In 9-1-1, Buck’s heart stopped after he was struck by lightning, but there is still a chance that he will recover from his injuries.
Evan “Buck” Buckley is one member of the 118 that was an instant fan-favourite character on this series, 9-1-1 .
Unfortunately, Buck’s fate hangs in the balance at the end of the “In a Flash” episode, after he was struck by lightning. But the teaser for the next episode does reveal that he will be placed in a medically-induced coma.
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Why people love Evan “Buck” Buckley on 9-1-1
9-1-1 has no shortage of endearing and lovable characters, but Evan “Buck” Buckley has managed to steal the hearts of fans since he stole a fire truck for his hook-up in the first episode of the show.
Buck has since gone from a lost and naïve hothead to a thoughtful and caring aspiring interim captain.
Of course, this immense personal growth did not just happen overnight. Buck has had to face everything from natural disasters and life-threatening injuries, to loss and more to become the character that fans now love and know him to be.
Does Buck die in 9-1-1?
9-1-1 fans have been anxiously waiting for the show to return after it took a winter break following the ninth episode which aired on 28 November 2022. There was no doubt that the show would return with a bang.
Before the series took its mid-season production break, there were still many questions left unanswered. Fortunately, the return episode, titled “In a Flash” definitely delivered in terms of drama and intrigue.
During this episode, the 118 spent most of their time responding to calls resulting from a dry thunderstorm in Los Angeles.
The episode took a dramatic turn in its final moments when Buck was struck by a bolt of lightning after he climbed the truck’s ladder to hose down an apartment fire.
The shock from this bolt of lightning was so strong that it threw Eddie off the truck completely and left Buck dangling limply from his harness.
Even after the team managed to get Buck on a gurney, Hen told the team that she could not shock him back to life because he was already in full cardiac arrest.
Oliver Stark, the actor who plays Buck on the series, even confirmed that he is really completely dead at the end of this episode.
However, Buck’s fate may not be as bleak as this episode’s ending makes it seem, because he is shown in the trailer of the next episode.
In it, he is living out an alternate universe fever dream, which indicates that he may still recover from this severe injury after all.
Why kill Buck now?
Kristen Reidel, the showrunner of 9-1-1, has confirmed that their decision to kill Buck (hopefully only temporarily) was made so that they could explore a deeper facet of Buck’s character.
It has been very evident in this season so far that Buck is trying to find out how to be the best possible version of himself, instead of worrying about what other people want him to be.
Buck’s medically-induced fever dream in this coming episode may give the character just what he needs in order to move forward as his own person.
What will happen in the next episode?
The teaser for this season’s finale episode titled “In Another Life” revealed that Buck will be placed in a medically-induced coma after this traumatic event.
Moreover (in a first for the show), viewers will see Buck enter a fever dream where he will get to explore what his life would have been like if he had made different choices along the way.
Reidel has also warned fans that getting Buck’s heart restarted may not be as simple as it seems, and the process may have some unexpected consequences.
What are the chances that Buck will recover from this?
Even if Buck manages to recover from being hit by lightning after his medically-induced coma in the next episode, Oliver Stark has cautioned fans that this freak accident will definitely leave Buck in an altered state, at least physically.
There is also a possibility that Buck will be suffering from this trauma emotionally for a long time, as it will likely be difficult for him to digest the fact that his heart literally stopped, and he was effectively dead.
Fans of the series will just have to wait and see what the true extent of Buck’s physical, mental, and emotional injuries will be as the show progresses.
However, one thing that is certain is that Buck’s accident will also have a lasting impact on the rest of the 118.
