9-1-1 star Ryan Guzman, who portrays Eddie on the show, teased Christopher’s absence in season 8 following the shocking conclusion to season 7. The 9-1-1 season 7 finale saw Christopher go live with his grandparents, a willing decision after learning his father was starting to cheat on Marisol with Kim. This sets the stage for the next batch of episodes, with Eddie now alone following his decision and needing to wrestle with what he’s done.
Speaking with TVLine about the season 7 finale, Guzman explained how Christopher’s absence in 9-1-1 season 8 would impact Eddie moving forward. While it seems his son will return at some point in the upcoming season, his initial absence will force the firefighter to wrestle with his decisions and what he needs to do from here to make up for them. Check out what Guzman had to say below:
That was a very difficult scene. My real life started to bleed into my acting and I became focused on how I would say this to my son. How am I going to show my son that what is about to happen is going to hurt me beyond belief? But how can I also stay strong for him and allow him to follow through with his decision? It was a lot.
I know for sure that in the first episode [of Season 8], we likely won’t see Eddie and Christopher together. My hope is that Eddie has a good portion of time without Christopher, which would allow him the opportunity to find new structure, maybe rework who he is a little bit and find new textures of life for him.
How Christopher Leaving Set Up Eddie’s 9-1-1 Season 8 Story
Eddie’s loyalty to Marisol has been a key factor throughout season 7, with his cheating on her being the ultimate betrayal that ends with Christopher’s decision to leave. There is now a rift of trust between father and son that Eddie needs to repair, something that isn’t going to be easy for him to do. With Guzman confirming 9-1-1 season 8 will begin with him and his son still separated, it seems there will be plenty of character growth for him in the upcoming episodes.
While it’s unclear how Eddie is going to change in the upcoming season, it’s possible he’ll try and be honest and repair his relationship with Marisol as a first order of business. While it’s unclear if their relationship could continue, his honesty can still be part of his healing process. He would need to confess and explain why he started seeing Kim, and how much she reminded him of his late wife Shannon. The process would no doubt be heartbreaking, but it would also be a necessity for him to mature and repair his relationship with Christopher.
Although Christopher leaving is a heartbreaking conclusion to 9-1-1 season 7, it’s also an important moment of development for Eddie, who will now need to approach the future with a greater sense of maturity than ever before. Given how important the father and son are to each other, their relationship is bound to be repaired sometime during season 8. However, the path of healing will take a long time to walk down, something both will need to steel themselves for in the future.
