BREAKING NEWS: ‘9-1-1’ Showrunner Promises More Buddie In Season 7

• Tim Minear takes over as showrunner for 9-1-1 , plans to focus on Buddie dynamic with Buck and Eddie.
• Oliver Stark explains the audience connection with the soft, vulnerable relationship between Buck and Eddie.
• Eddie and Buck give dating advice to Christopher, while pursuing romantic interests, and facing challenges.

Among other changes coming to 9-1-1, Tim Minear will take over as the showrunner from Kristen Reidel, and he plans to incorporate more “Buddie,” as he told Entertainment Weekly. Minear speaks about writing more of the duo in the season while Ryan Guzman and Oliver Stark talk about how it is to film together. “I’ve had a lot of fun writing Buck and Eddie and playing their dynamic,” said Minear. “Their friendship is the core of that coupling. I’m trying to hit it in every episode.”

Stark explained why he thinks the duo connects so much with the audience and why they are in such demand.

”One of the aspects of it that has really spoken to me is that these are two men in this, quote-unquote ‘macho field’ — or what you would expect to be that — and they’re both really open, sensitive, and vulnerable with each other. I think it’s just really lovely to see these two stereotypically macho men have this really open relationship where they can confide in each other and they can step up and be there for each other in a way that feels very soft. I just think that’s a really lovely, and in fact [an] important thing to be able to show on this TV show.”

Buck and Eddie Collaborate On Christopher’s Dating Life

The challenge will come early when Christopher (Gavin McHugh) goes to his dad with dating questions, something Eddie doesn’t know much about, so he turns to Buck. Guzman said this about the development:

”It really is a moment of desperation for Eddie where he is like, ‘Oh my God, this is a new avenue that I’m not prepared for…. Who knows women? Oh, Buck does. I found it very funny and interesting that Eddie and Buck, the two absolute worst people in relationships, are trying to give advice to Christopher.”

But with both men pursuing romantic interests in different people, how does Minear plan on keeping them together in almost every episode? Eddie was interested in Marisol when we left them, while Buck caught interest in an unlikely place with the death doula, Natalia. “That is addressed pretty early on,” Stark said of the Natalia situation. “He’s just looking for his happiness, and he’s willing to put himself out there again and be open to feeling things. He just wants to be happy.” Guzman shared a more optimistic outcome about Eddie’s situation, saying:

”Eddie’s finding out who Marisol is. I believe that we’re going to see Eddie smiling a lot more. We’re going to see less crying and crazy Eddie, and the drama and trauma that Eddie’s gone through. We’re going to see a little bit more of him rounding the corner and showing his funny side.”

Before returning to the set for Season 7, Guzman spent the night filming a short film he wrote during the strikes and was exhausted after having no sleep for 48 hours. Returning to set, however, felt like coming back home.

”One of my first scenes is with Oliver and there’s always an ease there. So, it took maybe one rehearsal, two rehearsals, and then we were right back into it, and it felt like we never left.”

9-1-1 Season 7 premieres on March 14 at 8 P. M. on ABC. Past seasons are available on Hulu in the U.S.