The pieces are quickly clicking into place as 9-1-1: Lone Star comes closer to its swan song.
And it seems 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 9 was intent on wrapping up the case of Gabriel Reyes’ murder and finally elaborating on Judd’s drinking issue.
Also, we can anticipate where Owen will find himself by the end of the series.
When you have a series like this coming to a close in a mostly unexpected way, what results is a bunch of storytelling that can seem sporadic with the sole purpose of getting us to the finish line of completion.
And “Fall From Grace” was one of those installments where it felt like they had that sticking point in their minds that they needed some of these storylines to wrap up or place characters on specific paths.
The entire hour focused on Carlos and resolving the murder case that has hung over the whole season thus far after Gabriel’s shocking death in the 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 4 finale.
The rest of the hour gave us some insight into where Owen would land by the end of the series.
Owen’s return to NYC is inevitable, so while he’s taking a pitstop to assist Judd and get his best friend in top shape so he can take his rightful place as Captain of the 126, we already know he’ll be in the Big Apple in no time.
The series certainly never shies away from stroking the hell out of Owen’s ego, so yes, it was a bit nauseating to hear how amazing, perfect, and spectacular he was and how much of a folk hero he is to at least two generations of nepo firefighters from his old unit.
Historically, Owen is that firefighter who was at 9/11 and saved many lives, losing all of his friends in the process. It’s so ingrained in his character that it feels natural for the series to come full circle with this.
Instead of facing the consequences or bad reception after taking a stand for Tommy and embarrassing the mayor during 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 8, Owen got the opportunity of a lifetime to be fire chief in NYC.
It’s huge news, and the series geared him up for the further ascension of the ladder in his field and another chance for all to hail him as a hero, fix things, and make everything around him better.
His work at the 126, on top of his reputation from his time in NYC, made him the first choice for basically all boroughs when people listed who they wanted to lead them into the next stage of firefighting in NYC.
And there’s nothing Owen loves more than being in high demand and need and having the chance to play hero further.
Initially, he couldn’t fathom leaving everyone behind. However, as he spoke to a late friend’s child and heard about all the other firefighter kids pursuing the same calling, Owen found the inspiration to return home.
New York City and this opportunity to return to his roots are calling to him, and he wanted to answer that call well before he could vocalize it to Judd.
But the hour here harkens back to 9-1-1: Lone Star’s series premiere in terms of why Owen came to Austin in the first place and why his position always felt temporary.
Of all the predictable outcomes for this series, the most obvious one is that Judd eventually succeeds Owen.
Judd was always supposed to lead the 126. However, this is also where this entire storyline of making Judd a probie feels so silly.
Even though we know Judd should take over in Owen’s absence and that the series has perfectly set it up, we must ignore how utterly stupid it is to have him go from Lieutenant to Probie to Captain… “because plot.”
Frankly, it’s a bit frustrating that a position that Judd has more than earned all this time can’t come naturally without this detour into Owen “saving” Judd first before he can leave.
We can already guess that even though Owen declined the offer he clearly wanted, the position will probably be open for him again whenever he changes his mind and Judd gets on track.
Now, Owen is the noble Captain and friend who sacrifices his job and the opportunity of a lifetime to assist firefighters in need further so he can stay in Austin and help his best friend through his drinking problem.
On the one hand, it’s always great to see the real brotherhood between Judd and Owen. They’ve truly been there for one another throughout the entire series, through many ups and downs.
And I don’t want to detract from that because it’s been a great bond. But it also feels like another one of those stories that caters to Owen in a way that can sometimes be offputting.
Judd’s current state is heartbreaking but not at all surprising. We’ve always known that Grace is the center of Judd’s world, and he’s lost without her grounding him.
I mean, we’re talking about a man whose origin story with his wife consisted of him literally living for her and being willing to die with her and kill for her, too.
Judd, before Grace, was a man with suicide ideation and little to live for, and at any prospect of losing her, he has constantly been ready to scorch the earth and die in the process.
We saw all that during 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 2 Episode 9 and onward.
We’ve all known that Judd has been putting up a facade and isn’t handling Grace’s absence well at all, which is why it has felt so odd that he’s been so distant from so many people.
The others haven’t seemed to figure out how far he was descending into dark places and drinking.
Once again, there was little they could do with Grace Ryder’s exit from the series and no satisfying way to overcome this, so sadly, this storyline is just a rough byproduct of an unfortunate situation with no wins.
