9-1-1 Season 10 Is Officially Buck’s Best Year Yet

Published Sep 13, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT

Shealyn Scott is a Senior Writer at Screen Rant. She has been writing for the site since 2024, focused on network, reality, streaming, and classic television.
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WARNING: This article contains discussion of addiction and death.

Evan "Buck" Buckley has always been a fan-favorite 9-1-1 character, but the ABC staple is setting him up for his greatest adventure yet. Portrayed by Oliver Stark, Buck is arguably the centerpiece of LAFD Station 118, especially after the death of his mentor and father figure, Captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause). Considering season 9 was the series' first foray into 9-1-1's post-Bobby era, it makes sense that the latest installment had some of the most controversial— and, in turn, consequential— storylines for its ensemble cast.

Whereas Henrietta "Hen" Wilson's (Aisha Hinds) world was upended by a late-onset autoimmune disorder and Howard "Chimney" Han (Kenneth Choi) nearly had his captaincy revoked by an internal affairs investigation, 9-1-1 progressed other characters with less dramatic but equally major life changes. Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody) and May (Corinne Massiah) struck up a whirlwind romance, Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) was suddenly promoted to dispatch center manager, and Harry (Elijah M. Cooper) finally entered the fray as a probationary firefighter. Regardless, Buck irrefutably experienced the most significant arcs that will continue to have ripple effects into 9-1-1 season 10.

Buck's 9-1-1 Season 10 Story Is The Most Compelling In Years

ABC

From being abducted by a murderous grieving mother to grappling with a so-called "middle age" crisis to struggling with a brief dependency on opioids, Buck was put through the wringer in season 9. Thankfully, there were more positive updates as well: after getting off to a rocky start in season 8, Buck and Ravi are closer than ever, and Buck has been able to fulfill an older brother role for Harry. Of course, he still acts as a second father to Christopher (Gavin McHugh), even as he bickers with Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) like they're an old married couple.

As if his brush with death in the New Mexico desert wasn't enough, 9-1-1 season 9 part 2 dropped a bomb on Buck: his biological son, Theo, was introduced— and his parents were promptly killed off. Following another eye-opening near-death experience in the season finale, Buck decided to take Theo in, meaning the bachelor now has a four-year-old toddler to care for while juggling his sobriety and demanding career.

Admittedly, every major character in the series has some sort of storyline set up. Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) has taken on a new role as an LAPD detective, Chimney is still trying to find his footing as a captain, May is embarking on a journey of self-discovery at nursing school, and even Eddie seems to be on the precipice of something huge between his estranged relationship with religion and his extreme lack of a love life.

Nevertheless, Theo's abrupt arrival will push Buck further to the forefront and offer some much-needed conflict beyond grieving Bobby or facing mortality. For far too long, his character has felt stuck in stagnation, being forced to relearn the same lessons over and over without any new challenges to help him grow. Luckily, season 9 was a step in the right direction, but season 10 must use this momentum wisely.

Eddie & Maddie's Pairing Makes Buck's 9-1-1 Season 10 Ever Better

Similarly, Maddie and Eddie will pair up in 9-1-1 season 10, marking a series first for the duo. Given they have nothing in common besides Buck, their one-on-one chat may potentially revolve around the new father. Even if his name is never mentioned, however, Maddie and Eddie having a scene together will be great for Buck's character. Jennifer Love Hewitt has already made it clear that Maddie canonically believes Buck is in love with his best friend, so her scene with Eddie could kick off the highly-anticipated "Buddie" romance.

Conversely, Buck may find himself overwhelmed by his many responsibilities, prompting the two people he holds most dear in life to brainstorm a plan of attack. There's no telling precisely what Maddie and Eddie's scene will mean for Buck's arc, but given the fact that the two barely interact at all in typical 9-1-1 episodes, their scene will surely be an incredibly exciting change of pace. Plus, realistically, there's no way Buck won't come up in conversation one way or another— meaning his true role in 9-1-1 season 10 remains to be seen.

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  Angela Bassett

  Athena Grant

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  Peter Krause

  Robert 'Bobby' Nash