S08.E11: Holy Mother of God

[Snazzy Daisy]

Quote

The 118 responds to a call at a mega-church, where Bobby runs into his estranged mother.

Meanwhile, Buck is looking to expand his social circle now that Eddie has left.

Air Date: Mar 20, 2025

 

Edited March 23 by Snazzy Daisy

[Snazzy Daisy]

Aisha Hinds’ directorial debut. 👏🏻

[fastiller]

Interesting choice of name for the character.

[Crashcourse]

While it was nice that Bobby and his mother reconciled, I really didn't care about the story.

[Cloud9Shopper]

Oh good. More Maddie trauma next week because we haven’t done enough of that already. 🙄I like her character fine but I hate when shows take one or two characters and overdo it with the trauma and misery. It somewhat makes me wish she would quit dispatch if she’s crying so much and melting down on the job. Which won’t happen I know.  And yes I understand it’s an emotionally taxing job and it’s one I could never do myself but let’s be real here.

I wonder how Bobby’s mother became a faith healer since her being evangelical Christian wasn’t suggested anywhere in the flashbacks with younger Bobby and her if I remember correctly. Seems like either they retconned something or took on a completely new direction with the character. 

[Demian]

Just placing this here, because Lesley Ann Warren was fabulous in that movie.

Tonight?  Eh, weak script, but she was still great. I keep watching Ryan Murphy shows just to see which fantastic ignored actress from the past he'll feature next.

[agathapenny]

Against my better judgment I keep giving this one more chance every week. Sigh.

At least there were some rescues this week?

Bobby continually calling for Buck and Eddie to do something and Ravi correcting him made me laugh. And as a viewer who actually misses Eddie (at least, Eddie from seasons 1-6) I appreciated that Buck was having a hard time filling the hole in his life.

OK, this is my personal opinion, but I could not suspend my deep loathing for con artist faith healers long enough to enjoy Bobby's story. Honestly, that should be why he couldn't stand him mom, not because she saved herself from her abusive alcoholic ex. They kinda gave it a quick nod, then promptly forgot about it.

Faith healers are not amusing. They are a dangerous, greedy, blight on society. They con money from desperate people who can't afford it so they can live a life of privilege and luxury, while their dupes lose everything. They are dangerous because they convince people not to pursue real medical treatment for their ailments, brainwashed into believing if they just given enough money, they can buy a miracle. They are loathsome scum. Not for nothing did Bobby's brother look like Kenneth Copeland light (those eyebrows couldn't have been by accident).

So, all I could think of while Bobby's mother was telling him she had stage 4 cancer was all the people she'd probably convinced over the years to ignore their own cancer until it was too late. Bobby's mom is a terrible person who makes a mockery of faith.

That's my rant.

I can only hope we're not going to be afflicted with more Tommy now, too. Ugh.

[buttersister]

Bobby: Someone burned the last one (house) down.

Mom: Not you, I trust.

Yeah, they need to kill her off.

Points to Angela for the lookshe gave "mom" after that crack. Thought she'd cut a bitch for a second.

Someone had mentioned after previews that Bobby and his mom looked the same age. She looks good, but LAW is 78, PK is 50, so at least that was legit. The bro? I couldn't get past the eyebrows. And if that's what I'm thinking about, we have script issues. Although, rescues!

 

 

Edited March 21 by buttersister

[agathapenny]

36 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Someone had mentioned after previews that Bobby and his mom looked the same age. She looks good, but LAW is 78, PK is 50, so at least that was legit.

That was me, lol, and I agree with you. The age difference was more apparent in the episode than the previews. So they did get that right, at least.

[BooksRule]

I was trying to figure out where I knew Bobby's brother from and finally had to look it up on imdb.com  -- he was Mia's teacher (later stepfather) from 'The Princess Diaries'. I thought it was good casting.  Looking at both of them together, I could see them as brothers (slight family resemblance, in my opinion). 

I actually wish that Bobby and his mother hadn't reconciled. She is a terrible mother, preys on helpless people, and doesn't deserve forgiveness.  But, I guess if it makes Bobby feel better, then okay. 

I don't watch the 'cruise ship doctor' show that follows '9.1.1.', but I did laugh at the end when Athena stopped dead in her tracks when she saw that the dispatcher had sent her to a docked cruise ship. ('Oh, hell, no!')

