In 9-1-1 season 5, episode 6, "Brawl in Cell Block 9-1-1", Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) helped an escaped convict even after being held hostage. The Fox procedural's fifth season continued the show's tradition of intense, high-octane plots, with the crew of the 118 trapped in a prison riot. The roller coaster of an episode had the firefighter make what might seem like a surprising choice, but it made sense in the context of the show's themes.
Executive produced by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear, 9-1-1 season 5 started strong with a three-episode arc covering a citywide blackout. Storylines so far have included a criminal Athena caught escaping and kidnapping her son. Eddie also broke up with his girlfriend Ana, who he'd begun dating at the end of season 4, a difficult decision for him because of how much his son, Christopher, liked her. Continuing with season 5, the team was tense due to the absence of Chimney and Maddy.
9-1-1 season 5, episode 6 had the crew of the 118 respond to fires started in a prison riot. Prisoners disguised as guards took Buck, Eddie, and the ambulance hostage. One of the prisoners, Mitchell Trent (guest star Mark Pellegrino), orchestrated the escape to help his son Nolan, who needed a heart transplant. He wanted to donate his heart after he died, but California law wouldn't allow it. When Eddie learned his story, he promised he would fight for Mitch's son as hard as he would for his own son. After Mitch died, he kept his promise and helped make sure his heart was donated to Nolan. Eddie helped him because, despite the convict's terrible actions, he identified with the desire to help his son and the feeling of not having done enough.
Eddie and Christopher's relationship has been central to the show since they joined the cast at the start of 9-1-1 season 2. After Chris was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Eddie signed up for another deployment in the Army because he didn't know how to handle the situation. When he returned and Christopher's mother left, he fought to keep Christopher with him and make up for the lost time. Because of these experiences, he understood Mitch's motives and the feeling of trying to balance the scales. His promise wasn't a lie made in an attempt to escape but a genuine recognition of the escaped convict's situation.
The theme of parents and children has been consistently present throughout 9-1-1's run. In addition to Eddie and Christopher, season 5 has also shown Athena struggling to help her son after the kidnapping and Maddie leaving because she didn't feel like she could take care of her daughter. Past seasons have echoed similar themes of parents figuring out how to do right by their children and feeling like they've let them down. For example, Bobby lost his children in a fire he felt responsible for, and Hen almost had her son taken away after she was unfaithful to her wife. Nobody questioned Eddie's promise or was confused about his motives, and instead, they rallied around him and the convict's son. The other characters did everything they could to help Nolan because they also understood why Eddie wanted to help. They know the feeling of needing to atone or try to balance the scales to make things right.
Eddie's choice fits perfectly with the story 9-1-1 has been telling over the last five seasons. It showed that he stills worries about doing enough for Christopher and identifies with another father struggling to do the right thing. The fact that he didn't just think about saving himself but about helping the convict's son showed Eddie's strong values and that he is still thinking about whether or not he's done enough for Christopher.