How Old Abby & Buck Are In 9-1-1? Their Age-Gap Romance Explained

9-1-1 has featured numerous different romantic pairings over the course of its eight seasons, but perhaps its most controversial relationship comes from season 1 — Evan “Buck” Buckley and Abby Clark. The two 9-1-1 characters shared an age difference significant enough to raise a few eyebrows. Of course, other problems arose between Buck and Abby that turned people off towards their relationship, meaning there are different reasons why some fans were opposed to them being together.

Buck’s 9-1-1 romance with Abby started over the phone in season 1. They connected while on the job (with Abby, as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, assisting Buck, a firefighter with Station 118, on a call). Abby eventually secured Buck’s number, and the two of them began a flirty phone relationship during the early days of the procedural drama TV series. Once they met in person, they started dating almost immediately. Unfortunately, Buck and Abby’s romance wasn’t long for 9-1-1, as the two ultimately broke up.

Abby Is 16 Years Older Than Buck In 9-1-1

The Actors Have A Bigger Age Difference Than Their Characters

At the beginning of 9-1-1, Buck was 26 years old while Abby was 42 years old. By doing some simple math, one can easily figure out that Abby was 16 years older than Buck when they were dating in the Ryan Murphy TV show. By society’s standards, the 16-year difference between Buck and Abby is regarded as a large age gap by many. Consequently, the two characters’ romance in 9-1-1 was subject to scrutiny.

It also didn’t help that Connie Britton (who portrayed Abby in the series) was a bit older than her 9-1-1 character in real life. At the time of season 1 filming, Britton was 51 years old. So, she was playing someone nine years younger than her. Meanwhile, Oliver Stark (who starred as Buck) was actually 26 — the same age as his character. Perhaps the 9-1-1 season 1 cast members’ real age gap of about 25 years came into play when the audience was judging Buck and Abby’s controversial relationship.

How Old Are Abby & Buck In 9-1-1 Season 1 Vs. Now

Abby Left 9-1-1 After Season 1

As mentioned above, Abby was 42 and Buck was 26 in 9-1-1 season 1. Given that the ABC procedural drama’s timeline isn’t the most reliable, it’s difficult to gauge Buck and Abby’s ages in season 8 (the most recent season as of the writing of this article). Given that Abby left 9-1-1 after season 1 certainly doesn’t help matters, either.

We would estimate that Buck is in his early to mid-thirties in 9-1-1 season 8. If the show’s events happened in real time, he would be 34 years old, while Abby would be 50, which could very possibly be correct. Whatever the case, Buck is undoubtedly in his early to mid-thirties during the events of 9-1-1 season 8, and Abby would be in her early fifties.

How Abby & Buck’s Age-Gap Impacted Their Break-Up In 9-1-1

Abby & Buck Didn’t Break Up Because Of Their Age Difference

Despite being a reason why some weren’t the biggest fans of Abby and Buck’s romance in 9-1-1, the couple’s age difference wasn’t a factor in their breakup. In reality, Abby was never too serious about Buck. They just weren’t together for the right reasons. So, when Abby moved out of Los Angeles after her mother’s death, it didn’t take very long for her and Buck to break up. They tried to do long-distance. However, Buck and Abby slowly but surely stopped communicating, and when it became clear that Abby likely wasn’t ever coming back, Buck ended their relationship in 9-1-1 season 2.