[michelec]

Enjoyed the rescue with the married couple, including the twist. When you're digging a grave, dig two indeed.

Overall, the episode was a tick better than the last two, but next week we're back to more Maddie trauma. Enough!

[tennisgurl]

I guess we are slightly moving in a better direction, we did get a few rescues and while we had more personal drama it at least didn't involve Maddie or near death experiences, but we still just cannot get out of this soap opera story rut. I just want a few episodes without endless personal life drama, some laughs, and the gang saving people, is that really so much to ask? From a show called 911? 

I am very much of the mind that people don't have to forgive their shitty relatives and try to connect with them just because they're related, so I was already not totally behind this plot with Bobby and his mom, although I have always wondered what happened to her after she left. I guess its nice that Bobby got some closure with her and his brother before his mom died, you know it would have hurt him long term if he didn't offer forgiveness, but she still sucks as a mom and as a person. She's a con artist who's using desperate people to scam them of their money and could even be keeping them away from real medical care, and if she really wanted to show some change she would admit to her con and donate her ill gotten gains to charity. She's also a crappy mom, I can appreciate that she was in a bad situation with her abusive alcoholic husband, leaving was the right thing to do, but I have always hated how she left Bobby alone with him, and even now she's still using that "you choose to stay with him" nonsense. She was the adult, Bobby was a little kid, she should have been the one who made the right call to keep him away from his father, she could have easily gotten custody of both kids but she not only didn't, but apparently never bothered to reach out to him again until he was an adult, even after his father died, which she must have known about. Not that the son she kept is doing much better, it seems like his whole life is about his mother in a way that is in no way healthy.

She really had some nerve quoting the Prodigal Son at Bobby, that is not even close to the point of that story. 

I am not sure how much of it is just the show messing with us and how much is real, but it really does feel like Buck has feelings for Eddie beyond being best friends and is just in denial. It was nice to see Tommy again even if Buck blew it, I would much rather watch Buck try to navigate the LGBTQ community and try to make friends and date and figure that side of himself out than watch him angst about Eddie. Its also wild to me that Maddie was just kidnapped and almost murdered by a serial killer and now it seems like everyone is sort of just chill about it. I guess when you and everyone you know have life changing trauma happen every week, you get used to it.

I loved that ending, I laughed out loud. "Oh hell no."

Edited March 21 by tennisgurl

[iMonrey]

I don't know if this was supposed to be deliberately funny but when Tommy asked Buck what's new in his life and Buck said "My sister got kidnapped and she's also pregnant. Those two things aren't related." I laughed my ass off. Imagine running into an ex or someone you hadn't seen in a long time, they ask you what's new and you start off with "Well, let's see. My sister was kidnapped by a serial killer and got her throat slashed but she's OK." Whuh????

9 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I am very much of the mind that people don't have to forgive their shitty relatives and try to connect with them just because they're related, so I was already not totally behind this plot with Bobby and his mom, although I have always wondered what happened to her after she left.

Ugh. Totally agree. Also, I didn't get how the husband who tried to kill and bury his wife in the garden was the epiphany for Bobby to forgive his mother. I just don't see the connection, at all. 

11 hours ago, agathapenny said:

I can only hope we're not going to be afflicted with more Tommy now, too. Ugh.

I'd be fine with more Tommy and I was kind of impressed they really went full in on Buck and Tommy making out once they got back to Buck's place. But . . . how did Tommy know it was Eddie's old place? Had be been inside Eddie's house before? Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm . . . .

But I don't think Buck and Tommy are getting back together. Maddie pointed out that missing Eddie was a bad reason to get back together with Tommy and Buck agreed. Maybe somewhere down the line.

14 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I am not sure how much of it is just the show messing with us and how much is real, but it really does feel like Buck has feelings for Eddie beyond being best friends and is just in denial.

Agreed. It's hard to know whether the writers are trolling the shippers or if they're too tone deaf to realize how this comes across. Poor Ravi, having to sit there and listen to Eddie this and Eddie that for who knows how long. 

[agathapenny]

16 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I guess we are slightly moving in a better direction, we did get a few rescues and while we had more personal drama it at least didn't involve Maddie or near death experiences, but we still just cannot get out of this soap opera story rut. I just want a few episodes without endless personal life drama, some laughs, and the gang saving people, is that really so much to ask? From a show called 911? 

