Why Is ‘9-1-1’ Just Repeating Eddie’s Storyline Again?
9-1-1 has wrapped up the first half of its eighth season, but there is one glaring issue that has yet to be resolved. Season 7 ended in a bad place for many of the show’s characters, but Season 8 quickly resolved every one of those storylines… except for one. Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) has been on his own all season, after his son, Christopher (Gavin McHugh), left for Texas because of his Vertigo slip-up. After eight episodes of 9-1-1 Season 8, Christopher will still barely speak to Eddie, and he does not seem at all ready to come home to Los Angeles any time soon.
Now, after some surprisingly great advice from Brad Torrance (Callum Blue), Eddie is planning to move to Texas to be with Christopher. This storyline has the potential for some entertaining drama, and it definitely has interesting implications for Eddie’s relationship with Buck (Oliver Stark). That being said, this ultimately just feels like a step back for Eddie. Instead of insisting that his son come back to Los Angeles to live with him, Eddie seems to be punishing himself again by making a rash decision without running it by Christopher first. This is not the first time that Eddie has left the 118, which begs the question: why is 9-1-1 repeating Eddie’s Season 5 storyline?
Eddie Diaz Already Left the 118 in ‘9-1-1’ Season 5
In Season 5 of 9-1-1, Eddie chose to leave the 118 for a safer job at dispatch after Christopher expressed concerns that Eddie would die at work. Eddie was really unhappy while working at dispatch, but this story arc led to him getting help with his PTSD and having honest conversations about what he was going through. The resolution touched on the fact that Eddie had never actually asked what Christopher wanted before quitting his job at the 118.
Eddie is a loving and devoted father who would do anything for his son, but he often sacrifices more than he needs to, just because he believes that he isn’t allowed to have anything else for himself. Now, with Christopher starting to build a life in Texas, Eddie is planning to go follow him. Eddie Diaz is very obviously not going anywhere anytime soon. The last time he left the 118, it was just a plot device for his character development before he inevitably came back. The real question is: for how long is 9-1-1 going to drag this storyline out? Is Eddie actually leaving for a little while, and how long until he comes back?
Where is ‘9-1-1’ Going with Eddie Diaz in Season 8?
Every time that Eddie has had a storyline in 9-1-1 Season 8, it has been about Christopher’s absence. He helped a father reconnect with his son after a call, shaved his mustache after a chat with Father Brian, and is now looking at houses in Texas after learning that Christopher joined the chess club. Every storyline of Eddie’s this season so far has focused on his guilt, sadness, and self-loathing after Christopher left. It has been half a season, and 9-1-1 has still not resolved this major storyline, even though it is otherwise a very fast-paced show. While this had led to some important moments for Eddie, it is mostly just dragging out the same plotline from different angles at this point.
When Eddie left the 118 in Season 5, the solution was as simple as having a real and honest conversation with Christopher. That will likely be the solution to this arc as well, so it feels repetitive and tedious for 9-1-1 to drag out the possibility of Eddie leaving again. 9-1-1 can only punish Eddie so many times before it just starts to feel frustrating and unkind to this character. This storyline should not go on for much longer, especially when it could be solved with Eddie just deciding to bring Christopher back home where they could deal with their issues in Los Angeles.
Eddie considering moving seems to be a plot device that could work in two ways: first, to finally bring Christopher back home, and second, to bring the potential feelings between Buck and Eddie to the surface. These could both be done very well, but it shouldn’t take too long before 9-1-1 confirms that Eddie isn’t actually going anywhere. It is disappointing to see the show make Eddie leave a job and a work family that he loves yet again instead of just communicating with his son.
