Yahoo News 9-1-1′s Ryan Guzman Reacts to [Spoiler]’s Return and Eddie’s Betrayal: ‘He’s Weaving a Dangerous Web’
9-1-1 fans may not look at Eddie Diaz the same way after Thursday’s episode. In fact, Ryan Guzman is counting on it.
“Since I came on in Season 2, it was like, OK, he’s a Boy Scout. He’s Captain America. What is wrong about this guy? Let’s find that and start digging at it,” Guzman tells TVLine. “When any of these types of storylines come up, I’m like, yes, here we go. Now we get to destroy him a little bit, show some of his flaws.”
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One such “flaw” is Eddie’s decision to cheat on Marisol with a familiar-looking saleswoman who caught his eye while he was literally still in the middle of a date. Real classy. The twist, of course, is that this other woman is being played by Devin Kelley (aka the same actress who plays Eddie’s late wife Shannon). Eddie’s gradual pursuit of Kelley’s new, blonde character is juxtaposed with memories of his life with Shannon, something he desperately misses.
“All of us were a little shocked,” Guzman says of Kelley’s return in this new role, but he’s looking forward to what’s coming next for Eddie. Not only is he thrilled to be working with Kelley again, but he’s excited for fans to see Eddie “trying to navigate something that goes against every bit of his morals.”
Read our full Q&A with Guzman below, which includes more of his thoughts on Eddie’s budding affair and his future (or lack thereof) with Marisol. Naturally, we also discuss Eddie and Buck’s deleted karaoke scene from last week’s wedding episode, because we’re still not over that getting cut.
Once you’ve finished, drop a comment with your own reactions to Eddie’s affair with Not-Shannon, along with any of the episode’s other twists — including your theories about Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s character’s connection to Bobby.
TVLINE | I remember speaking with Tim Minear about Shannon’s appearance in the premiere. He said he’d take any excuse to bring back Devin Kelley, and I had no idea just how far he would take that.
[Laughs] Yeah, he took it really far this time. All of us were a little shocked, and we were like, “How does this make sense? Make this make sense, please.” And he did!
TVLINE | It took me a minute to recognize Devin with the blonde hair. Did she feel like a different character to you?
I mean, I hadn’t seen Devon in forever, even in passing that one time while she played the ghost of Shannon. But the hair was definitely different. I just love that woman so much. She’s such an incredible actress, and playing opposite of her is a breath of fresh air, so I was super happy to see her.
TVLINE | You probably figured you’d never work again after they killed her off.
Yes, and I was so angry. That was three or four seasons of me asking all the writers, “Why did you do that? Can you bring her back?” And now here we are.
TVLINE | What was your first thought about this twist?
I believe Tim called me, as he often does to tell us what’s going to happen with our characters, and I believe my words were: “Oh my God, I love that.” It was something I didn’t see coming. I don’t think anybody is going to see it coming. But to watch it unfold, and to see the words jump off the page and come to life, and to be in the middle of it, it was just like — yeah, this was always supposed to happen. I’ve been having a lot of fun with what he’s been writing for me.
TVLINE | When Tim calls you for a talk like that, are you ever worried? Like Eddie might be getting shot again or something?
[Laughs] I would be lying if I said that I don’t have PTSD from that. But I think Eddie’s been shot enough. He’s like 50 Cent at this point, he’s got four holes in him. I would say that 99% of the time when I get a call from Tim, I’m like, OK, something good is coming up. There’s going to be some incredible twist in Eddie’s life.
TVLINE | Marisol and Eddie are exclusive, right? Sleeping with another woman behind her back is quite a breach of trust.
Yeah, this is going be something brand new for Eddie, and it’s going to show a completely different side of him to the audience. I don’t know how the audience is going to take any of this, but it’s going to be a conflict of character in so many different areas of Eddie’s life. But yeah, Eddie and Marisol are supposed to be [exclusive]. They got past the whole nun thing, they’re not going to move in together, they’re going take things slow, she’s hanging around his kid — he’s weaving a very dangerous web.
TVLINE | Did you ever think Eddie was the type to have an affair? I don’t want to call him a Boy Scout, but he’s… kind of a Boy Scout.
This is definitely a surprise, but I’m here for all of those kinds of antics. That’s been my thing since I came on in Season 2. It was like, OK, he’s a Boy Scout. He’s Captain America. What is wrong about this guy? Let’s find that and start digging at it. So when any of these types of storylines come up, I’m like, “Yes, here we go.” Now we get to destroy him a little bit, show some of his flaws. I believe that, even though a lot of people might hate that flaw, it’s a very relatable thing. Everybody knows somebody that’s been through this, if not you yourself. I think there’s connectivity in flaws. I love the fact that we’re seeing him in uncharted territory, trying to navigate something that goes against every bit of his morals.
TVLINE | Can his relationship with Marisol survive this? Does he even want it to?
Because of the way that Eddie has shown growth in his own personal life — like how he was able to step back and tell Marisol that they’re moving too fast, that he’s doing the same thing he always does and knows he shouldn’t — I think that shows that he actually cares about this woman and that she means a lot to him. So whatever happens in the future, this will have a lasting impact on him.
TVLINE | Going back to last week for a second, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see Buck and Eddie’s karaoke scene, which was cut for time. Were you also disappointed?
I was disappointed, but it made so much sense after seeing the episode. The storyline really wasn’t about Buck and Eddie having a great time. It was about Chimney, and I’m so glad that the world got to see Kenneth Choi do what he does best. He gave a performance of the week and a performance of a lifetime, and I loved watching that. To take away from that would have been a disservice to what truly mattered. We had a great time filming that scene, and it could have added a little texture to the episode, but it’s a tough position that these producers and showrunners are in. How do you condense something from an hour and 15 minutes — which is almost a film — into a 43-minute TV show?
TVLINE | Can you say which song you guys did for karaoke?
[Laughs] Yeah, I don’t think we have any copyright issue if I just say the title. It was “What I Like About You.”
TVLINE | OK, now we absolutely need the director’s cut of that episode. Are you comfortable singing, or were you just being silly and having a good time?
No, that was all silliness. None of us were trying to be any semblance of a good singer, and I think that was the point of it. We were so drunk, we’ were those people that hop on the mic that shouldn’t be on the mic because they’re tone deaf. But we’re there, and we have that energy about us, and we’re just amping everything up.
TVLINE | I think I have more appreciation for Eddie this season after watching his friendship with Buck reach a new level. Buck is in such a vulnerable place, and it’s given Eddie a chance to step up and support him. A lot of guys come out and worry that things won’t be the same with their straight friends, but Eddie handled everything perfectly. He’s a true ally, that one.
I just access from my own personal life with friends that have come out to me. I think we were all raised in a generation where men were expected to be hardened and not access our feelings. … You can still be that type of man and be friends with a person who has a completely different sexuality than you. It has nothing to do with you. It doesn’t make his jokes less funny, the time you hang out with him isn’t any weirder or more awkward. If it does, the person who’s feeling that way has something they’re going through that they maybe need to come out to, too.
I would love to reflect onto the world that you should be there for your brother, you know, be there for your sister. If someone comes out to you, handle it with a net of safety and love and just keep it pushing after that. Like, “That must have been hard for you. Now that we’re past that, let’s go enjoy your lives.”
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