Remember when we said we’d be down for a Ranger spinoff of 9-1-1: Lone Star?
We’re still game for that, but that epic potential bromance between Carlos and Campbell may be missing from the menu.
As of now, the biggest plot twist of the season is that Campbell might be a dirty Ranger who arranged for the deaths of many confidential informants and maybe has a had in Gabriel Reyes’ death.
Did anyone else see that one coming?
I can tell you right now that I didn’t expect that revelation in the closing moments of “The Quiet Ones,” and I’ll have to sit on it for quite some time.
The hour put the spotlight squarely on the ranger portion of the series after it took a break since earlier in the season, around 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 1.
The opener was heartbreaking.
I take back my negative statements or thoughts about Wyatt due to Grace’s departure.
He’s capable as a dispatcher, and he matches her sympathy and passion for the gig.
It was so upsetting to see him so calmly walk Julio through getting out of that house and to safety using a hot skillet.
Julio’s fightback was so satisfying, especially since that pan looked like cast iron, and those can do some damage by themselves, let alone when they’re fresh off the stove.
But the moment he dropped the pan and stood in place, the worst fear came true; the killer stabbed him to death, with poor Wyatt on the other end hearing the entire exchange.
It’s Wyatt’s first death on the job, which will stick to him.
It would’ve been nice if we could spend a bit more time discussing that and how it impacted him, but at least he was able to assist the Rangers with the audio of the call.
As a result, he was instrumental in breaking the case.
But the emotional beats of that for Wyatt were lost here, one of the few times when pushing him to the forefront some would’ve been warranted.
Unsurprisingly, the Nines gang case connected to that of Gabriel’s murder, and Carlos locked into it.
The raid of the gang house brought some of that high-octane excitement that Lone Star typically delivers with some of its calls.
Things got intense with gunfire erupting, Campbell taking one to the shoulder, and blood dripping from the ceiling.
Notably, Nancy handled this entire situation well, proving she was the perfect stand-in as captain for Tommy.
The revelation that Nestor, Gabriel’s informant, was imprisoned in the attic for a full year was shocking, but it also confirmed that he wouldn’t end the hour alive.
However, it was still a colossal shock when he told Carlos as much information as he could before he passed away, including that Campbell was the one Gabriel told him to watch out for in the end.
It means that Campbell has played a huge role in the exposure of five confidential informants and Gabriel’s subsequent death.
This also explains part of the reason Campbell was so resistant to Carlos joining the Rangers and working alongside him. It was so much more than Carlos being a “Nepo hire.”
What was great was how the hour-long addition led to this revelation by confirming things about how little the two of them know each other despite working together for months.
Carlos didn’t know that Campbell had four kids, and apparently, in all this time, Campbell never even met T.K.
As many of you speculated, T.K. took an interest in adopting his brother rather than allowing Jonah to attend an expensive boarding school.
This is how these two revisit or broach the topic of starting a family, which is irksome.
The primary issue here is that there needs to be more space for the two to properly discuss this and reach a resolution that could suit them both.
Because the child in question is Jonah, it already tips the scales of the situation because Carlos looks like a dick for not wanting to take in a family.
It compels Carlos to “come around” to T.K.’s position even though T.K. never even talked with Carlos about it before he started doing his research and making plans.
It’s one of the most frustrating developments when any series opts to tackle the topic of children when a couple is on different pages about them.
It almost always results in the same: the person who isn’t ready for them or doesn’t necessarily want them has to submit to the will of the person who is.
It’s not fair and constantly disregards the validity and normalcy of simply not wanting children and not being vilified because of that.
Carlos didn’t even have the space to be upset that T.K. had come to this conclusion without consulting him at all. He then copped an attitude without hearing what Carlos had to say before getting mad that Carlos had to go to work.
And T.K. also couldn’t want to bring up how supportive he’s been of Carlos this entire time and how he’s frustrated, and his patience has run thin because Gabriel’s murder is in the middle of their marriage.
