'9-1-1' star opens up on near-death experience in Season 9 finale: 'Keeps us on...'
Ryan Guzman's Eddie Diaz barely survived the finale of ABC's flagship procedural drama. The episode, 'Hearts and Flowers,' surprised fans with unexpected twists and turns as Athena fought for her life in the hospital while Eddie encountered an assassin who almost took him out. The firefighter-paramedic was brutally stabbed in an attempt to apprehend him, and despite succeeding, he had to fight for his life. Thankfully, he was rescued in time, confirming the character's return in the upcoming season. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ryan Guzman revealed he has grown accustomed to the uncertainty that comes with the role. "We get these production packets, so we never get a full script, really. It always keeps us on the edge of our seats," he said. "The show always throws curveballs at us, and we’ve become used to it after nine seasons of adjusting to it."
In the penultimate episode, Athena led a police raid on a human trafficking ring. Major Crimes detective Ben Hooks, who was in bed with the criminals, shot Athena in a desperate attempt to cover up his involvement. Though Athena survived, Anatoly Caster decided to avenge his father, Nikolay Caster, the mastermind of the criminal enterprise. He showed up at the hospital with a gun to kill Athena, who was already fighting for her life. He heard Eddie comment on his father, "The one silver lining is that the ba***rd that did this is already dead." Anatoly followed him and stabbed him in the abdomen. Eddie somehow managed to claw his way to the elevator, only to get stuck when a nurse initiated a hospital-wide lockdown. Thankfully, when Anatoly was arrested, Buck realized that one of their own was MIA, and the firefighter was rescued.
Over the years, the character has been seriously injured multiple times. He was shot by a sniper while trying to rescue a victim in Season 4. Police procedural shows are known to kill off their characters unexpectedly, especially in finales. During last season's finale, the lead character, Captain Bobby Nash, portrayed by Peter Krause, sacrificed his own life to save a fellow officer. Fans feared that either Athena or Eddie would not survive the last episode, but the writers decided to have mercy on the characters. Fans can tune in to ABC to watch the next chapter in their lives when the show returns.
