9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 13’s Eddie's Backstory Reveal Subtly Highlights Ryan Guzman’s Breakout Role -

Warning: SPOILERS for 9-1-1 season 8, episode 13.9-1-1 season 8, episode 13 was monumental for the Diaz family, but one Eddie scene ingeniously ties back to Ryan Guzman’s career. “Invisible” was easily one of 9-1-1’s best episodes in recent years, as the grounded focus on Eddie and Christopher’s (Gavin McHugh) relationship blended well with the compelling if not frustrating Hen (Aisha Hinds) subplot. 9-1-1 season 8, episode 13 had all the best aspects of the long-running procedural, opening with a ridiculous emergency (Kevin L. Johnson’s Archie trapped beneath his cheating fiancé and his own cousin) seamlessly leading into a character-forward dual narrative that cements the overarching theme.

Although “Invisible” doesn’t include a hallmark 9-1-1 disaster moment, the introspective force behind the episode packs more than enough punch. The emotional rubber band is pulled taut with each passing scene, and the tension snaps in a cathartic ending where Eddie finally puts his foot down and insists Christopher move back in with him, to the chagrin of his less-than-sympathetic mother, Helena (Paula Marshall). Now that 9-1-1 has joined the list of shows renewed by ABC for the 2025-26 season, there will hopefully be many more character-driven episodes that help progress the plot but also pepper in new character details.

9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 13 Reveals Eddie Was A Competitive Ballroom Dancer

According To Helena, He Was Award-Winning

Up until 9-1-1 season 8, episode 13, Eddie had been self-sabotaging his reconciliation with Christopher because he truly believed his son was in good hands with his parents, down to the chess tournament that he assumes Christopher is excited for. When Eddie appears to cheer Christopher on, he learns his father, Ramon (George DelHoyo), has allowed everyone to believe he is Christopher’s parent. After Chris— consumed by the pressure— vomits on the chessboard, Eddie realizes his son had been subjected to the same unyielding expectations that caged him growing up. When Eddie confronts his mother, 9-1-1 reveals a toxic pattern.

Eddie realizes his son had been subjected to the same unyielding expectations that caged him growing up.

If it wasn’t already clear that Eddie’s parents are villains in 9-1-1 season 8, the conversation that closes out the Diaz family’s plot in “Invisible” is proof enough. When Eddie nonchalantly begins to pack an overnight bag and informs Helena that Chris will be living with his father again, Helena quickly resorts to cheap shots about Eddie’s work as an Uber driver. Furthermore, Helena refuses to believe Christopher hates chess, drawing a parallel to Eddie that uncovers a surprising new detail about his childhood: Eddie was a successful but joyless competitive ballroom dancer before the events of 9-1-1.

Eddie’s Past As A Ballroom Dancer Is A Reference To Guzman’s Step Up Role

Sean Asa Will Always Linger

Ryan Guzman as Sean Asa in the Step Up franchise.

The earliest details 9-1-1 has revealed about Eddie include him being a teenage father and opting to enlist in the army rather than pursue a college degree. Smaller and vaguer experiences have been discussed, like Eddie having to be “man of the house” while his father neglected him and his sisters. 9-1-1 season 8 revealing his ballroom dancing past may seem humorous for a moment— purely due to how unexpected the sport is for his character— but dance perfectly fits Eddie’s storyline and functions as a nod to Ryan Guzman’s past in the Step Up film franchise.

Oh The Irony! Hen’s Birthday Tragedy Is A Meta Commentary About Her Abysmal Arc In 9-1-1 Season 8

9-1-1 season 8, episode 13 finally included a Hen-centric plot, but the fitting title sadly reflects the current state of her character: Invisible.

Ryan Guzman portrayed Sean Asa in Step Up 4 Revolution and Step Up: All In, a flash mob leader who eventually dedicates himself to dancing as a career. The procedural has leaned into Guzman’s dancing before (with 9-1-1 season 8’s Risky Business tribute) but Eddie’s ballroom past cements dance as a core aspect of his character’s backstory. Although Eddie doesn’t look back on his competitive ballroom dancing fondly, introducing this unexpected detail leaves the door open for 9-1-1 to lean further into his past, potentially culminating in Eddie reclaiming dance as a way of reclaiming himself, free of his parents.

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9-1-1

8/10

Release Date: January 3, 2018
Showrunner: Tim Minear
Directors: Bradley Buecker, David Grossman, Brenna Malloy, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Jann Turner, Jennifer Lynch, Marita Grabiak, Sarah Boyd, John J. Gray, Barbara Brown, Robert M. Williams Jr., Kristen Reidel, Marcus Stokes, Tasha Smith, Millicent Shelton, Juan Carlos Coto, John Gray, Greg Sirota, Alonso Alvarez, James Wong, Kevin Hooks, Varda Bar-Kar, Shauna Duggins, Sharat Raju
Writers: Tim Minear, Andrew Meyers, Brad Falchuk, David Fury, Ryan Murphy, Christopher Monfette, Nadia Abass-Madden, Nicole Barraza Keim, Erica L. Anderson, Matthew Hodgson, Stacey R. Rose, Taylor Wong, Tonya Kong, Adam Penn