#911 lone star reaction 2023

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for season 4, fourteenth episode "Tongues Out" which originally aired on April 25, 2023. The episode was written by Bob Goodman and directed by Keith Tripler. Spoilers ahead!

This episode was wild from beginning to end. The stuff with Owen and Paul going all Scooby Doo Mysteries was pretty fun but it's actually Tommy's plot that takes the cake for me. I'm all about saving the best for last so let's talk about Owen first.

We pick up where we left off with the whole Owen dating a married woman who may or may not have killed her husband. Owen meets with his soon to be in-law, Gabriel Reyes (Benito Martinez) and is shown Brett Collier's autopsy report. Apparently prior to him freezing to death he was administered a paralyzing neurotoxin. Owen learns that Brett wasn't Kendra's first husband. Her first husband was a man named Logan Daniels. Their marriage was short-lived due to Logan falling over the balcony outside their hotel suite. Kendra insisted she had nothing to do with his death but Logan's parents suspected she killed him. With two husbands dead, it appears that Kendra Harrington (Michaela McManus) may be a black widow. Gabriel tells Owen to watch his back but the latter insists he has ended things with Ms. Harrington. 

Owen returns to the firehouse and is accosted by Kendra who tells him she is the primary suspect in Brett's death. Owen lets on he knows about her first husband and Kendra says everything he's been told is a lie. She insists what happened to Logan Daniels was a terrible accident which she had nothing to do with. Owen points out that it looks super suspicious that both her husbands are dead under mysterious circumstances. Kendra counters that she had nothing to gain by killing her husband. Owen finally tells her he believes her and encourages her to turn off her phone since the Texas Rangers are trying to get in touch with her. 

We then get a funny scene that only exists to remind us viewers that Paul is the most perceptive character on the show. When his pudding cup goes missing, Paul believes either Marjan, Mateo, Nancy, TK or Carlos is to blame. Paul accuses Carlos and our resident police officer admits to eating the pudding cup. Paul ends up getting recruited by Captain Strand to investigate the potential murder of Brett Collier in hopes of clearing Kendra's name. What's particularly funny about this is that once again, Carlos - the actual cop on this show - is sidelined in favor of another character with zero law enforcement background. We've seen this happen so many times and it makes me wonder, is Carlos Reyes a shitty cop? We very rarely, if ever, get to see him do police stuff and when we do finally get to see him do some police stuff he usually gets overshadowed by another character, namely Owen. Remember the missing little girl last season? Carlos solved that mystery yet Owen is the one who saves the day. Oh, and then there was the whole swatting situation involving the online gamer which he teamed up with Grace to solve and the result of that is Sergeant Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) making the arrest. I still believe one of the biggest missteps of the show is making Owen Strand a firefighter instead of a cop. Imagine if Owen Strand was chief of police and Carlos was one of his subordinates. TK could still be a firefighter and maybe Judd could be captain of the 126. We could still have our Tarlos romance with the added tension of Owen being Carlos' boss.

Anywho, I digress. Paul puts his detective skills to good use and we learn that Brett actually administered the neurotoxin himself. It was Brett trying to kill Kendra and not the other way around. His first attempt was disabling the brakes on her vehicle. When that backfired, he tried lacing a bottle of wine with insecticide. Unfortunately since he was working with one arm, he spilled some of the insecticide on his hand which was then absorbed through his skin. He then got in the cryotherapy chamber and froze to death because he was unable to get out of the machine due to being paralyzed. Kendra's name is cleared but she is poisoned when she drinks from the wine bottle Brett gave her for her birthday. Owen performs CPR on her and ends up getting poisoned as well. When he comes to, he is in a hospital room. Kendra, TK, Carlos, and Paul are present at his bedside. Gabriel Reyes drops by to apologize to Owen for being justifiably angry at him. I'm sorry but I don't think Gabriel was wrong about what he said to Owen. Some would argue that Gabriel should've never shared police information with Owen in the first place but I think he was coming from a place of this man is the father of the man my son is marrying and we're going to be family. Owen really nutted up by compromising an ongoing investigation which could have resulted in Gabriel losing his job so I don't think he should've gone easy on Owen. 