I agree. Not every personal story needs to be a deep, emotional life-changing revelation. Sometimes it can just be sorta slice-of-life fun. We used to get that.

16 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I am not sure how much of it is just the show messing with us and how much is real, but it really does feel like Buck has feelings for Eddie beyond being best friends and is just in denial. It was nice to see Tommy again even if Buck blew it

I had the opposite reaction. Not only was I not thrilled to see Tommy again (good riddance, in my opinion. He treated Buck like crap), I think we're supposed to take what the characters on the show are saying in their dialogue at face value ie: Eddie is straight, as he told the priest, and Buck is not in love with Eddie, as he told Maddie in this episode. And I'm someone who would like to see them get together. I'll be pleasantly surprised if I'm wrong (or maybe not, with these writers lately) but the show has gone out of its way to tell us they are just close friends/family.

6 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Ugh. Totally agree. Also, I didn't get how the husband who tried to kill and bury his wife in the garden was the epiphany for Bobby to forgive his mother. I just don't see the connection, at all. 

Because that poor woman should have left her abusive husband a long time ago, and Bobby should not have been holding a grudge because his mom left her abusive husband, even if it was his dad.

6 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I'd be fine with more Tommy and I was kind of impressed they really went full in on Buck and Tommy making out once they got back to Buck's place. But . . . how did Tommy know it was Eddie's old place? Had be been inside Eddie's house before? Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm . . . .

Tommy has been to Eddie's house. Buck and Tommy were there for the aborted zoom birthday party for Chris.

[Cloud9Shopper]

44 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

 

I am not sure how much of it is just the show messing with us and how much is real, but it really does feel like Buck has feelings for Eddie beyond being best friends and is just in denial. It was nice to see Tommy again even if Buck blew it, I would much rather watch Buck try to navigate the LGBTQ community and try to make friends and date and figure that side of himself out than watch him angst about Eddie. Its also wild to me that Maddie was just kidnapped and almost murdered by a serial killer and now it seems like everyone is sort of just chill about it. I guess when you and everyone you know have life changing trauma happen every week, you get used to it.

I loved that ending, I laughed out loud. "Oh hell no."

Which is why I think it’s absurd to give Maddie a night terrors storyline next week. It would make sense if there was an indication in last night’s episode that she was still experiencing trauma or was having trouble sleeping or had depression symptoms or whatever. But it seems they are trying to shoehorn this in when she seems completely happy and well adjusted this week. At least try to be consistent. 

[dancingdreamer]

I enjoyed  this slightly more than last week. I do like LAW, always have.

I didn't  like seeing Buck with Tommy  again, Tommy  didn't  treat Buck very well. 

 

[Infie]

Re: what was the revelation about the man who buried his wife 

I think the revelation was supposed to be that Bobby's mother had left his father to escape being buried under his father's issues and that maybe that was the right thing for her to do.   That there was more than one way to look at his mother leaving, and that Bobby and his father weren't the only people who mattered in that house. 

[j5cochran]

8 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

Which is why I think it’s absurd to give Maddie a night terrors storyline next week. It would make sense if there was an indication in last night’s episode that she was still experiencing trauma or was having trouble sleeping or had depression symptoms or whatever. But it seems they are trying to shoehorn this in when she seems completely happy and well adjusted this week. At least try to be consistent. 

Maddie did mention that it was okay for Buck to stay at their house, that she liked having a strong man in every room. Yes, with a wee bit of sarcasm, but to me, that was a sign that she is still having problems with last week's kidnapping. And her throat looked like it had been healing for weeks, not days.

[Snazzy Daisy]

Buck addressing #Buddie in this episode — a subtle nod OR a clarification?

Quote

"In love with Eddie? Except that I'm not. As much as EVERYONE seems to want me to be hopelessly pining for my straight best friend, it just isn't like that."

[Andyourlittledog2]

If I hear Buck moan and groan and make puppy dog eyes about Eddie one more week I will scream. Could he be more codependent? It has gone on to be more ridiculous every week. I just want to punch him and tell him to grow up and move on. Eddie is still his friend even if he isn't sitting next to him at all times.  Telephones. Airplanes. Visits. Look em up.

Every time I see Lesley Ann Warren I think Cinderella. I've seen her in lots of other things but it's always Cinderella that pops into my head.  She was so magical in that when I was a little kid.

