911 fans now have a better idea of the real reason why Eddie Diaz (at least temporarily) exited the hit series.
Having been a series regular since his introduction in Season 2, Ryan Guzman's Eddie Diaz has been a staple for the 911 and quickly became a fan-favorite. From his endearing friendship with Buck (who went through his own major change in 911 Season 7) to his family troubles, his journey has been quite the roller-coaster.
Season 8 added a new wrinkle to Eddie's story as 911's plot led him to make an unceremonious exit to Texas for the time being. And while this has not made fans the happiest in his absence, new insight on the decision is still being shared.
Is Eddie Really Leaving 911?
Speaking with The Wrap, 911 star Ryan Guzman shared new thoughts on Eddie Diaz's recent exit from the series.
As had previously been teased by 911 showrunner Tim Minear, Guzman made it clear that Eddie's son, Christopher, is his biggest motivation for moving. His character will do anything to "[salvage] the relationship between him and his son," even if it means moving halfway across the country:
"But as far as Eddie goes, Eddie has got one thing on his mind and one thing only, and that’s salvaging the relationship between him and his son. And then stepping back into the role of being a father and not allowing his parents to do too much of that for him."
Thankfully, through their recent communication, the two have "gotten some breakthroughs" as Eddie feels "there is some progression" for their relationship. Now, instead of having to start from scratch, the loving father hopes to show his son that "he can be the dad he promised:"
"Through the FaceTimes they’ve done, he’s gotten some breakthroughs. He gets a smile every now and then he gets Christopher to talk to him, and it seems like there is some progression. So when he comes back to Texas, he isn’t having to fight off this memory of Christopher just thinking about the ghost of his dead mother. It’s more reintegrating his life with Christopher and showing that he can be the dad he promised."
As for Eddie's relationship with Buck (his best friend), Guzman made it clear that fans will be "seeing a lot of Buck and Eddie being each other’s sounding board" in upcoming episodes:
"They’re best friends, like my best friends I talk to every single day, if not every other day. But they stay in touch all the time. You’re going to be seeing a lot of Buck and Eddie being each other’s sounding board."
For those worried Eddie will be gone for good, Guzman hoped to reassure them that the "end goal is to get Eddie back to the 118" after his brief stint in the Lone Star State:
"We will be in Texas for a bit. The end goal is to get Eddie back to the 118, but we’ll see what happens..."
When Will Eddie Return to 911?
Although Eddie's exit from 911 has been a major talking point through most of Season 8, these quotes and past interviews seem to indicate Guzman is far from done with this role.
Interestingly, this move is happening simultaneously with Maddie Buckley's exit scare in a recent 911 episode, one which put her life in jeopardy. While it seems unlikely Eddie will rush back to Southern California to help his best friend's sister, that assault is sure to have an impact on him when he hears about it.
The biggest question in this story is the young Christopher, who went to Texas to live with his grandparents after catching his father cheating on his girlfriend with a woman who looked like his late mother. This sent him into a major downward spiral and threw a major wrench into his relationship with his father in late Season 7.
For now, there is no telling how long it will take for Eddie to repair his relationship with his son, meaning he could be in Texas for much of the remaining part of Season 8.
Of course, this is only one of numerous storylines the cast of 911 Season 8 has handled the past few months, including a temporary change in leadership at the 118. With a few weeks of stories still left, anticipation will be high to see whether the Diaz family will be reunited in Season 8 or if it is held back for Season 9.
New episodes of 911 debut on ABC on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET and can be streamed the next day on Hulu.
