. Eventually, she began writing about all things television and film for other sites as well. Misty shares a home with five cats, a ton of books, and a fairly impressive vinyl collection.
 

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The following article contains spoilers for the 9-1-1 season 10 premiere.9-1-1 is finally back with a brand-new season, and it started off hot (literally, with a volcanic eruption from a sinkhole that has put everyone in danger, especially Athena). The season 10 premiere set up storylines about new beginnings that should result in plenty of growth for the series’ characters, which is refreshing after they struggled throughout season 9 in the aftermath of Bobby’s death. Athena is now a detective, May is going through nursing school, and Buck is now playing father to Theo, a role that clears a path to a romance with Eddie.

Buck’s new beginning has gotten off to a rocky start, though. If Theo seemed like a wild child when he first appeared on the show, he’s even wilder under Buck’s influence, since Buck seems incapable of telling the kid no. So far, his relaxed parenting style has led to several hospital trips for him, including this episode’s trip for a broken nose caused by Theo’s rambunctiousness.

To say Eddie is unimpressed with how Buck is handling Theo would be an understatement. He started the episode clearly unhappy with how things were going, and by the end he was genuinely upset. This clash between the two men’s parenting styles could be the biggest obstacle to a potential romance between them this season​​​​​.

9-1-1's Buck & Eddie's Parenting Style Difference Makes A Romance Difficult

ABC (via MovieStillsDb)

Buck’s laid-back attitude when it comes to letting Theo do whatever he wants is the total opposite of Eddie’s parenting style when it comes to Chris. Eddie may listen to his son’s wants and needs, but if he needs to say no, he will. With different parenting approaches, becoming a blended family would be challenging, as those differences would become a constant source of conflict.

So far, just in this single episode, viewers saw Buck with an injury caused by letting Theo run around, heard about several other injuries over the past few months, and saw him let Theo cause chaos during dinner with Chris and Eddie. Buck has so little control over Theo at this point that Theo accidentally made Chris fall when a ball he kicked crashed into one of Chris’s canes. That was the catalyst that turned Eddie from concerned to angry.

It’s safe to assume part of Buck’s leniency with Theo comes from the fact that the kid lost both his parents. However, even though he helped co-parent Chris, he’s still learning the ins and outs of fatherhood. Right now, though, Buck's parenting is causing tension between him and Eddie, and if the two don’t get on the same page, it will make a romance between them difficult.

Will Buck & Eddie's Much-Clamored Romance Happen In 9-1-1 Season 10 (& How)

ABC

People have been mistaking Buck and Eddie for a couple for a while, like when they argued in the diner on their way back from Tennessee. It happened again this episode when Eddie rushed to the hospital to check on Buck. 9-1-1 keeps dropping emotional breadcrumbs for the romance everyone wants to see (in the form of scenes that simply make no sense if Buck and Eddie don't become canon), but whether it will actually happen this season is something only the writers know.

However, if it does, it will most likely be because of Eddie stepping in and mentoring Buck on how to set boundaries for a kid. Clearly, the poor guy needs help, because the way things are currently going isn’t sustainable. With Eddie there to give him some guidance, though, who knows where things might lead.

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The two men already spend copious amounts of time together, in both their professional and personal lives, so this would bring them even closer. Then, when the two manage to calm Theo down a little, their parenting styles will align more, creating space for a romance. Hopefully, the writers of 9-1-1 have had the same thoughts, because shippers definitely deserve more than the loaded looks and sparse hints the show has dropped so far.