The Tease of Sterek and Buddie. Queerbaiting and Following Through

 Defining Sterek and Buddie - Sterek is the 'ship name for the characters of Stiles Stilinski and Derek Hale on the MTV show, Teen Wolf. Teen Wolf ran on the cable channel from 2011-2017. Buddie is the 'ship name for the characters of Evan 'Buck' Buckley and Eddie Diaz on the show 9-1-1. 9-1-1 ran on the broadcast channel, FOX, from 2018-2023. As of March 2024, and with it's 7th season, it is now on ABC. 

Teen Wolf Stars Quotes on Sterek

'In the past, anytime I've been asked about [Sterek], I feel like it's come out wrong. But it is a big thing, and we support it. We support everything the fans like, and however they love the show is how they love the show. We love that." - Dylan O'Brien in an interview with TVLine's Andy Swift on March 24, 2014

https://tvline.com/interviews/teen-wolf-season-3-finale-spoilers-dylan-obrien-interview-504103/ 

"The Sterek stuff, you know, it's weird. I feel like every once in awhile I'd see something somewhere where someone would say something about us being so anti Sterek or not wanting it and I've always found that interesting. We've never had a problem with it. There've been comments about is saying that we made sure that it never made it onto the show. And I'm flattered that people think that us as actors actually have the power to make those decisions. If anybody has ever been offended, thinking I have some weird feelings towards it, I absolutely don't. I hope you guys enjoy it and I love that you guys are creative and take the characters and make them your own. It's never been something that's upset me or anything. I believe someone on this show, at one point, possibly may have done an interview and made some comments that were very ill informed. Incredibly ill informed. So, if anyone has ever been offended, I apologize. I don't have any problems with it. I hope you guys continue to love those characters as much as we do. - Tyler Hoechlin at WereWolf Con 2017 on October 17, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDMbcUt5l-c 

"What, Sterek? I think Sterek is a bizarre, weird, twisted, thing and I think that anyone who pays more attention to Sterek than the show isn't watching the show for the right reasons. And that's all I have got to say about that." - Tyler Posey in an interview with Hollywood Life on February 18, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mutNFIu8iU&t=114s

9-1-1 Stars Quotes on Buddie

"Listen, people have very strong opinions about the Buck and Eddie relationship. And some people see it platonically, some people see it romantically. And, listen, I'm just happy that people are seeing it and having these strong opinions on it. I think, worse than anything, would be if nobody cared. But, in fact, people have these really strong opinions and feel very invested in it. And we're here for it." - Oliver Stark on a Facebook Live Interview with On The Red Carpet on March 28, 2024

"Without the passion, we would not be here. So, again, we are very grateful for that passion and they have plenty of ideas, right. We're not the writers. So, the writers have taken note, as well. And we trust, exactly, what the writers have in store for us. And, I think with this season 7, we got a lot in store for the audience. You give them more of what they've known and a lot of what they don't." - Ryan Guzman on a Facebook Live Interview with On The Red Carpet on March 28, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hm4tQkr9jeY

"Humbled and overwhelmed by the positive reaction to Buck's storyline. I've read so many of your messages and I couldn't be prouder. If you are one of the smaller group of people commenting on my posts about how this has ruined the show, I would like you to know that I truly don't care. This is a show about love and inclusion. It's featured Queer relationships from the very beginning, including a beautiful, black lesbian marriage played out by two of the best actresses I've ever watched. If one other character finding a new facet of his sexuality and realising his bisexuality is tour deal breaker - I fear you've missed the entire point of the show. You are not required to announce your departure." - Oliver Stark on his Instagram story on April 6, 2024

Since the start of MTV's reincarnation of Teen Wolf, back in 2011, I was a fan. From the first time Stiles appeared on the screen, hanging upside down from Scott's porch - in his Beatles T-Shirt - I was a Stiles and Dylan O'Brien girl. 

Back then, the IMDb Message Boards were all the rage. And my very favorite place to be, on the internet. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about - think Reddit, but far less toxic. Sure, we had our trolls, but the community we built on those boards far outweighed those trolls. And, when one did show up, it was a community sport to see who could drive them away, first. 

The Teen Wolf board was one of my favorites. From the first day, the fandom there was active and speculative and so much fun. This was before half of the fandom went toxic. And, it didn't take long for the Stiles/Lydia 'ship to be born. It was clear that Stiles had a thing for Lydia and the fandom was all about it. 

