Oliver Stark of '9-1-1' Says Abby and Buck’s Reunion Was Unbelievable
In an exclusive interview, "9-1-1" star Oliver Stark talked about the reunion between Abby and his character, "Buck," and what it means for the series moving forward.
Oliver Stark, who plays the character of Evan "Buck" Buckley, opened up about the final episode of "9-1-1" and what the reunion between Buck and Abby — played by Connie Britton — meant for the show. According to him, the reunion was dynamic, and his thoughts regarding it were:
"I think it's a real new step for us."
Connie Britton arrives at the White House Correspondents Dinner on April 27, 2013. | Photo: Shutterstock.
For Oliver, when Connie Britton left the show, he thought she was not going to come back, and when he initially heard about her coming back briefly, he was skeptical and did not believe it. He added that:
"I knew, obviously, that she wasn't going to be sticking around for too long, so I wondered if...that was going to have a positive or negative effect."
Although he knew that Connie's character — Abby — was going to return, he was not certain of what her return was going to do to the series and how it was going to affect Buck, in the long run.
The last time Abby and Buck had been together was when they had a flourishing relationship, and Abby had to cut it short as she needed to discover herself following the drastic changes that had occurred in her life.
Tim Minear revealed that he wanted Abby and Buck to have a happy ending.
The two had kissed goodbye as she left for Europe, with Buck promising to wait for her. However, when the first responders receive a phone call about a train wreck, they finally meet, but their reunion was not what Buck expected as Abby was already engaged.
Their reunion was conflicting for Buck as he needed to save Abby's fiancé, who was stuck in the train wreck, and the revelation of her engagement was grating for him. On how this affects Buck, Oliver said:
"I think, for the first time, it's a moment of, can he do his job? And is he going to be impaired in making judgments here? I just think it's a bombshell..."
As is the norm with "9-1-1," the seasons always end in a big way, but for this season 3, the ending is not just on a physical high, but on an emotional high note as things are about to change for most of the characters.
Discussing the finale's biggest moments, the showrunner, Tim Minear, revealed that he wanted Abby and Buck to have a happy ending. But he was certain that Buck needed to understand how much he has grown and not tie his development to his relationship with Abby.
He also admitted that even though things did not turn out the way fans wanted, Buck was not in a bad place and that moving forward, there would be more development as regards his life.
As for the other characters on the series, while some are going through significant life changes, like Mickey, who is expecting a child and Athena who made a startling discovery, others are going to experience change on a slower dial.
With "9-1-1" renewed for a fourth season and its stand-alone spin-off, "9-1-1: Lone Star," already becoming a fan favorite, fans can expect some crossover episodes that would bring the two worlds colliding.