ABC is quietly positioning an unexpected new pairing as the 9-1-1 franchise's next signature duo, effectively treating them as the successors to Buck and Eddie. Across 10 seasons, many consider Evan "Buck" Buckley (Oliver Stark) and Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) to have been the heart of the main 9-1-1 series. The pair formed one of the franchise's most natural and enduring partnerships, strengthened by going through firefighter camaraderie and personal crises. Buck and Eddie have been the gold standard for on-screen chemistry, with a good chunk of the 9-1-1 fandom even urging them to explore romantic storylines that would further elevate them into the spotlight.
The pair's bond set the bar for every duo that followed in the franchise, such as TK Strand and Carlos Reyes on 9-1-1: Lone Star, whose early chemistry was assumed by many to be a direct nod to Buck and Eddie, to the tighter partnerships that later formed among the 118, such as Hen and Chimney. All of them were measured against the original gold standard of trust, banter, and quiet emotional intimacy.
ABC appears ready to pass the torch that Buck and Eddie have long held in the 9-1-1 franchise with the arrival of an unexpected duo from its sister show, 9-1-1: Nashville: Ryan Phillippe's Detective Rogue Kelly and Michael Provost's Ryan Hart. The 9-1-1 spinoff introduced this new pairing that is already drawing the same kind of attention Buck and Eddie once commanded on-screen.
Rogue's sharp, no-nonsense dynamic as a detective, combined with Ryan Hart's earnest and code-driven intensity, creates a friction and natural chemistry that feels both fresh and familiar, making them the franchise's best Buck and Eddie replacement. The pair's banter is sharper than anything else on the spin-off, and the two of them are quickly becoming the emotional and investigative center of the 9-1-1 spinoff on ABC.
While many would argue that no one is dethroning Buck and Eddie overnight (some still claim the original duo owns the fandom), there is no denying that 9-1-1: Nashville has clearly identified the gap and is filling it with two characters who already share scenes and thrive on the franchise's high-stakes situations.
Some pointed out that Ryan and his half-brother Blue would have been the ideal Buck and Eddie replacement for the 9-1-1 franchise. The pair's dynamic is rooted in family history, rivalry, and the complicated legacy of their shared father.
While that relationship has its own tension and potential, Season 1 already fixed that dynamic and cemented its smooth transition. The fact that it operates more like sibling friction rather than the classic professional partnership that defined Buck and Eddie makes the dynamic less iconic than that of the original pair.
The timing also works for 9-1-1 to find the best replacement for Buck and Eddie, given that the pair's once-unbreakable bond is currently strained. The pair has an ongoing feud, sparked by disagreements over how Buck should parent his young son Theo. This conflict has made their once-seamless partnership at the station awkward and distant.
While the pair made amends at the end of 9-1-1 Season 10, Episode 4, there could still be disagreements along the way, especially now that Buck has decided to completely abandon his responsibility as Theo's father. If anything, 9-1-1: Nashville's investment in Rogue and Ryan feels intentional.
3 Reasons Why Ryan & Rogue's Pairing Works Best as 9-1-1's Best Buck & Eddie Replacement
The Classic “Opposites Attract” Dynamic Friction That Made Buddie Legendary
In 9-1-1, the classic "opposites attract" friction that made Buck and Eddie's on-screen dynamic legendary was about two people whose differences only sharpened each other in the field. Buck's impulsive heart and Eddie's steady discipline created a natural push-and-pull that made every scene between them feel charged. 9-1-1: Nashville Season 2 pushed that envelope even further with Rogue and Ryan by tapping into the same current.
Rogue arrived in the show's sophomore run as a blunt detective who trusts his own instincts over protocol, carries the weight of a dark past, and is consumed by the biblical-plague killer known as the Pharaoh. In comparison, Ryan is a lieutenant who lives by a personal code, respects the chain of command, and carries the quiet pressure of working under his father at Station 113.
The pair's clash doesn't just create tension; it forces both men to adjust, challenge each other, and ultimately rely on one another to solve the case and uncover the clues needed to take down the Pharaoh. It is the same anchor that turned Buck and Eddie from coworkers into something essential. The only difference is that it is filtered through a detective-and-firefighter dynamic, which introduces an engaging, compelling story that could span multiple seasons and make Nashville stand out from the mainline series.
They Keep Finding Themselves in the Middle of the Big Case
Buck and Eddie's proximity to one another was structural, considering that they work together under the same firehouse in Los Angeles. The pair's partnership was baked into the day-to-day ins and outs of Firehouse 118. The cases pulled them together because they were already part of a core unit.
Rogue and Ryan's repeated intersections are more deliberate because they belong to different agencies (Ryan is with the firehouse, and Rogue is with Nashville's Police Department). Captain Don Hart (Ryan's father) remains wary of Rogue, treating him as an outsider who disrupts the firehouse's order. Despite that conflict, Ryan still wants to work with Rogue, to the point where he even invited Rogue into the family's orbit, credited him with saving his father, and actively inserted himself into the investigation.
Unlike Buck and Eddie's baked-in dynamic, every shared scene between Rogue and Ryan is a choice rather than a shift assignment. This difference is what makes the pair an even better Buck and Eddie replacement, as their strong bond is forged in the spaces between jurisdictions. As a result, 9-1-1: Nashville delivers a slower-burning, higher-stakes version of the same dynamic from the mainline series.
The Age Gap & Power Dynamic Create Fresh Tension
Buck and Eddie's dynamic became successful in part because they were peers in the same firehouse. The pair's friction came from personality and circumstance, not from hierarchy. In contrast, Rogue and Ryan's tension in 911: Nashville is shaped by a different imbalance. Rogue is a seasoned, somewhat jaded detective, while Ryan is a younger lieutenant still proving himself, both to his father and Station 113.
This gap between the two Nashville characters creates a golden opportunity for the show (and the franchise as a whole) to foster mentorship that can tip either into rivalry or toward mutual respect. Rogue can dismiss Ryan's idealism as inexperience, while Ryan can silently fend off being treated like someone who still needs guidance. As a result, it can lead to a charged "I don't need your help... but fine" energy that feels distinct from Buck and Eddie's more level footing.
