The good thing about procedurals is that they typically keep things moving in terms of pacing. Even though there are some storylines that might linger, most characters have their conflicts tied up fairly quickly. This is ideal for audiences that have shorter attention spans (or who don’t want to see their favorite characters put through the wringer too much). Generally, ABC’s 9-1-1 has struck the perfect balance between short-term storylines that are resolved pretty fast and in a satisfying way and a few that carry over to bridge episodes with suspense. However, in Season 8 of the first responder drama, the storyline revolving around firefighter Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) has now officially overstayed its welcome. The latest episode does offer Eddie an opportunity to leave the 118, which could actually be a good thing.
Eddie Has Been Having a Rough Time on ‘9-1-1’
Eddie has always had tragic aspects to his story (including some Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms from his time serving in the military and several failed relationships). But back in Season 7, Eddie started a serious downward spiral. He pursues a woman who is a doppelgänger for his dead wife (yeah, it’s as weird as it sounds). Despite all of the reasons why this is an extremely bad idea, Eddie persists down this path. His girlfriend at the time walks in on him embracing the woman and promptly breaks up with him. But the true damage happens because Eddie’s beloved son, Christopher (Gavin McHugh), also observes Eddie with the woman that looks exactly like his dead mother. Christopher is confused and hurt, and ends up telling Eddie that he wants to go live with his grandparents in Texas.
Christopher’s move is the catalyst for a lot of Eddie’s sadness. He prides himself on being a single dad, and with Christopher gone, Eddie seems to have lost his mooring. The storyline has continued over into Season 8, as Eddie has struggled to retain his connection to Christopher from so far away. He tries to throw him a Zoom birthday party, which isn’t really successful, and it’s clear that the emotional distance between father and son has only continued to grow. Although it seems like the time away from Eddie has helped Christopher thrive, it hasn’t been the same for Eddie at all. The more time passes, the more Eddie realizes that he can’t keep trying to be a long-distance father to Christopher. In a recent interview, Guzman explains, “[There are] big, big changes in Eddie’s life. Much like myself, Eddie is always thinking about his children and what he will do for his child. There’s nothing he won’t do, but that will incur some massive changes.”
‘9-1-1’ Should Follow Through With Eddie’s Move to Texas
Before the mid-season break (which started in November), Eddie experienced a breakthrough. He now understands that the only way he’ll heal is to move to Texas to try and fix things with his son. In the most recent episode, Eddie follows through with his plan and actually purchases a home in the Lone Star state for him and Christopher to live in. Although this initially causes some friction between Eddie and his BFF, Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley (Oliver Stark), the two are able to mend things. The entire 118 Firehouse also comes to Eddie’s rescue to support him with his decision. As parents, each member of the 118 understands how difficult it has been for Eddie to be away from his son, and they sympathize with his need to be there to raise Christopher. Even Buck comes around and offers to rent out Eddie’s house so that he won’t be in the red financially.
Having Eddie move to Texas will be a great thing for the character (and for the series itself). Eddie needs to tackle his problems head-on, instead of just allowing things to fester in the background. By keeping Eddie in this limbo state for so many episodes, his character has become pretty stagnant. However, Eddie is a great addition to the show, so the character shouldn’t be nixed for good. The best outcome would be to have Eddie head to Texas, at least for an episode or two, and then realize how much better he and Christopher have it back in Los Angeles. Eddie’s true family will always be both Christopher and the 118, so a permanent move to Texas would be out of the question.
The most important reason why Eddie needs to move to Texas (at least temporarily) is so that he and Christopher can actually mend things in person. This reconciliation should happen on-screen so that we can really feel the growth and healing that has taken place between father and son. The bond between the two of them is really strong because they have weathered so many storms (quite literally) together in the past. By separating them, the 9-1-1 writers have created an interesting conflict for Eddie, but it’s high time that they’re able to have a true heart-to-heart and air out their grievances. Christopher definitely needs to hear a genuine apology from Eddie for not prioritizing his son’s feelings, and Eddie might need to express how hurt he has been that Christopher chose his grandparents over him. These characters require a concrete resolution, and 9-1-1 has to find a way to tie up this storyline for good.
It’s possible that some 9-1-1 fans will be a tad upset by Eddie’s move. Now that Buck and Eddie have inched one step closer to making all those “Buddie” shipping fans happy, viewers might be bummed to see Eddie hop on a plane to Texas. However, as long as Eddie’s relocation is a temporary one (and one that happens onscreen), the series can allow Eddie’s character to grow and heal. Procedural shows like 9-1-1 don’t always do well with storylines that carry over more than one season, and Eddie’s problems have definitely outlasted that. It’s time to mend Eddie’s relationship with Christopher, and having him move for a short time to Texas is the perfect way to do that. There has been no official word that Guzman is leaving the show though, so it’s likely that 9-1-1 will be keeping Firefighter Diaz around for the time being. It is clear that the 118 will miss Eddie while he’s in Texas, but fans shouldn’t expect him to be gone for too long.
