9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear has some answers that confirmed fans' suspicions about Eddie's looming departure from Firehouse 118 in Los Angeles.
9-1-1 Season 8's midseason premiere confirmed that the series is saying goodbye to fan-favorite character Eddie Diaz after he let the team know that he will soon move to another state for his family.
Eddie's decision shocks the rest of the team, specifically his best friend Buck, but the pair eventually sort everything out to prepare for his upcoming exit.
Did Ryan Guzman's Eddie Leave 911? Texas Move Explained
One of the central storylines of 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 9 revolves around Eddie's firm decision to move to Texas to be closer to his son, Christopher.
This means that he will leave his team at Firehouse 118 in Los Angeles behind for a new opportunity to become a first responder in Texas while being a great father to Christopher.
However, Eddie's departure from Los Angeles doesn't entirely mean that his time in the show will be over.
As fans have long suspected, 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear confirmed that Eddie's storyline in Texas will be featured on-screen, telling ScreenRant that Christopher is aware of his dad's upcoming move while also sharing that the pair will be seen together on-screen at some point in Season 8:
ScreenRant: "Is Christopher aware that Eddie is coming to Texas?"
Tim Minear: "If Eddie's going to take the time to put a down payment down in a house near his parents' house, yeah. Christopher knows Eddie's coming. Christopher's still living with Eddie's parents."
ScreenRant: "Will we see the Christopher and Eddie storyline in Texas onscreen?"
Tim Minear: "Yes, you will."
It remains to be seen when exactly Eddie will move to Texas in 9-1-1 Season 8, considering that he told Captain Bobby Nash in the midseason premiere that he will need time to do so since he needs to sort everything out first in Los Angeles before moving forward.
Still, Minear said in the same interview that Eddie's move will not happen yet at the end of Season 8, Episode 10, with him only teasing that "changes are in the air" for all the characters in the second half of the intense two-part midseason premiere:
ScreenRant: "Last time we spoke, you said that everyone's lives would be changed by the end of Episode 10. Is that in regard to a certain storyline?"
Tim Minear: "No, really all I meant was that they're all going to go through something big. Changes are in the air for all the characters on some level and there will be changes happening throughout the rest of the season."
Season 8's midseason premiere established the idea that there is a lot going on in Eddie's mind as he contemplates leaving his friends behind.
In an interview with Hello Magazine, Ryan Guzman admitted that "everything's been kind of up in the air" on whether or not Eddie will remain in Texas or return to Los Angeles:
"Everything's been kind of up in the air. Understanding where the character's going and not having an idea of where it might lead has [left me] kind of anxiety ridden because I have no clue how long Eddie stays in Texas, or what happens in Texas."
The 9-1-1 fan-favorite then teased that showrunner Tim Minear is "cooking something up" for Eddie as the series enters its second wave of episodes:
"I remember giving a call to Tim Minear and asking him if I'm still gonna be on the show this season [laughs]. And he said, 'No worries, don't worry, I got something.' He's cooking something up. You play into the uncertainty of it and it helps out with the character building and allows the scenes to be a little bit more authentic, 'cause there is some sense of ambiguity."
At the end of 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 9, Buck finally accepts Eddie's decision to move to Texas, with him even volunteering to be the one to sublet his apartment while he's gone.
While fans are asking if Eddie's move is final, Minear is tight-lipped when he spoke to TV Line, with him only saying, "The question is, 'will he come back?' I’m not promising that he will."
Will Eddie Return to Los Angeles in 9-1-1 Season 8?
At this point, Eddie's move to Texas appears to be final, but Tim Minear's quotes about his departure may suggest that he could return to Los Angeles and become a firefighter again for Firehouse 118.
It's possible that Christopher and Eddie will have an honest talk about their father-son dynamic, and it could even lead for them to return to Los Angeles together in the final stretch of 9-1-1 Season 8.
Doing this could propel Eddie's storyline with Christopher to greater heights while also retaining the original squad of Firehouse 118 once he decides to make his way back to Los Angeles.
Following 9-1-1 Lone Star's cancellation, some characters from the spin-off could even appear in a guest role capacity to give Eddie some helpful advice about the right decision that he needs to make.
Still, this won't mean that the father-son relationship will be fixed easily. Being in Texas could allow Eddie to have some sense of realization that he is a perfect fit for Los Angeles.
The next episode of 9-1-1 Season 8 will premiere on ABC this Thursday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET and can be streamed the next day on Hulu.
