Following 9-1-1 season 8’s fall finale, many have wondered if Ryan Guzman, who plays Eddie, is leaving the show, and one image confirms his absence and that Eddie’s being replaced by someone exciting at Station 118. Many characters have come and gone over the course of the ABC procedural drama’s eight seasons. However, losing Eddie would especially hurt. The audience and characters (like Buck) have grown to love Eddie throughout his time in the series, and saying goodbye to him would be tough. Thankfully, Eddie’s replacement makes his exit a bit easier to accept.
Towards the end of 9-1-1 season 8, episode 8, “Wannabes,” Buck catches Eddie looking at homes for sale in Texas online. Being away from his son, Christopher, has become too much for Eddie. He isn’t willing to grow any further apart from Christopher than he already has, and he plans on moving to Texas to be closer to him. The midseason ends with that cliffhanger, leaving viewers worried about Eddie possibly leaving the procedural drama. While ABC has neither confirmed nor denied Guzman’s exit from 9-1-1 season 8, the first image from the upcoming episodes proves Eddie is being replaced at Station 118.
New 9-1-1 Season 8 Image Confirms Ravi’s Return
Ravi Panikkar Returns In The Midseason Premiere
Courtesy of 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear, a first look at the new Station 118 in season 8’s second half was shared on Reddit. In the photo, Chimney, Buck, Hen, and Bobby (aka the core squad minus Eddie) are staring up at something during a call, and they are joined by Eddie’s 9-1-1 replacement — Ravi Panikkar. Ravi, played by Anirudh Pisharody, hasn’t been seen since the season 7 finale.
Although the ending of 9-1-1 season 7 seemingly suggested Ravi would have a permanent spot in Station 118, the season 8 premiere revealed that wasn’t the case. He stood with the rest of the squad against Vincent Gerrard, giving fans hope that Pisharody’s character would become more of a stable presence on the ABC procedural drama series going forward. Nevertheless, while Ravi was absent in season 8’s first half, the first look at season 8’s second half spoils his return to 9-1-1.
Why Ravi Is A Better Replacement For Eddie Than Any New Character
Ravi Is A Fan Favorite
Of course, it would be difficult for any 9-1-1 character to take Eddie’s place in Station 118. If the show had to find someone to succeed Eddie, though, many would likely be happy with the writers picking Ravi. His status in the procedural drama has been unsteady since his introduction in season 4. Nevertheless, the audience has grown to love the firefighter. Many have even expressed their desire to see Ravi join the main cast of 9-1-1. They likely didn’t think the addition of Ravi would come with the loss of Eddie, but either way, he’s returning in 9-1-1 season 8.
In the aforementioned Reddit post, fans reacted to the first look at 9-1-1 season 8’s upcoming episodes, which suggests that Eddie will leave and Ravi will replace him. The original poster, olga_dr, wrote, “Yes, we manifested Ravi coming back, now we need him to stay!” Another user, SoSaysTheAngel, stated, “Ravi! Yay. But no Eddie. Now I’m sad again.” Essentially, many are happy about Ravi’s return and sad about Eddie’s shocking exit in 9-1-1 season 8. Hopefully, there is a way to keep them both a part of the Station 118 team after the procedural drama’s midseason premiere in March.
Can Eddie & Ravi Both Stay At The 118 (If Ryan Guzman Returns In 9-1-1)
Guzman Likely Isn’t Permanently Leaving 9-1-1
If Eddie is truly leaving 9-1-1 season 8 (and it looks like he is), the hope is that he will return. Based on the leaked photo, Eddie likely goes through with his plan to move to Texas, resulting in Ravi’s new place on the squad. However, that doesn’t mean Eddie can’t move back to Los Angeles. Perhaps Eddie convinces Christopher’s grandparents to let him bring him home to California, reuniting him with Station 118. So, when/if Eddie returns in 9-1-1 season 8, the fire station must keep Ravi on the team as he’s a favorite character among the audience.