It’s unsettling, but as per usual, we’ll likely skate past all of this as Carlos has to “come around” to adopting Jonah and resolve things with his father as quickly as possible so his marriage can survive.
A lot of the onus falls on him to compromise.
The adoption thing, in particular, is frustrating because they’re talking about bringing in and raising a child together, a toddler at that, not a puppy.
They’re on two totally different shifts half the time, and so many other factors would make this difficult.
But again, because of the situation and how absurd it is to ship a child off to a boarding school in Switzerland, it can only end with them taking Jonah for his best interest.
The tension between Carlos and T.K. was thick, and because we haven’t spent as much time with them, it’s hard to determine if they’ve been doing well or just getting by as a couple despite therapy.
They seemed okay for T.K.’s birthday during 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 7, but this was a challenging hour for them, and everyone could feel it.
It was also a challenging hour for Tommy, who spent most of it trying to reconcile with her diagnosis and treatment.
As soon as she uttered “experimental,” the storyline that could unfold for her was apparent as day.
Many insurance companies refuse to cover experimental procedures no matter the efficacy of them, and it’s bullshit and one of many issues with the American Healthcare system.
Tommy and Owen sharing a moment about her health was great because it was nice to circle back around and allow him to extend some support as someone who battled and survived cancer himself.
It’s like they walloped us with this devastating diagnosis, and now they’re easing off the gas a bit, so it’s not as overwhelming to watch.
Owen constantly fights on behalf of his people, and he donned his dress uniform to speak to the mayor on behalf of Tommy.
When that didn’t work, the squad split the 900-page bill to figure out ways to adjust the budget.
Nine hundred-page bills are crazy, yet that’s the exact stuff that happens in politics.
We know damn well everyone voting on that bill didn’t pour through every bit of it.
Most people don’t even have the attention span to read the terms of service and agreement for anything they subscribe to before checking the box and putting their John Hancock down.
And this is how politicians can bury unspeakable, horrific things into bills and then pass them without people realizing what’s really going on until it’s too late.
As expected, there were so many things that the city spent money on that were just wasteful.
Did they need thousands of dollars for Christmas decorations or designer coffee beans? No.
Did that entire 900-page bill need to be printed out a zillion times and handed around to those voting on it? Nope. It was a total waste of paper and ink.
Paul finding the tanks made me snicker because some of the most wasteful expenses in cities across the country are devoted to ridiculous things like that, which are rarely employed or used at the worst possible times.
Always being the first to weaponize her social media reach and popularity, Marjan will always be endearing.
Owen taking a stand and risking his job and future along with the rest of the 126 was enough to make you emotional, even when we knew nothing would come from their end as far as consequences.
The police showing up to support the firefighters was nice as well, but that’s likely because the sad reality is that first responders will risk their lives and devote their lives and health to these dangerous jobs, and then no one will look out for them in the end.
As a man who had to fight hard for first responders to get the proper care and support they needed after 9/11, Owen understood this better than most.
Most of these conditions that people develop over time health-wise can be directly related or correlate to the dangers on the job, yet the coverage for treatment after the fact is dismal.
The cops also understood this since they don’t fare much better.
It was a win for them during this, and it’s a relief that Tommy will get the treatment she needs that guarantees her a better shot at survival rather than the regular chemotherapy and the mayor’s “thoughts and prayers.”
It made so much sense for Owen to be at the forefront of this fight, given his history, and it’s great when the series utilizes him to the best of his abilities in scenarios like this.
Part of me also wanted to see more from Judd.
As Tommy’s best friend, there has been such a lack of genuine connection between these two, especially with Grace gone.
But it seems Judd is alienating himself from everyone and hitting the booze hard.
Others are noticing and making light observations, but no one has intervened yet, so we’ll likely have to wait for something major before this comes to the forefront.
Over to you, Lone Star Fanatics.
Rate 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 8
How do you feel about Carlos and T.K. possibly adopting Jonah?
Did you expect the Campbell twist?
What’s going on with Judd?
Hit the comments below and discuss it all!
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