However, by midway through the first season, there was a small group of us that were leaning toward a different 'ship - Stiles and Derek. It was clear from the get go, there was a connection between the two. And the rapport between Dylan O'Brien and Tyler Hoechlin was just insane and so much fun. We knew that Dylan and Tyler were both straight, but their onscreen chemistry was undeniable and intense and so glorious. 

By Season 4, our little group of Sterek 'shippers had grown. Somewhere along the way, O'Brien and Hoechlin learned about us. They started playing into it at Cons and during interviews. Basically, they gave us permission to run with it. And run we did. They had both even said that they would not have been opposed to the relationship going cannon. And, OH MY GOD, that sent our little corner of the fandom spinning. We were ecstatic that not only did our favorite guys approve, but were willing to make it a real thing. 

Sadly, we were denied our wish. There were several reasons that Sterek didn't happen. Some are speculation. Some are verifiable in interviews. The big one is that Posey was so against it, going so far as to say that Sterek fans were watching the show for the wrong reasons (see above). As he was the star, Jeff's main mission was keeping Posey happy. There were also rumors that Jeff was against it, as well.

I'm not trying to bad mouth Posey. I like the guy. And I love his music. But I do struggle with trying to understand his denying the fans this thing we wanted so badly. The big speculation was that he was so obsessed with being the star that he didn't like so much attention being on storylines that did not involve him or actors that were not him. I don't know how true all that is. Like I said, it's rumor and speculation. I just know that Posey was a key reason why Sterek was never made cannon. 

Teen Wolf was on MTV, so I don't think they would have balked at a Queer romantic storyline between Stiles and Derek. The denial had to come from inside the Teen Wolf house. In the years since the show ended, there has been a lot of fan backlash accusing the show of queerbaiting. 

Buddie is having better luck, though. Since Season 2 of 9-1-1, most of us knew that Buck was Queer. All the signs were there that this was a Bisexual man. However, the show spent the first 6 seasons on Fox and Fox was not having it. Which was ridiculous because 9-1-1 has an amazing lesbian couple. And it's spinoff, Lonestar, has an adorable gay couple. But maybe the fact that Hen & Karen and T.K. & Carlos were all gay from the start made the difference. 

Buck, on the other hand, has spent 6 seasons in heterosexual relationships. He was even a bit of a player at the beginning of Season 1. But from Season 2 on, there were many moments where we - the fans - knew that there was more to Buck. Especially the 'Whatta Man' scene. And as he became friends with Eddie, and their friendship grew, we saw something change in Buck. And we knew! 

Like O'Brien and Hoechlin, we know that Stark and Guzman are straight. But, also like O'Brien and Hoechlin, Stark and Guzman's onscreen chemistry is intense and undeniable and glorious. 

With this new season, the show has moved to ABC. ABC did what Fox refused to do. Just 4 episodes in and they have given us the gift of a cannon Bisexual Buck. On Thursday April 4, 2024, Buck and Tommy shared a kiss and Tommy asked him on a date. Most of the Queer fans rejoiced. And we still are, a week later. 

Some Buddie fans are upset that the kiss was not with Eddie. There is talk of queerbaiting. But I don't agree. It would have been too easy to have Buck and Eddie realize their feelings for each other, at the same time. And come out together. Easy and less exciting. 

Having Buck realize his Bisexuality, first, makes more sense. He is the one that we have been waiting for the most. Having him come out and date someone that is not Eddie allows him to figure out, not only being Queer, but realizing how his feelings and his life will now be different. And what it all means. And isn't it better that he figure all of that out before he gets involved with Eddie? 

Also, watching Buck discover is sexuality and learn about it, separate from Eddie, makes for a better story. It makes it much more relatable. Especially for those of us that were older - like Buck - when we admitted or discovered our own Queerness. As for Eddie, I think watching Buck go on this journey will, eventually, give Eddie the courage to go on his own journey. And, when the time is right, their journeys will merge into one. 

I believe that 9-1-1 and ABC will give us Buddie as endgame. I don't think they would go through all this just to make the mistake that Teen Wolf did. I have every confidence that Ryan Murphy, Brad Fulchuk, and Tim Minear will learn from Jeff Davis' mistakes and not repeat them. 

As for Sterek fans, well we have fanfic and fan art and a very creative and imaginative community. Eat your heart out, Jeff Davis.

Originally April 11, 2024