[Warning: The next accommodates spoilers for the most recent episode of 9-1-1, “Eddie Begins.” Learn at your individual danger!]
9-1-1 has actually been getting our adrenaline pumping over the past couple of weeks, and Monday night time’s episode was no exception. Titled “Eddie Begins,” it took us deep into Eddie Diaz’s (Ryan Guzman) private historical past by means of harrowing flashback sequences that returned to his reminiscence proper as he confronted one of many closest calls of his life in actual time.
Glimpses at Eddie’s former residence life revealed the gradual, aching course of by which his marriage fell aside, as Shannon (Devin Kelley) grew more and more resentful of his choice to reenlist within the army with out consulting her. She in the end left Eddie to are inclined to Christopher (Gavin McHugh) by himself whereas she went to take care of her sick mom. Although he was unable to save lots of his marriage, we additionally discovered simply how resilient Eddie was on the battlefield, as he managed to save lots of most of his squad from shooters when their helicopter was introduced down within the warfare.
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Eddie’s perseverance in a rescue scenario was additionally entrance and middle within the present-day storyline, as he lower his personal security line to save lots of a boy who had been trapped in a drain pipe and was minutes away from drowning or succumbing to hypothermia. Eddie did not hesitate for one minute to drop again in to get the boy out, however after Chimney (Kenneth Choi) dropped in after him and introduced the child to security first, a lightning strike collapsed Eddie’s probability of being rescued the identical approach. In a heart-stopping sequence, Eddie got here very near drowning earlier than mustering the resolve to flee — specializing in how a lot his son wants him as he swam for an additional exit.
In accordance with Ryan Guzman, regardless that Eddie is the one with the medal, the actual hero of the story is Christopher — no, not the saint on the necklace that saved him from sure doom on the battlefield, however the boy who continues to maintain him afloat in each encounter, together with this one. Guzman spoke to TV Information about Eddie’s journey within the newest 9-1-1 episode, so learn on to seek out out the actor’s ideas on the challenges and rewards of exploring a brand new facet of his character’s story.
Ryan Guzman, 9-1-1
This was a very intense episode. What was it like so that you can dig into Eddie’s historical past like this?
Ryan Guzman: I used to be fairly excited for the warfare stuff. I ended up coaching with a few folks, and it does assist that my fiancée truly is aware of lots of people inside the gun world and the army world, so we have been capable of fine-tune among the ways. Except for that, it was simply actually cool to dive into Eddie as an individual and see how he bought so closed off and why he does not divulge heart’s contents to too many individuals.
Clearly, we knew a great bit about this backstory earlier than, however have been there any surprises for you once you bought to those flashbacks?
Guzman: Not an excessive amount of, truly. I type of had a imaginative and prescient of what I assumed Eddie could be like, and the writers fairly carefully matched that. A variety of the trauma that Eddie went by means of, family-wise, and [with] his deceased spouse, it was type of one thing that I used to be prepping for already. The Afghanistan stuff, I by no means knew what was truly going to occur as a result of I at all times thought it might be a convoy, nevertheless it changed into a helicopter rescue that went bitter. However regardless that I type of had a picture of what it is perhaps, it was utterly completely different than what I assumed.
The backstory, with Christopher particularly, brings some new resonance to what he went by means of within the tsunami. After which with Eddie nearly drowning as properly, there was a transparent parallel there. Was there any intention to convey Eddie by means of this shut name on the identical time we’re trying again on Christopher, who nearly drowned as properly?
Guzman: I believe you may pull lots from him nearly drowning: him being over his head in quite a lot of areas of his life, and actually being swallowed up by the whole lot that he is going by means of. You may derive some parallels from the tsunami to this — I do not suppose that was the intention, but when it was, then go Tim [Minear, showrunner] and all people who’s writing the story. However I do like that the epicenter of the entire story is getting again to Christopher. That is Eddie’s precedence and his personal mission that really issues.
Do you suppose there was ever a second for Eddie — particularly at that time that will get repeated the place he is making an attempt to inform them he is nonetheless alive — that he was afraid the crew would surrender on him?
Guzman: I do not know if he is a lot frightened or involved in regards to the crew giving up on him — extra so, now he is in a predicament the place he has to get himself out once more. That is type of what Eddie’s proven us previously. He is undoubtedly anyone that does not lean on quite a lot of others. He tries to do the whole lot himself, which generally is a large downfall, however in a time like this when he actually does not have anyone, it may be one thing that helps him out, too. So, I believe his important concern wasn’t the crew. His important concern was “How the hell do I get again to my son?”
You talked a bit of in regards to the coaching. Are you able to speak in regards to the bodily challenges of this shoot? There are quite a lot of parts concerned, with the rain and the tight areas after which clearly the motion of the Afghanistan shoot.
Guzman: Oh yeah. I used to be undoubtedly beat up for positive. I have been beat up a few occasions on this present. I sliced my foot open earlier on the season [on] a steel cage. I harm my meniscus earlier than. This season, they put me in freezing chilly water when it was 30 levels, I consider, and we have been taking pictures outdoors at night time … getting no sleep on high of that, dropping down from the tunnel straight on my again. There have been undoubtedly quite a lot of points so far as getting beat up. However once you’re in that type of environment, you simply wish to give the whole lot you may for the character and make it practical. These are the type of belongings you simply take and maintain shifting ahead.
Clearly, the backstory with Eddie and all of that motion was nerve-wracking, however the half that made me probably the most jittery was the little boy. What’s it like so that you can work on these episodes the place you guys haven’t got that ingredient of levity or enjoyable circumstances? Does that current a brand new problem for you as an actor?
Guzman: It truly helps. Particularly because you get to fulfill the opposite forged members. That little boy was in all probability the cutest little boy I’ve met in fairly a while, and he saved reminding me of my son. So each time that I used to be interacting with him, I saved considering of my son Mateo, and it type of added different layers of severity to the scenes.
Within the closing scene when Eddie lastly goes to Christopher’s college for profession day, it looks like one thing actually clicks for him with regard to the medal and his necklace. Is he able to embrace himself as a hero, and have his priorities modified in any approach now?
Guzman: I do not suppose he is able to embrace himself as a hero. I believe the entire premise of this was simply to say that he is been by means of heroic moments, however the actual hero within the story is Christopher. He is the one which’s saving Eddie, slightly than Eddie saving anyone else. So, I believe that when he denotes the truth that he does not put on a medal, however he does put on the St. Christopher necklace, that is simply extra of an homage to the one factor that actually issues in his life which is Christopher.
9-1-1 airs Mondays at 8/7c on Fox.