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9-1-1 left viewers shocked in its previous episode after Evan Buckley (Oliver Stark), popularly known as Buck, was struck by lightning. Viewers were left questioning whether the series would kill off the popular character. Thankfully, this episode answered this lingering question. It was revealed that Buck is not dead and survived the near-death experience.
The latest episode of 9-1-1 dealt with a dream world inside Buck's head. Deviating significantly from the show's format, this episode depicted a world where Buck was not a first responder. However, it also shows all the good that would be undone if he had not chosen the life he did. These scenarios finally helped Buck power through his desire to give up. By the end of the episode, Buck was shown to be alive and well as he was grateful for the life that he nearly lost.
The latest episode of 9-1-1 was titled In Another Life, and it aired on March 13, 2023.
"The original version literally said, 'Buck. Is. Dead.'"- Oliver Stark on the latest 9-1-1 episode
The latest episode of 9-1-1 saw an alternate version of reality unfold, one where Buck is not a first responder. This initially seemed to be an ideal world where everything was good for Buck and everyone around him. But the episode slowly delved into all the negativity that would come from Buck not being a first responder.
The most significant of these good things were that Daniel Buckley (Aaron Staton) was still alive. However, Doug (Brian Hallisay) was also still in Maddie’s (Jennifer Love Hewitt) life. In the alternate reality, Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) would have died in the first season without Buck getting there to save him. The reality also saw that Eddie (Ryan Guzman) would never take up the responsibility of Christopher without Buck there to inspire him.
These changes convinced Buck, who was still in a coma, to fight for his life and come back to a world that still needed him. In an interview with TV Line, Stark revealed that many of the crew members were just as shocked as the viewers on hearing the news of Buck's possible death.
Stark said:
"Well, the original version literally said, 'Buck. Is. Dead.' Thankfully I had been given some warning and was told that he wouldn’t be dead forever. So I knew, but a lot of people didn’t. I had the crew calling me asking, 'Are you leaving? Is this real?' I could have, but I didn’t lead anybody on. I said, 'No, no. Don’t you worry yourself. I’ll be back with a big smile on my face.'"
He further spoke about the episode and said:
"Yeah, it was fun. And it’s nice, I think, to do something a little different. We’ve been on air for a long time now, so to have an episode where we get to try something new is exciting and brave. It’s fun to experiment."
This episode was certainly a notable experiment that will live long in the memory of 9-1-1 fans. Buck should be back in action soon as the season progresses. It will take some time, however, to shake off these important events before returning to normalcy.
9-1-1 is now streaming on Hulu.
