9-1-1’s Eddie told his fellow firefighters in season 5’s midseason finale that he plans to leave the 118 and as such, Ryan Guzman’s future on the show is a bit uncertain. With Eddie having been a long-time character on the show, his absence will leave a void in his wake, but it’s hard to tell what Eddie’s announcement really means. However, despite leaving the 188, this may not mean that Ryan Guzman will be leaving 9-1-1 altogether.
The first responders on 9-1-1 have been through a lot. Eddie served in Afghanistan prior to becoming a firefighter with the 118. When his wife left him and his son Christopher, who has cerebral palsy, to take care of her mother who has a rare form of cancer, and his double-duty as a firefighter and father proved to often be a challenge for him. For Eddie, by 9-1-1 season 5, the task of staying alive in a dangerous job and taking care of his son was wearing thin on him, which undoubtedly contributed to his decision.
Eddie knows that the best thing he can do for Christopher is to stay alive. This is the crux of his decision to leave the 118. However, Eddie has been a fixture on 9-1-1 since season 2, and given his interesting story, it seems as though the show could be setting up Guzman to remain on the show even if his character isn’t in the 118. Guzman himself, despite his character arc, has not declared that he will be leaving the show, and has even made oblique references about his future involvement. This suggests that Eddie may well remain central to 9-1-1, despite leaving the 118.
Given the narrative thus far, it does make sense for Eddie to leave the 118. However, if Eddie were to exit 9-1-1 entirely the growth his character has shown over the course of the show would be for nothing. There still is a lot to Eddie’s storyline that should be explored, like how leaving his position would affect his abilities to be a more present father for his son. Such a choice would be a refreshing change of pace for the show, which is often so focused on the job of being a first responder. That said, it is possible that Guzman is being removed from the show due to something he may have said on social media.
When Eddie announced that he would be leaving the 118, there was speculation that the creators were writing him out of the show due to Guzman’s use of racial slurs on his social media. However, Guzman recently posted a picture of himself as Eddie in his 9-1-1 costume on his Instagram in December of 2021 saying that “Stage 4” of his character is coming soon followed by four cryptic emojis that may represent his character’s backstory (via Instagram). The first emoji is of an army helmet, which could be a nod to his character’s tours in Afghanistan. The second emoji is of a medal, which could maybe represent the silver star he received or possibly even the St. Christopher medallion Shannon had given him. The third is of a fire truck, probably referencing his time in the 118. The fourth and final emoji is of a bird, but it’s a little unclear what that could mean for his character. The takeaway is: there is a Stage 4 to his character, and hopefully all will be revealed in the second half of 9-1-1 season 5. It is at least unlikely that he would be replaced like other 9-1-1 characters have been in the show.
To be clear, Guzman has not announced that he is leaving 9-1-1. His character, Eddie, has simply announced that he is leaving the 118. Regardless of what the future holds for Guzman’s character, some definitive answers in season 5 are certainly in order and soon fans won’t be left wondering if Eddie is gone for good.