[andromeda331]

Buck is driving me crazy. Maybe he's not in love with Eddie but he's definitely co-dependent. Eddie's gone and he has nothing else in his life. Poor Ravi stuck listening to Buck go on and on about Eddie. All he talks about is Eddie. That's not normal.

I hated Bobby's mother and wish he didn't forgive her. Maybe she had no choice but to leave. But she chose to become a con woman using faith healer as her con. Scamming hundreds of people, keeping Charlie with her no matter what and never being there for Bobby. He hated her with good reason and she chose to stay away. She could have kept trying. The comment about him burning down his own house. Bobby was right to hate her.

I jumped when the lady came up out of the garden. Poor woman and her asshole husband never pays for his crime. 

[agathapenny]

30 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

Buck is driving me crazy. Maybe he's not in love with Eddie but he's definitely co-dependent. Eddie's gone and he has nothing else in his life. Poor Ravi stuck listening to Buck go on and on about Eddie. All he talks about is Eddie. That's not normal.

I have a lot of sympathy for Buck. He's faced a lot of big changes in the last few years and romantic or not, Eddie and Christopher have been his family.

He literally died after being struck by lightning. He had a biological child which he literally delivered into the world and then walked away from. He discovered he's bisexual, which went really well for him at first, but is still a big change to come to terms with. Then Tommy dumped him, when he was envisioning a future together, after Tommy's revelation about Abby, the woman who changed Buck's life, making him re-evaluate that old relationship, Bobby, Buck's father figure, left as captain and they were stuck with a monster who made their lives miserable. Christopher left for Texas. Now his best friend, who he regularly turns to when he's in crisis, and who has included him in his family with his son for more than half a decade, also moves away (with seemingly little thought of who he's leaving behind). And Buck moved from his loft to Eddie's house (yes, moving is a big change for people in real life).

Right now he's floundering to try to find his normal again. He's behaving badly at times and trying too hard. I actually find it pretty relatable. The fact that he's not dealing with it like the perfect, put together guy makes the character more interesting and, in the end, more like a real person with flaws and insecurities.

[marceline]

Ryan Murphy shows always turn into overwrought garbage and this one is no different.

I despise Buck. He’s a selfish, emotionally stunted narcissist but the show demands that we love him. Eddie’s gone, not dead. Grow the hell up.

I’m out.

Also, wardrobe, hair, and makeup are still a mess.

Edited March 22 by marceline
More thoughts

[buttersister]

Agathapenny, thanks for making the case for Buck, a character I don’t care for. His value is more how other characters react to him, imo, he is more in line with  Marceline’s description. But he’s a son foil for long-suffering Bobby, albeit not usually in a good way; a babysitter for Eddie’s son, a sounding board for Maddie (spoiler: I’m not fond of anyone in the Buckley family) and a somewhat recovering sex addict for the womenfolk. Mostly he’s the little ball inside a pinball machine when it’s lit.  He brings a lot of energy to the proceedings. Makes it easier for the writers.

[Demian]

On 3/21/2025 at 8:43 PM, j5cochran said:

And her throat looked like it had been healing for weeks, not days.

Let's not forget that Chim had REBAR THROUGH HIS BRAIN and now exhibits not even a scar.

 

23 hours ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

Every time I see Lesley Ann Warren I think Cinderella. I've seen her in lots of other things but it's always Cinderella that pops into my head.  She was so magical in that when I was a little kid.

Here you go.  And don't anyone sleep on her Clue performance, too.

[Whodunnit]

Buck is not a narcissist. A narcissist would have never been able to date Abby--their ego wouldn't have allowed it.

Buck went with the flow for the entirety of that relationship always doing things she wanted and listening to her problems and being a sympathetic ear. 

In addition he will at the drop of a hat go and babysit or feed a friend who is a terrible cook or go donate blood because someone asked him to. 

What Buck is, however, is a person who's had a lot of things happen to him lately that triggered his abandonment issues and he is coping with it very poorly.

I also remain convinced that he has ADHD, and behaviors that seem selfish are the result of distractibility. ADHD also impacts the ability to regulate emotions.

[Clanstarling]

On 3/20/2025 at 5:28 PM, fastiller said:

Interesting choice of name for the character.

I thought the name sounded familiar. 

On 3/21/2025 at 7:27 AM, BooksRule said:

I was trying to figure out where I knew Bobby's brother from and finally had to look it up on imdb.com  -- he was Mia's teacher (later stepfather) from 'The Princess Diaries'. I thought it was good casting.  Looking at both of them together, I could see them as brothers (slight family resemblance, in my opinion). 

