ABC’s hit procedural 9-1-1 is set to return to the 2026 TV Schedule for its historic tenth season on October 15th. As exciting as the milestone is, the latest season has been plagued by recent on-set stunt injuries, including one that led to original cast member Oliver Stark suffering a broken ankle. It’s always tragic when anyone gets hurt on set, but having one of the leads injured definitely adds some challenges to the storytelling. As a fan, I can’t help but wonder how Stark’s injury will impact the story going forward.
According to Deadline, the British actor who plays beloved 9-1-1 character Evan “Buck” Buckley broke his ankle sometime in August, just a month after filming for the tenth season began. Stark has since returned to work, but it’s unclear how much time he spent away from set healing while production continued. Regardless, it’s safe to assume that the injury is going to have some impact on Buck’s arc this season.
Stark’s Injury Could Be Written Into His Character Arc For The Season
While reports do say that Stark took some time away from the set to recover after his ankle injury, it’s all alleged since there’s been no comment from his camp. It’s possible, then, that he continued and the writing team decided to write his injury into the show.
After all, it’s totally believable for Stark’s Buck to sustain injuries while performing his firefighter duties. In fact, in the Season 2 finale, Buck’s leg got crushed when a fire truck fell on it. The effects of the injury carried into Season 3, with Buck being forced to take a step back from his job in order to heal.
Depending on which leg Stark injured, the writers could choose to rehash the Season 2 plot with his leg suddenly acting up after years of being okay. Or perhaps Buck sustained a new injury while chasing after his foster son Theo, whom he took guardianship over in the Season 9 finale.
Stark’s Character Will Be Absent Or In The Background For A Few Episodes
If the reports that Stark did take time away from the set are true, then it’s safe to assume that Buck’s character will see less screen time at some point during 9-1-1’s tenth season. It’s not unheard of for characters to be absent or take a back seat in a few episodes every season given the procedural’s large cast. However, Buck has become such an integral part of the series, especially with regard to his relationship with fellow firefighter Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman), and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. Especially now that his future also depends on taking care of his new foster son.
Still, the show might choose to spend some more time developing stories for characters like May (Corinne Massiah) and Harry Grant (Elijah M. Cooper), who both got promoted to series regulars last season.
While Stark’s injury will most likely impact 9-1-1’s story, the more important story here is the danger that arises when working on a show with a high number of stunts. Hopefully this is a reminder of just how important safety is on set to prevent injuries and even fatal accidents.
The first nine seasons of 9-1-1 are streaming on Hulu with an active subscription. Season 10 premieres on ABC on October 15th and will be available to stream the next day.
