9-1-1 Boss: 'There's More to Buck's COVID Crush Than Meets the Eye'

It’s been a minute since 9-1-1‘s Evan Buckley was in a stable, committed relationship, so when Chimney mentioned on Monday’s fourth season premiere that Buck has been chatting online with a new “COVID crush,” fans’ collective interest was instantly piqued. Naturally, we had to hit up executive producer Tim Minear for more details.

“I think Buck is ready to commit to the person he’s been talking to, but the person he’s been talking to may not be who you think it is,” Minear tells TVLine. “I believe there’s more to Buck’s COVID crush than meets the eye at first.”

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Granted, this is one of those responses that raises more questions than it answers. Our natural inclination is to assume that Buck is being catfished, but it’s also possible that the viewers are the ones in for a surprise. After all, Minear does say that this person may not be who “you” think it is. (As one mystery ends, another begins!)

Elsewhere in Monday’s premiere, Maddie and Josh encouraged an injured cyclist (Awkward‘s Nikki DeLoach) to fight her way to safety; Bobby and his team pulled off yet another daring rescue when a city bus crashed into a wealth management building; and a hesitant Athena returned to the field for a simple wellfare check, only to be trapped inside a collapsed house with a woman who was too afraid to evacuate.

And that was all because of a dam break! Next week’s episode features the much-hyped mudslide, which will shift a lot more than just the Los Angeles landscape.

“It’s a continuation of Part 1, so Athena is still out there in jeopardy,” Minear teases. “It’s not that somebody dropped a house on her… but somebody dropped a house on her. So we’ll get the resolution of that adventure, and we’ll also meet some adorable millennials who are visiting Los Angeles and want to see the Hollywood sign at the most inopportune moment. Oh, and Chimney is going to have a close encounter… with a chimney.”

Your thoughts on Monday’s premiere? Grade the episode below, then drop a comment with your full review.

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