9-1-1: Why Eddie Diaz’s Relationship With Christopher Will Never Be The Same After His Affair

Summary

• Eddie Diaz has several romantic relationships in 9-1-1, but the most important person in his life is his son, Christopher.
• Eddie finds a doppelganger of his late wife in Kim, leading to an emotional affair.
• Christopher moves to Texas after discovering Eddie’s infidelity, impacting their bond.

Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) has had a few relationships in 9-1-1, but the one with his son Christopher (Gavin McHugh) may be his most important. One of Ryan Murphy’s more successful TV shows, 9-1-1 follows the first responders in the Los Angeles metro. Eddie Diaz is a firefighter and paramedic who first appeared in season 2, episode 1, “Under Pressure”. A veteran of Afghanistan, Eddie is dependable, not easily shaken, and quick-thinking. However, he’s also very guarded, opening up to very few people in the first season he appears.

Over his time on 9-1-1, Eddie has had several relationships. He dated Ana (Gabrielle Walsh) in seasons 3-5, and later moved on to Marisol (Edy Ganem). However, Eddie’s most significant romantic relationship is with Shannon (Devin Kelley), his late wife who passed away at the end of season 2. Though Eddie and Shannon weren’t shown together for much of 9-1-1, they had a deep bond and shared a son, Christopher. Christopher and Eddie have a close relationship, but Eddie’s actions in season 7 threaten that.

Eddie Diaz Has An Emotional Affair With Kim In 9-1-1 Season 7

Kim Looks Exactly Like Eddie’s Late Wife, Shannon

Despite seemingly having a strong relationship with Marisol, Eddie begins an emotional affair with a woman named Kim (also played by Devin Kelley), a doppelgänger for his deceased wife. In season 7, episode 7, “Ghosts of a Second Chance”, Eddie walks by a department store and is stunned to see that the woman working there looks just like Shannon, albeit with a different haircut and color. Eddie goes in to talk with her and ends up taking her out to dinner later that episode.

Four seasons after Shannon’s death, Eddie still can’t get past her and is willing to endanger a good relationship for this new one.

Kim appears again in episode 9, “Ashes, Ashes”, where she and Eddie are again on a date. Eddie confesses to Kim why he’s interested in her, and Kim is shocked to see how much she resembles Shannon. At first, Kim is disappointed about being led on but later comes to visit Eddie with her hair cut to match Shannon’s so that Eddie can get closure by talking to her. Four seasons after Shannon’s death, Eddie is still grieving and he’s willing to endanger a good relationship for this new one.

Shannon asked for a divorce from Eddie the day before she died, complicating his feelings for her.

Ryan Guzman told The Wrap that he finds the relationship a critical part of Eddie’s story and can understand why he would do what he did,

“What do you do when you see the exact replica of your dead wife? What other reaction can you have other than literally stopping and staring, like, ‘Can this be?’ And then to hear her voice? It’s like, ‘Oh, my god, is this God giving me a second chance?’ It’s these kinds of things that play in his head to justify stepping out on Marisol. If there’s no truth behind it, then it just seems like he’s cheating for no reason. But the truth is, this is a one-in-of-a-trillion chance that this could happen, and it happened. I think his body and his mind are not synced and they’re just kind of going with the flow, and he’s just following them.”

In Guzman’s mind, Eddie is almost not in control because this is such an impossible coincidence. But Guzman also acknowledges that Eddie isn’t perfect and can make mistakes too,

“He’s a very stand-up guy, he’s a one-woman man. It’s an opportunity to see that no, he’s not Captain America, he is somebody that needs some help, just just like we all do.”

Christopher Moves Back To Texas After Eddie’s Affair Comes Out

Eddie Lets Christopher Go, Knowing It’s For The Best

Unfortunately, impossible event or not, Eddie and Kim’s meeting is crashed by Christoper and Marisol. Christopher innocently, and tragically, asks if his mom is back. Christopher is understandably devastated and locks himself in his room in the 9-1-1 season 7 finale. He goes a step further and calls his grandparents back in Texas and asks to live with them for the summer. Despite Eddie not liking the idea, he acquiesces.

Guzman has a sad but real observation about the new relationship between Eddie and Christopher, telling THR,

“I think there is a full acknowledgement that Eddie is not the best part of Christopher’s life anymore, that he does not offer the best and healthiest version for Christopher anymore. That’s not only crushing to Eddie, but now the acceptance of that fact is something that I don’t think Eddie has really leaned into [yet]. We will explore it in season eight.”

Christopher seeing his dad cheat on his girlfriend is one way to break the spell between father and son, but to do it with someone who looks exactly like Christopher’s mother is a whole other issue. It’s difficult for someone as young as Christopher to wrap his head around that situation, so it makes sense for him to leave for now. Hopefully, this will give Eddie the chance to decide what it is he really wants in 9-1-1 season 8, whether it’s moving forward with Marisol, or accepting this sign he’s found with Kim.

Summary Eddie Diaz has several romantic relationships in 9-1-1, but the most important person in his life is his son, Christopher. Eddie finds a doppelganger of his late wife in Kim, leading to an emotional affair. Christopher moves to Texas after discovering Eddie’s infidelity, impacting their bond. Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) has had a few…