It just still doesn’t feel real or plausible that Grace would up and leave her codependent husband, who can’t breathe without her and their three-year-old child by themselves for an undetermined amount of time and with no consistent communication to take care of other kids around the world.
A better option would’ve been for Grace to constantly be offscreen, attend school, and get a degree to pursue social work.
Now, Judd could get the position he was always meant to have.
He has to go through some AA meetings to get his drinking under control under Owen’s watchful and experienced eye as a man who knows what it’s like to care about someone with addiction issues.
Owen felt like he had to go where people needed him more, and now, it seems Judd needs him more.
Another issue with this installment was how detached Tarlos are as a unit.
It’s one of those things that’s hard to wrap one’s head around, and the season has tasked them with these hardships that are meant to test them as a couple without fleshing them out enough to feel worth it.
Unsurprisingly, this whole issue with Jonah is playing out exactly as one would’ve imagined, and in one of those annoying ways that always seems to center those who want children instead of those who don’t.
We all knew it wasn’t a matter of if Carlos would come around to having kids or adopting Jonah but rather when he’d eventually cave into this without much thought, conversation, or any real space given to his feelings or stance.
In the end, it would always be one of those things where he kowtowed to T.K. and agreed to adopt Jonah, right? The entire situation was orchestrated to where he had no choice but to give in to the idea.
Why? Because HE would’ve looked like the asshole if he didn’t, given the circumstances.
It didn’t matter that he still wasn’t ready, wasn’t in the mental or emotional headspace for it, or their lives and work schedules currently aren’t conducive to having a child.
It’s Jonah, T.K.’s little brother; they’re the only family; T.K. was adamant about it and willing to give up his marriage over it, his husband’s thoughts be damned, so this is what it is.
I’m not a fan of this storyline for the reasons I’ve already discussed. But on top of everything, there wasn’t even space to flesh this out properly, allow this couple to communicate healthily, or be fair to both.
We literally heard T.K. tell Tommy and Nancy that if he has to choose between his brother and his husband, he’s choosing his brother. He clearly put his foot down on something that the two barely discussed.
It left a bad taste in my mouth, not because I didn’t understand T.K.’s position but because there really wasn’t any space for Carlos. The certainty was that Carlos would always have to give in to T.K., most likely without him ever even knowing how much was at stake.
Is there much excitement about these two having a child together, like some fantasy “happily ever after” when they’ve never felt more distant and strained as a couple?
It felt odd that Carlos got a GSW, and we didn’t even get a scene referencing T.K. finding out about it at his bedside or around to show any modicum of care or concern.
But I’d love to know how you Tarlos ‘shippers feel about this pairing.
Are You Enjoying Tarlos in 9-1-1: Lone Star's Final Season?
I’ve had the nagging feeling that there was something more to the chief, so learning that he was behind everything and framed Campbell instead wasn’t all that much of a shock.
Something always felt off about the chief, and by the time Carlos went to him and read him in on his findings about Campbell and other things, it became more apparent that something was amiss.
Campbell didn’t help his cause by going on the run and heading to Mexico.
I don’t foresee how he skates by out of all of this after fleeing from his home, engaging in a gunfight with his colleagues, and that whole incident of stabbing a man after clearing out safes and guns.
But I guess we can overlook all of that since we know that Campbell is a good guy now. He even saved Carlos’ life, and while his wife won’t be a fan of Carlos anytime soon, Campbell doesn’t have any hard feelings.
Maybe I’ll get my 9-1-1: Lone Star Rangers spinoff after all, with a side of Tarlos taking care of Jonah. Even with this unrest, I’m still a fan of Carlos and Campbell’s chemistry.
The resolution of Gabriel’s murder felt a bit neat during this installment as if it needed to conclude right at that moment. However, I appreciate how Carlos still struggled in the end.
Solving the murder didn’t make things any better for him or fill the void that he has because his father is still gone. Silva’s emotional scene at the grave was great. And it neatly brings him around to becoming a father like his father, too. So, there’s that.
Over to you, Lone Star Fanatics.
Rate 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 9!
Did you predict that Campbell was innocent after all?
How do you feel about the state of Tarlos this season? Did they handle the Tarlos and Jonah adoption storyline well?
How do you feel about Owen staying behind to help Judd through his drinking problem?
Let’s discuss it all below.
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The post 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 9 Reveals Gabriel’s Killer and Ties Up Loose Ends in Fall Finale appeared first on TV Fanatic.
Source: TV Fanatic
