9-1-1 season 9 episode 5 recap: Eddie faces loss and strange Halloween emergencies in “Día de los Muertos”

9-1-1 season 9 episode 5 “Día de los Muertos” aired on November 6, 2025, and delivered a mix of Halloween chaos and heartfelt moments. The episode brought back the show’s familiar blend of emergencies and personal stories, setting up an emotional journey for Eddie Diaz and his family.

Halloween brought strange accidents and odd calls, but the episode soon shifted into the calm and spiritual tone of Día de los Muertos. This change gently prepared viewers for Eddie’s growing struggle with grief and faith and the way the dead remained present in the lives of the living.

As the veil thinned, Eddie’s story became the focus. Themes of remembrance and loss guided the hour, shaping each major reveal. What started as a night filled with Halloween trouble slowly turned into a personal and meaningful chapter for Eddie.

9-1-1 season 9 episode 5: A Halloween rescue turns into a spiritual unraveling

Episode 5 began with the 118 answering calls on a chaotic Halloween night. Their first major rescue came from a strange car accident caused by a driver wearing a large costume. The situation grew tense when the driver said he had hit someone, yet the team only found a scarecrow on the road.

This odd moment led to further confusion and danger as their tools failed during the rescue, adding a bit of Halloween humor.

Later, the team dealt with one of the episode’s funniest emergencies when a huge inflatable pumpkin broke loose and rolled through the streets. Athena ended the chase in her usual confident style by stopping the balloon with a taser. These lighter moments helped balance the heavier emotions that were growing around Eddie, Buck and Athena.

At the same time, Buck tried to recreate Bobby’s snickerdoodles and started to think something supernatural might be happening in his house when small things moved or fell on their own. His grief led him to wonder if Bobby was sending signs, which later set up a twist in the story.

While all this happened, the spirit of Día de los Muertos slowly came into focus. Eddie began to think more about his faith and his family traditions. By the time the holiday arrived, the emotional threads of the episode came together in a much deeper and more meaningful way.

9-1-1 season 9 episode 5: Eddie’s grief deepens as Día de los Muertos arrives

The heart of the episode appeared when Eddie learned the painful news that his Abuela had died. He had already been thinking about reconnecting with his faith, so this loss hit even harder.

The timing lined up with Día de los Muertos, which gave his story a deeper and more spiritual meaning. His moments with his aunt, his prayer beside Abuela, and his quiet time at home demonstrated the strength and emotionality of Ryan Guzman’s performance.

As Eddie worked through his grief, Buck dealt with his own struggle with memory and letting go. He believed Bobby’s spirit might be in his house, but that hope fell apart when he found a former tenant living in his attic. The discovery forced him to face his grief more honestly and showed how unresolved emotions could appear in surprising ways.

Athena also faced an emotional moment when Harry chose to wear Bobby’s firefighter uniform as his Halloween costume. It brought back painful memories, but it led to a real and needed talk between them. Their conversation helped them reconnect and added balance to Eddie’s spiritual journey.

The episode ended with Eddie and Christopher joining a Día de los Muertos parade. It was a quiet and healing moment that showed how love and memory continued to guide them even after loss.

Other highlights of 9-1-1 season 9 episode 5

Along with the emotional stories, the episode also delivered several intense and unusual emergencies that showed 9-1-1’s mix of heart and action. One of the most striking calls came from a church where a girl was tied down during a dangerous exorcism attempt.

When the 118 arrived, they found her parents and Brother Isaac trying to cast out a “demon.” The real cause was medical. She had tetanus and lockjaw from injuries in her room. Chimney and Eddie figured out the symptoms, which helped the team rescue her safely.

This call pushed Eddie to think more about the risks of blind faith, which made his spiritual struggle even harder. Buck was also shaken by these strange emergencies. He even tried to convince Eddie to use an Ouija board with him, but the idea fell apart after everything they had just seen.

Buck’s discovery of Dwayne, the former tenant hiding in his attic, added another emotional layer. Instead of pressing charges, Buck chose to help him and take him to a support meeting. It showed Buck’s growing maturity and how much Bobby had influenced him.

The episode concluded with Athena and Harry working through their tension, Eddie grieving for Abuela, and Christopher offering a simple yet powerful reminder. They could honor the people they loved every year without letting grief take over their lives.

Fans can watch the new episodes of 9-1-1 season 9 on ABC and Hulu.