I looked him up too. I don't remember him from anything, but he has been in 80% of everything I've watched over the last twenty or so years, so I guess it's not surprising that Sean O'Brian's familiar to me.

I would like to see a return to some light hearted rescues again (though maybe the lady hallucinating on the giant cross was supposed to be funny). But I still like the characters, even though I'm not looking forward to more Maddie trauma.

And I didn't mind seeing some insight into Bobby's family. No wonder he had an issue with alcohol. It wasn't just his father's influence.

[Irlandesa]

On 3/21/2025 at 10:26 AM, iMonrey said:

how did Tommy know it was Eddie's old place? Had be been inside Eddie's house before? Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm . . . .

In addition to the birthday party mentioned above, when Buck was trying to get Tommy's attention early on, Buck was talking about how much Tommy and Eddie were hanging out and even Chris really liked him.  Since he met Chris, I assume he had been to Eddie's house.

19 hours ago, Whodunnit said:

In addition he will at the drop of a hat go and babysit or feed a friend who is a terrible cook or go donate blood because someone asked him to. 

What Buck is, however, is a person who's had a lot of things happen to him lately that triggered his abandonment issues and he is coping with it very poorly.

I agree with all of this.  I think it's not just recent events but the fact that his parents brought him into this world to be of service and they ignored him when his brother died anyway. He didn't learn why his parents ignored him until much later in life.

And I think that feeds into why his connection with Eddie is so intense. I don't see it as romantic.  Rather, there's a part of Buck who wants to feel useful and purposeful and over the years, that's what Eddie and Chris provided for him.  From helping Eddie figure out child care when he first arrived in LA to Eddie begging him to "fix" the situation with Chris after the Kim fiasco, he was made to feel like an important part of their lives.  Now he's losing that part of his daily life without getting a choice and he has to figure out where to go next. He's not handling it well but I do think it's because he saw it as part of his identity and now it's being treated like any other friendship. I liked Maddie's suggestion to find new friends but I think he should look outside the 118.

There is a reading where Buck's repressing romantic feelings for Eddie but I don't think that's what the show was trying to do here.  The performance didn't seem like he had doubts about his feelings.  And in terms of Buddie, there has been nothing to suggest that Eddie is anything other than straight.  In fact, they've laid it on thick this season.

On 3/21/2025 at 11:35 PM, andromeda331 said:

I hated Bobby's mother and wish he didn't forgive her.

This show is so big on bad parents who get forgiven.  Some I get but others... I would have liked to see more of Leslie Anne Warren, though.  She's terrific and it's a more interesting backstory than the fire that killed Bobby's family.

Edited March 25 by Irlandesa

[TheGreenKnight]

On 3/21/2025 at 11:10 AM, tennisgurl said:

I am not sure how much of it is just the show messing with us and how much is real, but it really does feel like Buck has feelings for Eddie beyond being best friends and is just in denial. It was nice to see Tommy again even if Buck blew it, I would much rather watch Buck try to navigate the LGBTQ community and try to make friends and date and figure that side of himself out than watch him angst about Eddie. 

Ever since the show introduced Tommy, I felt like they were genuinely moving towards Buck and Eddie as the endgame since it made sense to have a one-off character to be Buck's first in that way before they segued into a serious relationship.* But I had started to wonder if I was off about that until this episode. Having Tommy intuit not just that Buck has feelings for Eddie, but that Eddie may also have them for Buck confirmed it for me. I don't follow spoilers for this show to know if Eddie's actor is done with the show or something, hopefully this is just a temporary break, but what I expect is Eddie and Christopher to return with their relationship mended and then Buck and Eddie's relationship as the next story for both characters. Hope so anyway. :P

 

* I wouldn't be surprised if the writers have Eddie experience a relationship of his own offscreen that is revealed after he returns.

Edited Thursday at 03:56 PM by TheGreenKnight

[Dirge]

On 3/21/2025 at 9:35 PM, andromeda331 said:

I jumped when the lady came up out of the garden. Poor woman and her asshole husband never pays for his crime. 

Yeah, what the HELL, 9-1-1????

I would've liked Bobby's mother's story if she wasn't living it up in a fancy hotel. The show could have had Bobby expect that and then not have it be true. I didn't care about her story at all.