As before – this continues from Parts One and Two, so please read them before this!
Please also note – at the time of writing, I am not currently caught up on 8B! So this will be focusing on 8A and earlier and I would ask if you do comment, please refrain from spoilers!
But, to recap – in part one I touched on the importance of representation, using the shows 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star as examples, how these shows use diversity and representation casually. In part 2 I talked about how this can be seen in the way dating storylines are handled for various characters – whether it’s Paul dealing with dating as a trans man, Marjan navigating dating as a Muslim woman, or Buck’s season 7, later-in-life coming out story.
But I started by talking about how you don’t pay attention to representation – or even feel the need for it – if you’re used to it. The thing is, there are plenty of cis, het, white, able-bodied characters across all forms of western media, and if you are cis, het, white and able-bodied, it’s unlikely you’ll notice a lack of representation. But you’d probably notice an increase.
The thing is, for a long time now, when characters who are ‘diverse’ in some ways come across our screens, it feels like they’re held to a higher standard. They’re not allowed to be imperfect or messy or flawed, they have to be unique, they have to be x, y or z. And media often leaned into this – characters regulated to being the ‘best friend’ to a pretty, white main character, or characters set up to die just to progress a different character’s storyline, or because they were getting too close to the main character and for whatever reason, a cis, het, white, able-bodied MC had to end up with a cis, het, white, able-bodied opposite gender love interest.
Both shows introduce diverse casts in their opening episodes. None of the endgame couples are made up of two cis, het, white characters. The longest, established couple on the show are Hen and Karen. And the storylines all the characters go through touch on universal themes and ideas, that almost everyone can relate to, but without falling back on tired tropes or treading the same ground.
These kind of things are important. We get to see these characters being messy and flawed, and work through these. Too often, it feels like ‘diverse’ characters are held up to a higher standard, that anything featuring (for example) a largely queer cast has to handle every single thing perfectly, and can’t allow characters to be flawed, which in some ways can stifle growth for these characters.
9-1-1 has built up a following, and it’s largely come through word-of-mouth, largely when it became apparent that what might look like a standard procedural on the surface, has something deeper going on with the characters themselves. The diversity has been embraced, by the fandom and the show, but it’s this kind of casual, flawed portrayals I’m worried, in the current climate, we could lose.
I think sometimes even people who want some form of representation can fall into traps of holding these characters at higher standards. And I think some people can’t seem to understand there’s a difference between reclaiming old tropes, or putting your own stamp on them, in ‘Own Voices’ work, versus those ideas funnelled through a different POV, one that doesn’t have a similar lived experience.
Everyone should be able to see themselves reflected; not just in one TV show or one movie or one book, but across a wide range of media. And characters should be allowed to be flawed and messy and sometimes grow and sometimes not grow. Returning to 911, something I really appreciate about two very significant relationships is the age gap nature of them.
In both instances, these relationships – first with Abby, then with Tommy – represent a ‘growing up’ period for Buck. Not one that’s forced on him, but one that he comes to and wants to embrace and, perhaps, needs that external push to do so. I know the fandom are divided on both characters, for a variety of reasons, but for me, personally, I appreciate what both Abby and Tommy represent, and the way they impact Buck. (I can still dislike the way they hurt him, but Buck is an excellent representation of ‘why do we fall – so we can learn to get back up’. Every time he’s knocked down, he comes back stronger for it)
When Buck meets Abby, he’s at a turning point, recognising he has some issues and that it’s impacting his work, as well as his relationships at work. Buck is actively seeking an ‘adult’ relationship, while Abby is very much searching for something casual, something that won’t require the kind of attention she can’t currently provide. The story between them avoids leaning into cliches and tired tropes. Yes, there is an age gap, but this comes into play more in their experiences and expectations. Abby doesn’t expect Buck to be searching for a life partner and wanting to settle down, and to me, the way she left him was almost believing he’d switch back to his old ways, that he wouldn’t be as hurt as he is by her actions.
But as an audience, we know better. The relationship isn’t treated differently from the others the show because Abby is younger, but for me, there’s definitely the sense of showing this woman being admired by a younger man, showing that even when she thinks there’s no way she can date with the other stuff going on, she absolutely can, and it can be casual and fun for her. Normally, this kind of relationship would serve as a way of showing the younger character being too ‘immature’ for a ‘real’ adult relationship, but we don’t get that here. Instead, we see Buck embracing his role as partner, seeking out advice from others around him, and doing the best he can for Abby.
Abby shows Buck he can commit, he can be a good partner for someone else, and importantly, Abby gives Buck his first ‘grown up’ heartbreak. I could talk about this relationship even more, but I want to jump onto Tommy. Again, Tommy is very polarising in the fandom, and I can understand why, but he has a role to play like Abby does, and he helps Buck move forward in his life, in his own way.
Tommy is a character who, like Josh, has faced situations Buck has never had to deal with. This is a good thing! It underscores the position Buck is in as a ‘baby queer’, early on his journey. Tommy doesn’t see Buck as an ‘endgame’, and knows that’s a situation Buck isn’t ready for. But Tommy is able to help Buck realise something deeply important about himself, and guide him on those initial steps. Not everyone is perfect, and Tommy almost forces Buck to reface the issues that arose when he was with Abby. There’s a particular scene during their first date, when Tommy leaves Buck standing outside the date venue, confused and unsure what he’s done wrong.
The fact is…I get it. On both sides! It’s not a great thing to do to a date, but from Tommy’s POV, he’s just come to the realisation that Buck isn’t ready to be public about his sexuality. Which is completely fair and reasonable, but knowing that, Tommy has come to a realisation – as a couple, they can’t move forward. And that leaves him with two options, either carry on the date when he’s reeling from his realisation, and possibly lead Buck on, or cut it short and carry on with their separate lives. For someone of Tommy’s age, the reaction does kind of make sense – we know Tommy kept himself in the closet for a long time, long enough to date and become engaged to Abby, so he knows what it’s like to not be ready (yet), and doesn’t want to pressure Buck.
Tommy could have also previously been on both sides of the equation; seeing someone when he was in the closet, and they weren’t, and knowing the kind of friction it could cause, but also dating someone in the closet when he isn’t, and possibly in the past he tried to move past it, but knows, again, the difficultly this brings to a relationship. It’s such a crucial moment for Buck, too – one he’s not alone for. Tommy and Josh are there to held ‘shed light’ on what Buck is going through, the ‘elder queers’ guiding the ‘baby queer’ through his first steps. Their experiences are different to what Buck will face and deal with – there’s more information out there for younger queer folk, there’s more visibility, which comes with pros and cons, and Tommy and Josh are both gay men. Buck is bi. But another difference in their experiences comes down to representation.
And this is important – Buck’s journey, which he really has only just started on, is going to be different from any other queer character in the show. As it should be! Every person’s journey is different – there are those who would have realised their sexuality from a young age, those who maybe realised and kept it hidden, and those like Buck (and myself!) who have a kind of lightbulb moment later in life. The fact is, there are a huge variety of experiences queer folks go through, and it’s a big part of why shows like 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star are so important. Because they have a larger number of queer characters, they’re able to explore these different experiences.
And this is the point I’ve been circling around – these shows demonstrate that there are a wide variety of experiences out there, so many you can’t cover them all in one show or two, but they also reflect the importance of having multiple diverse characters, allowing these different stories to take place.
This has exceeded ‘long enough’, so I’ll end this part here. Hopefully Part 4 I actually will be able to wrap things up!
Unwrapping Words 