We’re still a few weeks away from the season 8 premiere of 9-1-1, and as far as what to expect, well, we don’t know much.
If you’re like me and heavy on social media (I’ll try to cut back someday), then the most speculation we’re getting these days is from the official 9-1-1 account on Instagram.
The content posted there has given us the 118 in uniform (a likely thing for them to be wearing), a bee-nado, and Eddie’s mustache.
To say we’re thirsty for information would be an insult to dehydration.
And while we now know what at least one of the early emergencies will be about, we’ve got nothing on the character front, and I’ve got thoughts about that.
Well, I’ve got thoughts about at least one character.
Eddie Diaz had a hell of a time during 9-1-1 Season 7.
Things started out ordinarily enough for him as he navigated being the father of a teenager and his new relationship with almost-nun Marisol.
His relationship with bestie boo Buck continued to thrive, as the two made quick amends after a little basketball court maiming, and Buck confided in him that he was embarking on a relationship with a man for the first time.
He and Marisol ran into a little hiccup when her past had Eddie seeing rosaries and crosses in his dreams.
Still, the two seemed to come out of that stronger than ever, even if Marisol ended up moving in and out of Eddie’s house over the lifespan of a tuna fish sandwich.
But things for Eddie couldn’t stay smooth for long, as he met Kim, a retail saleswoman who was a dead ringer for his dead wife.
What happened from there was the stuff out of your grandmother’s favorite soap opera, leading up to Eddie literally being caught in a passionate embrace by his girlfriend and young son.
Christopher’s decision to leave Los Angeles and move in with his grandparents in Texas has been a hot topic among fans.
Whether you understand the decision, are firmly against it, or wish it never happened, it will be the driving force for Eddie’s storyline in season 8.
As it should be.
Addressing Eddie’s Actions
9-1-1 is an ensemble, of course, so I’m not expecting them to carve out significant chunks of time for Eddie and Eddie alone.
Still, they would be doing Eddie’s character a massive disservice by not spending time in the early hours of the season honing in on what Eddie did by engaging in a relationship with Kim.
Eddie knew it wasn’t a good idea while it was happening, but he was powerless to stop it.
He saw a second chance for himself and leaped without thinking through any of the consequences.
Let Eddie dissect that decision and reflect not only on why he couldn’t stop himself from pursuing Kim but also on his relationship with Shannon and how he romanticizes it.
We heard a lot of Eddie’s pain during that wild exchange with Kim during 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 9, but let’s have Eddie further unpack his complicated emotions with someone who isn’t cosplaying his dead wife.
Let’s get Eddie back into Frank’s office for some therapy.
Or into a grief counseling group, where he can talk things out in a healthy manner and start to heal from all the “coulda, woulda, shoulda” that continue to plague him some years after Shannon’s passing.
Eddie needs to examine his feelings for Shannon both then and now and come to terms with a past he may never fully understand in order to move forward in the healthiest way possible.
If he lost Frank’s number, I’m sure Bobby and Athena got him speed dial.
Dealing With The Fallout
Eddie messed up, and it’s not like he needs anyone to tell him that.
Chris walking in on him and Kim, an experience just about as traumatic as it gets for a child with absolutely zero context, will be something Chris needs to process in his own time.
Ultimately, Eddie didn’t have to allow Christopher to leave with his grandparents.
He’s Christopher’s father, and he would have forbidden it if he didn’t want him to go and didn’t believe it was the correct decision at that moment.
But Eddie saw that Christopher was traumatized, hurt, and above all else, realized that he, in his current state, perhaps wasn’t the best person for Christopher to be with.
The show would do well to explore that feeling — what it’s like for a parent when your child feels hurt by your actions, whether intentional or not.
Naturally, Eddie will want Christopher to come back, but hopefully, they spend time showing Eddie dealing with Christopher’s absence and putting in the work to prove to Christopher and himself that he understands what happened and has made strides to do better.
Whether or not we agree with this storyline, Eddie’s decision, or his parent’s role in it, the show went there.
They had Christopher leave, and now they have the opportunity to show what something like this does to a parent and their relationship with their child.
Perhaps this exact scenario isn’t relatable, but realizing your parents aren’t incapable of disappointing you is.
So often, we see the child’s side of a situation like this, and there’s a chance here to consider what it means for a parent to recognize what their actions have caused their child.
Leaning on His Loved Ones
I’m still coming to grips with an Eddie Diaz who isn’t going home to Christopher Diaz after every shift, and surely Eddie will be on the struggle bus for a while dealing with the quiet of an empty house.
When I talked to Ryan Guzman, Eddie Daiz himself, after the season 7 finale about dealing with Christopher’s absence, Guzman said about Eddie:
“He’s going to be lost. From what we know of Eddie, when he’s lost, hell comes with him.
“So, I hope this is a new Eddie, and we get to see a version of Eddie with more of a hopeful side rather than a darker side.”
9-1-1 loves to break people down and then build them back up.
But it would be nice this time to see Eddie lean on the people who care about him as he deals with something that’s brand new for him.
Since his time in the military, it’s almost always been exclusively he and Christopher day in and day out.
Christopher’s not physically being there will be different and most likely difficult to handle.
And when things frankly just suck, it’s easy to give in to that negativity.
But Eddie has a core support system, with Buck leading the charge, always willing to be there for him.
Here’s hoping that Eddie doesn’t isolate himself — unlike the underground fighting days — and instead uses the love and care of his found family to help him through a challenging time.
Maybe he and Buck can have a lasagna off, and the firefam can decide who makes the better Italian dinner.
Or he and Chimney can join a bowling league.
Or we can finally get the Eddie and Maddie bonding scenes we’ve been deprived of for six seasons.
Everyone has stuff going on, but they always make time for one another.
And I would love to see Eddie support his people and receive that same support in return.
Eddie Moving Forward
Naturally, Eddie’s end goal should be moving forward, but that’s much easier said than done.
In his monologue to the doppelganger, Eddie talked about feeling broken, and there’s no rulebook out there on how to put yourself back together when you hit rock bottom.
But that doesn’t mean you stop trying.
I’d like to see Eddie deconstruct himself, comparing who he thinks he has to be to who he truly believes himself to be and start mending the pieces of himself he’s never taken the time to examine thoroughly.
From his childhood to his service, his marriage, his brushes with death, and his relationships, it’s time for Eddie to face some hard truths as a means of reconciling his past and moving toward a balanced and flourishing future.
And for the love of God, no more nothingness relationships!
Free Eddie from the shackles of these romantic entanglements they put no effort into!
Eddie deserves better! We deserve better!
Let this be the true season of growth, self-love, and discovery. It’s Eddie’s time to shine.
All right, guys. Let me know in the comments what you’d like to see from Eddie this season!
And where you think they’re going with this new Eddie look.
9-1-1 returns to ABC on Thursday, September 26 at 8/7c!