9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 8 Review: “Wannabes”
9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 8 “Wannabes” spends way too long on the cop cart storyline, and slightly too long on the Brad of it all, but it’s still a pretty decent episode despite that because the Eddie parts make up for it. As a mid-season finale, however, the episode feels truly underwhelming—at least, until Eddie’s confession that he is thinking about moving to Texas.Nothing in the episode is leading to this, and nothing in the season is particularly leading to this either, and yet everything we know about Eddie Diaz kinda is. Who else has Eddie Diaz always been but the guy who chooses his son above everyone else? The guy who tries to find joy for himself, and then …forgets about that the next second, or at the very least, only focuses on the joy as it pertains to Chris.
This is very on-brand, even if it might feel like it’s coming a little out of left field. And after Buck’s moment on the couch (ha!) right after Eddie’s announcement, it might even be setting up bigger and better things for Eddie—and no, that’s not a Texas pun.
Brad’s storyline was going to culminate in a big moment, and he gets it in 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 8 “Wannabes.” His turn on the spotlight can feel a little frustrating, but that’s mostly because we also spent so much time on Athena’s cop cart storyline, which I won’t really go deep into because the point is made very clear in the show. In general, Brad’s payoff is much more satisfying and he’s around for a reason—to point Eddie towards Chris, once and for all. And sure, he also gets to give everyone a moment of lightness on set.
Of course, there’s also the meta-aspect about the power of fans, but we don’t really have to explain that one.
In the end, the thing that separates Brad from Eddie is that one has good intentions deep down, but he has allowed himself to get lost in the day-to-day and the other one is willing to do everything to get to his son, now, when it matters. We don’t need any reminders that Eddie is a good father, anyone watching the show for eight seasons should know this, but this is another clear example of that. Is moving to Texas the best thing for Eddie? No. Has he allowed himself to be backed into a corner where he feels like it is? Yes. Now the question is, how does he get out of that?
MORE: How are we doing on the list of things we wanted for 9-1-1 Season 8? Check it out here!
HE LIVES IN TEXAS WITH HIS GRANDPARENTS
This episode doesn’t feature Eddie’s parents and only has a few mentions of them, but it feels like this is the right moment to discuss them again, particularly within the context of Chris. Because from the outside, they’re doing nothing wrong. They’re doing what Chris asked, and they’re caring for him. They clearly love their grandson. It’s just that every second that passes, it becomes clear they love Chris more than they love Eddie. Not just that, it’s become clear that perhaps, more than they ever loved Eddie. At least not the Eddie outside of their expectations and their imagination.
In a way, that’s about them. They see Eddie and they feel like they failed as parents, so Christopher is another chance to do that right. But that is, of course, also about Eddie, and about Helena, and Ramon being unable to appreciate the man he is now. And let us be clear, Eddie might not be a perfect man, but no one deserves to feel like he’s a disappointment to his parents, particularly when that person has a job where he helps others every day, is a good, kind friend and a great dad who loves his son, even when he makes mistakes.
Sometimes, though, especially in a community that weaponizes disappointment like Latines do, the best thing to do is break free. No, not the best thing, the only thing to do. If you’ll never be enough, then you just… shouldn’t subject yourself to the scrutiny. There’s no winning for Eddie with his parents, and a part of him knows it. That’s why moved to Los Angeles to get away from them. The fact that he’s willing to go back means that he values Chris more than he values himself, and sure, that’s what parenthood is—but you also can never be the best parent possible unless you figure out how to be the best version of yourself. And Eddie won’t do that in Texas, where he has nothing and no one.
Chris didn’t leave because of something Eddie did to him, he left because of something Eddie messed up in his personal life. Eddie has made strides, but right now, it doesn’t feel like he’s truly at a point where we can say that won’t happen again. We’re still on the same hamster wheel. Texas won’t change that. Only Eddie can. This is the setback. What’s the fix?
