It’s been a rough couple of seasons for Eddie Saville. After being paralyzed in a hit-and-run at the end of Season 2, Eddie has battled a relapse in his addiction, gotten divorced and seen Delilah move to France with their daughter Charlie. Through hard work, therapy and, of course, the support of his super-tight-knit group of friends, Eddie seems to be thriving. Viewers got to see a truly joyous moment in the ABC drama’s Season 4 midseason premiere, “Any Way the Wind Blows,” that begged the question of if Eddie will ever walk again, and creator DJ Nash definitely had something to say about that.
In “Any Way the Wind Blows,” Eddie picked up Rome, who was struggling with his depression, to accompany him on his ride-share job. They ended up at a pool, and with the help of a pool noodle, Eddie discovered that he could stand upright in the water. It was a sweet moment, hearing him joke about being taller than Rome, and led some to wonder if we’ll see more breakthroughs for Eddie, perhaps on land. A Million Little Things creator DJ Nash told Deadline that’s been a topic of discussion in the writer’s room, but it’s probably not a direction the show will go, and for an important reason:
We talked a lot about Eddie possibly walking again. And we all feel pretty strongly that while that might be a great arc for TV, it wouldn’t be true to the journey most people with paralysis have. Instead, we want to tell the story about the true grit Eddie shows in embracing his new life. Our consultant, who advises us on both story and performance, has regained some movement, so I can’t say we would never do a version of that. But the idea that Eddie walks and runs the way he did before the accident doesn’t ring true to the authenticity we try to bring to our stories.
“Grit” is a word that DJ Nash has used to describe Eddie (and actor David Giuntoli) before, and I love the commitment among the writers to make Eddie’s journey as authentic as possible, showing both the low moments and the celebratory ones. Paralysis on TV can unfortunately be used as a temporary obstacle for a character to overcome, but that’s not the typical trajectory for someone who’s been paralyzed or is in a wheelchair.
The subject was touched on earlier in Season 4 when Theo expressed hope for the day Eddie walked again, and Eddie sat his son down to say that would never happen, that he’d always be in a wheelchair, and that’s okay. Woo, is it getting dusty in here?
That’s not to say there won’t be advances in Eddie's mobility. DJ Nash pointed out that the show’s consultant regained some movement, and it’s possible that could be incorporated into Eddie’s story down the road.
It’s been good to see Eddie find a job and get back on his feet (so to speak) enough to help Sophie with her music, and now help Rome with his depression. There’s the possibility for romance, too, as Season 4 introduced Eddie to Anna, the ex-wife of Peter (the music teacher who assaulted Sophie). This could lead to drama, given what Sophie went through — not to mention Gary’s attack on Peter — but the chemistry between Eddie and Anna makes me excited to see what’s in store.
A Million Little Things airs at 10 p.m. ET Wednesdays on ABC. Check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other shows are premiering soon.
