After Eddie’s Texas plotline was for the most part resolved in “Invisible,” Eddie missed the entirety of the recent 9-1-1: Contagion arc, entirely absent from both “Sick Day” and “Lab Rats.” This, to me, was very odd – these two episodes have been absolutely major to the series, and no one giving a thought to where Eddie is or how he would react to the scenario just feels lazy. In fact, having another medic in the room may have changed things. In a shocking twist, Bobby revealed at the conclusion of “Lab Rats” that his oxygen had been contaminated the entire episode, and quickly succumbed to the illness. 9-1-1’s first major character death will permanently change the show, and almost the entire 118 was there to react to and mourn his sudden loss, minus Eddie.
Let’s be real for a second: when a show or movie builds up a bromance or a strong bond between characters, we expect emotional payoffs. So when Eddie didn’t show up for Bobby’s death, fans didn’t just notice — they were gutted. It felt like a punch in the emotional gut, like showing up to a party only to find out your best friend never came. Was this a missed opportunity? Absolutely. Was it a poor storytelling decision? You bet. Let’s break it all down.
While Bobby may not have been as instrumental to Eddie’s life as he was Buck’s, Bobby and Eddie had their own unique bond as leader and mentor. Both had dealt with pasts that led them down dark paths, from Bobby’s early season arc of trying to make amends after causing an apartment fire to having lost a significant other, and Eddie’s time in a fight club. In fact, the characters have a lot of parallels: both come from a heavily faith-based background, and have left the 118 to deal with personal struggles before. The two share a deeply important relationship (as Bobby did with the whole team, making his death even more tragic) and leaving Eddie’s reaction to the most profound loss on the show relegated to off-screen detracts from the importance of Bobby’s death. Bobby dying has been the single biggest event to ever happen on 9-1-1, and leaving a core character out of it was an unfathomable decision.
Leaving Eddie Out of Major Arcs Does No One Justice. Bobby was possibly the most fundamental character to 9-1-1, and this loss will be felt through the end of the series. Leaving a member of his beloved team out of the most major event to have ever happened in the series does neither Bobby nor Eddie justice as characters. While Eddie’s Texas arc has concluded, and it now feels out of character to bring him back for no good reason, it doesn’t make sense to leave Eddie out of any more major events in LA. It’s time for the writers to do the right thing and just bring Eddie back – even if it may be too late.
