9-1-1 Season 8’s Tommy & Abby Twist Explained By Oliver Stark
9-1-1 actor Oliver Stark explains season 8’s bombshell twist concerning Tommy and Abby and its impact on his character Buck. Stark has starred as Buck since the pilot, who is currently in a recent relationship with Ferringo Jr.’s Tommy. However, the couple were rocked by revelations concerning Tommy and Abby. In season 8, episode 6, Buck discovers that prior to Tommy coming out as a gay man, he had been in a relationship with Connie Britton’s Abby Clark. The couple were even engaged for two years, but that culminated in the pair breaking up.
In an interview with TheWrap, Stark addressed the high emotions that Buck faced in this reveal. The actor recalled certain references that hinted at this connection, such as Abby calling her fiancé Tommy. He also elaborated how emotional this reveal was for Buck, who wanted to protect Abby given how important she is to him. Check out Stark’s comments below:
Neither was I! That was a case of a perfect coincidence. Back in Season 1, she speaks about her fiancé called Tommy. And then in Season 2, [Ferrigno]’s character was introduced, [but was] never, I believe, intended to be that Tommy. But now that we are at this point in the story, it felt like a great chance to use that connection and stir up some things for Buck and Tommy.
Buck is an extremely emotional individual and sometimes prone to knee-jerk reactions. Abby was hugely important to him, and even though that relationship is in the past, he clearly still cares about and respects her. His initial reaction to learning that Tommy had hurt her was one of defensiveness and wanting to protect her.
And obviously it took the conversation with Josh to get some perspective on what Tommy’s been through as well, and how hard some of the hurdles that he’s had to jump over have been. Tommy had his queer awakening during a different time and had to go through things that Buck is not going to have to go through.
Obviously, there is still plenty of progress to be made on that front. But, we are, hopefully, living in a more progressive time now than years gone by.
What This Means For Buck & Tommy’s Future
The Couple Could Reunite, But Right Now Things Will Be Awkward
Shaken by the news, and upset that Tommy could live a lie, Buck responded by asking him to move in with him, which prompted the latter to end the relationship. This is due to the fear that Buck would break his heart once things became serious. Right now, the situation is pretty awkward for the couple, and there will no doubt have been underlying fears on both sides for a while now, which simply needed a catalyst to bring them to the surface.
Tommy has been queer for significantly longer than Buck, and identifies as a gay man, while the latter is bisexual. Thus, this will no doubt take a while for both men to acclimate to. Being that they were only together for six months, and that this was Buck’s first queer relationship, they were likely harboring doubts and fears that the situation with Abby brought to the forefront. The couple could reunite after a cooling-off period, but as of right now, Buck is officially single again, and could remain so for 9-1-1 season 9.
Our Verdict On Whether Tommy’s Past With Abby Might Cause Future Friction
A Return For The Character Is Unlikely, & Tommy Is Happily Gay Now
While Tommy has a history with Abby, to the point of even planning marriage, it is highly unlikely this past will cause issues with him and Buck again. Tommy is a gay man, who is fully out and comfortable with who he is now, whilst Britton left 9-1-1 after her character’s arc concluded in season 3, so there would be no reason for her to return. I believe that Buck and Tommy will be separated for a short time, during which Buck will come to accept the fact that Tommy has a past, and the two will reconcile, possibly even at the end of 9-1-1 season 8.
