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Tim Minear, you’re keeping us on the edge of our seats!
Warning: Major spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 9, Episode 17 below.
The episode titled “I Got You Babe” from 9-1-1 Season 9 was a whirlwind of emotions. It brought Buck (Oliver Stark) face-to-face with his biological son Theo, following the tragic death of Theo’s parents in a car crash. The drama didn’t stop there; an intense ICE raid at the hospital added to the chaos, culminating in a shocking moment when Detective Hooks (Josh Stamberg) shot Athena (Angela Bassett) just as the episode concluded.
As viewers were left reeling from Athena’s cliffhanger and the uncertainty surrounding Bassett’s role in the series, the preview for the season finale ramped up the tension even further. The teaser hinted at a dire situation for Eddie (Ryan Guzman), suggesting his life might be in jeopardy.
Will Eddie meet his end in the climactic finale of 9-1-1 Season 9? And does this mean Ryan Guzman could be exiting the show? Here’s why fans are deeply concerned about Eddie’s fate after the gripping teaser for Episode 18.
Does Eddie Die In 9-1-1‘s Season 9 Finale? Is Ryan Guzman Leaving 9-1-1?
After Eddie and the 118 rushed Athena to the hospital following the shooting, the Season 9 finale teaser revealed that there’s an active shooter in the hospital and the building goes on lockdown. We see a deeply concerned Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Chimney (Kenneth Choi) trying to manage the dangerous situation, but crucially, we see Eddie, covered in blood and clutching his side as he bangs on the button of an elevator. Then we cut to Athena in surgery and the teaser shows a machine flatlining, but it’s not clear exactly who is having a brush with death in that moment.
From the looks of it, Eddie gets shot while the hospital is on lockdown. So now his life and Athena’s life are in danger. So does Eddie die?! Is Ryan Guzman leaving 9-1-1?! Unfortunately, there’s no way to know for sure until we watch the episode, but I’ll give the same argument I gave when considering Athena’s fate.
I, for one, can’t imagine 9-1-1 killing another core character this soon after Bobby’s death. Doing that to viewers? The 118? CHRISTOPHER?! Buck?! Again, it’s downright diabolical. That said, I and many other fans never imagined the show without Bobby, so never say never on 9-1-1.
Even so, it’s no secret that Guzman adores this show! When chatting with DECIDER ahead of his 100th episode earlier this season, the 9-1-1 star told DECIDER, “I say this all the time. I’m living in gratitude. I wake up almost on a daily now and just thank God. I’m just like, ‘Whatever I did to get this, thank you. And let’s keep it going.’”
It doesn’t sound like Guzman would want to voluntarily depart the series, and based on my last interview with co-creator/showrunner Tim Minear, it doesn’t sound like he would want Eddie to leave either!
Following Season 9, Episode 13, Minear told DECIDER that Guzman’s character will “for sure” have lighter moments ahead. (Clearly, this isn’t one of them!!!! So I’m choosing to assume more lie ahead!)
“I want that for him, because Ryan is really funny. [He and Eddie] both are,” Minear explained. “I really loved it when Eddie did the Risky Business dance, when he had a funny mustache, and even that scene in Episode 12 when he comes in with the mug and says ‘Explain.’ That eyebrow goes up, and he’s hilarious.”
From Eddie’s professional life and fatherhood to a romance and beyond, it’s clear that there are so many more stories to explore for the character, and for Guzman as an actor. Eddie plays a crucial role in the series, Buck would be LOST without him, and Christopher needs his dad! We’ve quite literally seen Eddie survive a bullet before, so I simply have to believe he will pull through this time! That said, I’m still going to stress over Eddie and Athena for a straight week now! Thanks, Tim!