We’re just a few weeks away from the premiere of 9-1-1 Season 8, and we know very little about what we can expect.
If you’re like me, you’re addicted to social media (I’ll try to cut back on it one day), then the most speculation we get these days comes from the official 9-1-1 account on Instagram.
The content posted there gives us 118’s uniforms (what they might wear), bee curls, and Eddie’s mustache.
To say we are hungry for information would be an insult to dehydration.
While we now at least know what the early emergencies will be, we know nothing in terms of characters, and I have some thoughts on that.
Well, I at least have some ideas for one character.
Eddie Diaz had a rough time on 9-1-1 Season 7.
Everything seems normal to him as he becomes the father of a teenager and a new relationship with Marisol, who is almost a nun.
His relationship with his best friend Buck continues to develop, and the two quickly make up after a minor injury on the basketball court, with Buck confiding in him that this is his first time in a relationship with a man.
Addie’s past causes him and Marisol to have some minor issues when she sees a rosary and a cross in a dream.
Still, the two seem stronger than ever, even if Marisol ends up in and out of Eddie’s house over the expiration date of a tuna sandwich.
But Eddie’s life doesn’t last long as he meets Kim, a retail saleswoman who looks exactly like his dead wife.
What happens from that point on is like an episode from your grandma’s favorite soap opera, leading to Eddie being literally embraced passionately by his girlfriend and young son.
Christopher’s decision to leave Los Angeles and move to Texas to live with his grandparents has been a hot topic among fans.
Whether you understand the decision, are firmly against it, or hope it never happens, it’s going to be the driving force behind Eddie’s storyline in season eight.
As it should be.
Addressing Eddie’s behavior
Of course, 9-1-1 is an ensemble cast, so I wouldn’t expect them to give Eddie and Eddie a ton of time alone.
Still, it would have done a huge disservice to Eddie’s character if they hadn’t taken the time early in the season to hone in on what Eddie was doing through his relationship with Kim.
When it happened, Eddie knew it was a bad idea, but he was powerless to stop it.
He saw his second chance and jumped without thinking of the consequences.
Let Eddie dissect this decision, reflecting not only on why he couldn’t stop himself from pursuing Kim, but also on his relationship with Shannon and how he romanticized it.
We heard a lot of Eddie’s pain during his crazy exchange with Kim on 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 9, but let’s let Eddie further unravel with someone who wasn’t playing his dead wife His complex emotions.
Let’s get Eddie back in Frank’s office for some therapy.
Or join a grief counseling group where he can talk about things in a healthy way and begin to heal from all the “coulda, woulda, shouldas” that continue to plague him years after Shannon’s death.
Eddie needs to examine his feelings for Shannon 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 loses Frank’s number, I’m sure Bobby and Athena can find him on speed dial.
deal with consequences
Eddie screwed up, and he didn’t need anyone to tell him that.
Chris walked in on him and Kim, and for a kid with absolutely zero background, the experience was almost traumatic, and it would be something Chris would need to deal with on his own time.
In the end, Eddie didn’t have to let Christopher leave with his grandparents.
He was Christopher’s father and would have forbidden him from doing so if he didn’t want him to go and didn’t believe it was the right decision.
But Eddie sees that Christopher is traumatized, hurt, and most importantly, realizes that in his current state, he may not be the best person to have Christopher around.
The show does a great job of exploring that feeling – what it’s like to be a parent when your child feels hurt by your actions, whether intentional or not.
Of course, Eddie will want Christopher back, but hopefully they’ll take the time to let Eddie process Christopher’s absence and try to prove to Christopher and himself that he understands what happened and has progressed to do better.
Whether or not we agree with this storyline, Eddie’s decisions, or his parents’ role in it, the show is getting there.
They let Christopher go and now they have a chance to show parents how something like this affects parents and their relationships with their children.
Maybe this exact scenario isn’t relatable, but it is relatable to realize that your parents aren’t immune to letting you down.
Many times we see children in situations like this, and we have the opportunity to think about what it means for parents to realize what their actions have done to their children.
rely on those he loves
I’m still dealing with Eddie Diaz, who doesn’t come back to Christopher Diaz’s house after every shift, and Eddie will definitely struggle for a while on the bus, dealing with the quietness of an empty house.
When I spoke with Ryan Guzman and Eddie Dez himself after the Season 7 finale about handling Christopher’s absence, Guzman said of Eddie:
“He’s going to get lost. From what we know about Eddie, when he gets lost, hell ensues.
“So, I hope this is a new Eddie and we get to see a version of Eddie that’s more of a hopeful side and less of a dark side.”
9-1-1 loves to break people down and then build them back up again.
But it would be nice if Eddie could rely on people who care about him this time around as he deals with something new to him.
Ever since he enlisted, it had been almost always him and Christopher who had been together day in and day out.
Not having Christopher there will be different and likely difficult to handle.
Let’s be honest, it’s easy to give in to negativity when things are bad.
But Eddie had a core support system, Buck taking the lead, always willing to be there for him.
Hopefully Eddie won’t isolate himself – unlike his days fighting underground – but instead use the love and care of the family he has found to help him get through the challenging times.
Maybe he and Buck could have a lasagna dinner and the fire place could decide who made the better Italian dinner.
Or he and Chimney could join a bowling league.
Or maybe we could finally see the intimate scenes between Eddie and Maddie that we’ve been deprived of for six seasons.
Everyone has something to do, but they always make time for each other.
I’m glad to see Eddie support his people and get the same support in return.
Eddie moves forward
Of course, Eddie’s ultimate goal should be to move forward, but that’s easier said than done.
In his monologue to his doppelgänger, Eddie talks about what it feels like to be broken, and how there’s no rulebook that can tell you how to pick yourself back up when you’ve hit rock bottom.
But that doesn’t mean you stop trying.
I wanted to see Eddie deconstruct himself, compare who he thought he had to be to who he truly believed he was, and start tinkering with the parts of himself that he never took the time to fully examine.
From his childhood to his military service, his marriage, his brushes with death and his relationships, it’s time for Eddie to face some hard truths as a way to reconcile his past and move toward balance and A prosperous future.
For God’s sake, no more nihilistic relationships!
Free Eddie from the constraints of their effortless romantic entanglement!
Eddie deserves better! We deserve better!
Let this be a true season of growth, self-love, and discovery. Now it’s Eddie’s time to shine.
Okay, guys. Let me know in the comments what you want to see from Eddie this season!
Where do you think they’re going with Eddie’s new look.
9-1-1 returns to ABC Thursday, September 26 at 8/7c!
