Sumith Prasad
The fifth and sixth seasons of FOX’s action series ‘9-1-1’ follows Edmundo “Eddie” Díaz’s efforts to nurture and protect his son Christopher all alone. To deal with Christopher’s fear of losing him, Eddie even takes a break from his job as a firefighter, only to eventually return to Station 118 with the blessings of the former. Although he struggles initially, Eddie also adapts to the changes that happen in Christopher’s life. As a father, he tries his best to make his son comfortable in the wake of his mother Shannon Díaz’s death. In the fifteenth episode of the sixth season, Eddie and Christopher visit Shannon’s grave, making the viewers intrigued about her death. Well, here’s everything you need to know about the same! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Shannon Díaz Death: Fatal Car Accident
Shannon and Eddie always had a troubled relationship. Since the latter was deployed while Christopher was a child, the former was forced to look after their son alone. When Shannon’s mother’s health deteriorated, she left Eddie and went to look after her mother. But even after her mother’s death, Shannon didn’t hurry back to her husband. Still, they manage to reconcile after Eddie moves to Los Angeles upon joining Station 118. Eddie initially expresses his doubts concerning Shannon’s return to Christopher’s life but she eventually shows up before their son. Although Eddie wants to reunite with Shannon as a couple, the latter decides to get divorced from him so that she can focus on being the best mom to Christopher.
In the seventeenth episode of the second season, Eddie and the first responders of Station 118 are called to a scene where a car flew through a crosswalk, only to hit several people. One of the severely injured individuals due to the accident is none other than Shannon. Due to the severity of her injuries, paramedics have nothing to do to save her life. Still, Hen sets out to try but Chimney stops her to give Eddie a chance to bid goodbye to his wife. Before succumbing to her injuries, Shannon and Eddie express their love for one another. She also adds how much she loves their son Christopher. After Eddie says his goodbye, Shannon is taken to the hospital but she eventually dies.
After Shannon dies, Chimney wonders whether he killed her by not letting Hen intubate her. Hen makes it clear to her best friend that Shannon’s death became inevitable even before they arrived at the scene to treat her. Meanwhile, Bobby tries his best to console Eddie.
Shannon’s Tragic Demise Ends Character Arc
Although neither FOX nor Devin Kelley released a formal statement concerning the reason behind the actress’ exit from ‘9-1-1,’ it is evident that Kelley left due to her character Shannon’s death. Shannon’s death concluded the story arc of the character, without leaving any scope for Eddie’s wife to remain an integral part of the show. Since Kelley didn’t express any desire to leave the series, the actress’ exit can be seen as the result of creative developments conceived to do justice to the show’s narrative. Shannon’s death is a significant part of Eddie’s storyline as the same gave the writers a chance to explore the firefighter’s life as a single dad.
Kelley’s exit was nothing but a shock for Ryan Guzman, who plays Eddie. “[…] I read the script, I freakin’ threw the script, I was like, ‘Noooo! There’s no way!’ Because I loved working with Devin, she’s an incredible actress. So, it was a huge shock to everybody. We didn’t realize that someone was going to get killed off like that,” Guzman told ET Online. After leaving the show in the second season, Kelley returned to the procedural drama in the fifteenth episode of the third season for a single-episode arc. Since Shannon is still a significant part of Eddie and Christopher’s lives, we can expect Kelley to return to the show to feature in flashback scenes or dream sequences in the future.
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