And so, rather than setting up a mid-length arc that presumably would have focused more on his imploding relationship with Giselle, showrunner Brett Mahoney and the writers decided it would be best to drop a giant shock on viewers’ laps right from the outset.
It does make sense, then, that Eddie’s death was partially influenced by events outside the show’s narrative.
And it’s not like this show hasn’t employed healthy doses of flashbacks when needed, so Eddie could very well return in some fashion later on, if the timing worked out.
Forest Whitaker is obviously a very busy actor, cranking out both small dramas and big blockbusters, and wasn’t able to devote a large enough chunk of time to fleshing Eddie out further during Season 5.