‘9-1-1’ Season 9 Finale Puts Eddie Diaz in Danger But Ryan Guzman Is Not Leaving
Few network dramas have embraced high-stakes chaos quite like ‘9-1-1’, the ABC procedural crafted by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear. Since its premiere on Fox in 2018 and subsequent move to ABC in Season 7, the show has established itself as a reliable Thursday night staple. Season 9, however, has pushed this formula to its limits, delivering a series of gut-wrenching moments that left fans uncertain about who would emerge unscathed.
The penultimate episode of Season 9 concluded with Athena (Angela Bassett) being shot by a corrupt detective named Hooks during what he claimed was a raid on a mob house. With Bobby’s recent death still fresh, the thought of losing another major character heading into the finale felt genuinely heartbreaking for loyal viewers. The episode left fans bracing for a season finale that would likely require tissues from the very start.
Then the promo for the Season 9 finale, titled ‘Hearts and Flowers,’ dropped, revealing that Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) was also in peril, as ominous footage showed him bleeding out and struggling to operate a hospital elevator. In the actual episode, Eddie was indeed bleeding out in that elevator after being stabbed by an assassin sent to eliminate Athena and anyone who stood in the way of the trafficking ring central to the season’s plot. For a character who had already spent much of Season 9 sidelined in Texas, it felt like the show was setting the stage for something permanent.
Fortunately, Eddie was found and saved after the Athena situation was resolved. Showrunner Tim Minear explained that this moment was crafted to conclude the season’s villain arc while also addressing a key aspect of Eddie’s internal journey throughout the year. By the end of the finale’s time jump, both Eddie and Athena had fully recovered, Athena had been promoted to detective, and Buck had officially become the legal guardian of Theo, setting the stage for a significant storyline in Season 10.
However, the real drama surrounding Eddie this season has revolved less around in-universe threats and more about whether Ryan Guzman plans to leave the role. Speculation intensified after Guzman shared an Instagram Story from the Fox lot at the Season 8 wrap, stating, ‘Eddie Diaz, signing out.’ This sparked concern among fans, who feared for their favorite character’s fate. It turned out to be a farewell to the filming location itself, as Disney decided not to renew its lease on the Fox lot, moving all productions, including ‘9-1-1’, to Burbank.
Sources have confirmed to Deadline that Guzman is expected to remain with the ABC drama and is not leaving, with the actor seemingly playing into the conspiracy theories circulating on social media rather than indicating any real departure. Fans on Reddit and other platforms noted that Guzman had already been sharing updates about Season 10 filming, further confirming that Eddie Diaz is very much part of the 118’s future. With the show preparing for its tenth season and a new spinoff, ‘9-1-1: Nashville’, expanding the franchise, the universe has never felt more vibrant.
After enduring everything ‘9-1-1’ threw at him this season, from exile in Texas to a near-fatal stabbing in a hospital corridor, Eddie Diaz appears to be here for the long haul. Given how close fans came to losing him in ‘Hearts and Flowers’, where do you think the writers should take Eddie’s story in Season 10?