Warning: SPOILERS for 9-1-1 season 8, episode 9.9-1-1 has confirmed Eddie is going to Texas, but the end of season 8, episode 9 left me suspicious about Buck's feelings. Ryan Guzman and Oliver Stark have portrayed Eddie and Buck since 9-1-1 season 2, with their close friendship oftentimes feeling like the most intimate relationship either character has. Unfortunately, Eddie's relationship with his son, Christopher (Gavin McHugh), is much more strained following 9-1-1 season 7's finale. Now that the father is planning on moving to Texas to reconnect with his son, there's nobody to blame for Eddie's 9-1-1 exit except for himself.
For all the intense disasters in 9-1-1 that the 118 responds to, it's often the internal conflicts that leave a lasting impact on the long-running procedural. Just as Eddie is in turmoil over his son living in Texas, Buck will soon be left alone to confront his emotions about Eddie leaving. Though Buck tries to convince Eddie, the audience, and even himself that he's happy about Eddie moving to Texas, his reasoning reveals the harsh truth about Eddie's departure that 9-1-1 season 9 might explore: There's no place like home, but Eddie's home isn't Texas.
Buck's Explanation Why He's Happy That Eddie Is Moving In 9-1-1 Season 8 Is Wrong
Texas Was Never Eddie's Real Home
Eddie and Christopher's tense relationship is at the forefront of the story in 9-1-1 season 8 from the premiere, but nothing comes of it until the mid-season finale when Eddie admits to Buck he's thinking about moving to Texas. 9-1-1 season 8, episode 9 turns that possibility into a certainty, as the narrative focuses on Eddie's search for a renter for his home. Buck initially lashes out by adopting a stray in this episode, but the dog's true family takes him away. Buck connects that experience to Eddie's exit, telling his best friend:
"When [the dog] jumped into her arms, I wasn't sad. I was happy. Cause he was going back to where he belongs. And that's why I'm happy for you. Cause you're going back to where you belong. With Christopher."
While it's indisputable that Eddie belongs in Christopher's life, Texas is far from the best place for them to reconcile. One of Eddie's first near-death experiences in 9-1-1 came in his backstory episode, "Eddie Begins" (season 3, episode 15). The harrowing episode, taken in conjunction with everything Eddie has said about his life in Texas, proves that Eddie's bad memories of his hometown far outweigh the good in 9-1-1. Along with explaining why Eddie's late wife left him, "Eddie Begins" illustrates the full extent of the emotional manipulation done by Eddie's parents (which is now more relevant than ever).
Eddie Belongs Where He & Christopher Can Live Peacefully, And That Isn't Texas
His Found Family Is Better Than His Real Family
Eddie's parents, Helena (Paula Marshall) and Ramon (George DelHoyo), are arguably just as bad as Buck's, with their missteps affecting Eddie far into adulthood. 9-1-1 established that Ramon instilled a sense of toxic masculinity in Eddie at a young age, forcing him to be "the man of the house" before he was a man at all. While Ramon had the decency to admit he was wrong, Helena instead guilt trips Eddie at every possible opportunity, including the 9-1-1 season 7 finale, when Helena convinces Eddie to let them take Christopher to Texas.
Rather than being concerned about their son, Helena and Ramon manipulate Eddie while he's in a vulnerable state and show no sympathy as he struggles with his son living in Texas. Christopher might be too young to fully understand the situation, but Helena and Ramon's ulterior motives mean Eddie doesn't have a fighting chance to fix his relationship with Christopher unless they're far away from interference. One good consequence of Eddie's 9-1-1 exit could hopefully be him finally confronting his parents for failing him. Compared to the healthy found family Eddie has in the 118, Helena and Ramon are toxic.
It's Actually Good That Buck Is Wrong About Eddie
It's Only A Matter Of Time Until Eddie Realizes It, Too
Since it seems obvious to viewers that Eddie doesn't belong in Texas, I'm optimistic that 9-1-1 will swiftly have Eddie (and Buck, for that matter) come to the same realization. Aside from more abstract reasons to return to LA, like Eddie and Buck's possible romance in 9-1-1, California is where Eddie and Christopher truly belong. The dramatic shift Eddie will experience when he goes to Texas should serve as a wake-up call to what he really wants in life and, more importantly, what he doesn't want for himself and his child.
9-1-1 season 8 may have an Eddie replacement set up, but it's a temporary solution at best. Eddie is an integral part of the 118, and the team is reciprocally irreplaceable in Eddie's life. After a stretch of time in Texas, Eddie will almost certainly understand the importance of his life in California and come home to LA with Christopher at his side. 9-1-1 still has to craft a satisfying resolution to their dispute, but Eddie, Christopher, and Buck are an inevitable family unit that will be reunited in time.
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