snowflake challenge #8

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Challenge #8:
In your own space, write a promo, manifesto or primer for a beloved character, relationship or fandom.

So my newest favorite character is Eddie Diaz from 9-1-1, the procedural about first responders that used to air on Fox and is now on ABC, currently in their eighth season. I only started watching early last year so I joined late and as much as I got attached to basically all the main cast, it didn't take me long to love Eddie, who showed up in season 2, episode 1. Then again, his introduction scene was him putting on his shirt in slow motion while "Whatta Man" by Salt n Peppa played in the background and how could you beat that?

Watch on YouTube

I even made 50 icons of him for a lands_of_magic challenge, which you can find here.

Eddie is an army vet turned firefighter, a single father, a widower/almost divorcee (his wife that he was previously separated from asked for a divorce after they briefly reunited and then she died) and carries the weight of having grown up in a traditional family with certain expectations (he canonically says that he has a ton of Catholic guilt).

He also can be snarky, judgmental, soft, and kind. I love his relationship with his son, Christopher, and how he's tried to do his best by him, even when he doesn't always succeed. Christopher is a smart, brave, sweet and wise kid (now a teenager in present canon!) and he also has cerebral palsy. Eddie constantly encourages his independence and believes in the best in his son.

Watch on YouTube

You can see it doesn't come naturally all the time, the parental urge to help, but he fights it, just like he fights for his kid. Even though Eddie grew up with a father who was always away due to work and emotionally distant, he is constantly affectionate toward his own kid. Despite being a little repressed and having trouble opening up about his own emotions, sometimes to the point where he inevitably explodes, but he tries to encourage his son to do the opposite and feel his feelings. He's far from infallible and the current arc shows that, but he tries. He may not be the best at taking advice, but he is fairly good at giving it in general.

Of course he's good at his job but I also like the other sides of him. The friend. The son. The grandson (I really miss his aunt and grandmother being around). The way he loves watching telenovellas and distrusts technology. He loves other people's drama and gossip. And he's always ready to engage in shenanigans. People like to make throw Buck and Eddie into the golden retriever/black cat stereotype but I think Eddie does more than indulge him (though there's that too), and he's usually willing to engage in chaos too.

I'd love to see him get off the hamster wheel in regard to his relationships - I actually do think he had good intentions and wanted to date the women he did, even if he wasn't a good boyfriend, especially toward the end. Some people think he's subconsciously searching for a mom for Christopher and while their connection with Chris is probably why he hangs on too long, I think that (even if the writers/casting may not think this way in how they do pick his girlfriends), sometimes it feels that he's picking women his *parents* would approve of. Honestly, he is someone I can see being content single long term or maybe finding someone later on.

I'm excited to see where his arc goes in the rest of s8 and where they take his character in general.

Comments

[muccamukk]

I love how Eddie tries to lift up everyone around him. He's just... very sweet.

[svgurl]

Same! He can be very soft and I really like that in a character. :D