Now let's talk about Tommy's storyline. Tommy Vega is still seeing Pastor Trevor Parks (DB Woodside) and regularly attends a bible study he leads along with her daughters and Grace Ryder. When Grace overhears a few gossipy church ladies insinuating Tommy and Trevor are doing something inappropriate, she tells her friend. Tommy is pretty chill about it and when Grace asks if she and Trevor have been intimate, she doesn't exactly give an answer. Now this is the part I found a wee bit unbelievable. Tommy and Grace are besties. Tommy is Grace's girl and vice-versa. These two have weathered a lot of storms together. Grace and Judd's accident. Tommy losing Charles and then hooking up with his brother, Julius. I would like to think that if there's anyone on the planet Tommy can be candid with regardly her romantic and sex life, it's Grace Ryder. I get the point the episode is trying to make. Regardless of what Tommy and Trevor are doing behind closed doors, it's no one's business. Yes, he may be a minister, a man of God, but he's still a man and therefore subject to the same follies as any other man. However, it's odd that Grace doesn't know more details about Tommy and Trevor's romance. 

Unfortunately, Trevor isn't as chill about the idle gossip as Tommy is and he worries about his reputation. Trevor reveals the reason he left his last church and relocated to Austin, TX with his daughter. His ex-wife cheated on him with the choir director. The elders at the church removed him from his pastoral position because they believed him unfit to preside over their congregation since he couldn't even control his own marriage, How humiliating! And disgusting! Church people, I swear! As someone who grew up in the church, the Baptist church, something like this happening totally tracks with things I've seen. The worst part is that I totally get where Trevor is coming from. I just hate that Tommy's the collateral damage. Gina Torres does an amazing job in the scene where Trevor breaks up with Tommy. You could really feel how utterly heartbroken she was. This is the second heartbreak Tommy has endured since we met her in season two.

The best moment of the episode is when Tommy arrives at church looking like the Dark Phoenix in a stunning red pantsuit. Tommy walks down the center aisle drawing the attention of the entire congregation and commandeers the pulpit. She reads a scripture about gossipers and delivers a scathing speech to those who have judged her. 

Tommy: "Keep thou tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy. The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure. Which is what I think is God's way of saying, 'If you can't say anything nice, keep your damn mouth shut'."

Cue me clutching my imaginary pearls! Tommy went off on those two old ladies and the best part of all is she called them by name. That's what I'm talking about, Tommy Vega! Tommy talks about how there is so much tragedy and meanness in the world and everyday she is fighting it. She says those things should be left outside the moment they all walk through the church doors. She then says that she shouldn't have to deal with negativity at church but if negativity comes her way, she will deal with it. She will not be shamed and she will not be driven from church. It should be noted that Grace, Judd and Trevor's daughter, Melody, are all in support of what Tommy is saying as well as most of the other churchgoers. When she finishes, she tells Trevor he can have the pulpit back and he kisses her. This is his way of letting her and the rest of the congregation know that he loves her. The congregation breaks out in applause and we have the end of our episode. 

I really liked this episode. I thought both plots were great. It was nice getting to see Paul shine a bit more. I also love any occasion where we get to see the Tommy and Grace friendship. I found Owen endearing in this episode. Sometimes I have mixed feelings when Owen goes into detective mode but the writers made a great decision when they put Paul in the mix. I still think that moments like this render Carlos useless. We're four seasons into this show and at this point Carlos is there to be TK's fiance and someone who plays Settlers of Catan with the rest of the JV squad. I sort of got the impression that we'd see Carlos exploring becoming a detective this season after the amazing detective work he did last season but we've gotten nothing on that front. I like Carlos as a character. He provides some much-needed Latinx and gay representation to this show. However, what's the point of having him as a police officer when we rarely get to see him save the day. What makes things even worse is that his 9-1-1 counterpart, Athena Grant, is always saving the day. Anywho, enough about that. The episode was pretty great and it's definitely one worth rewatching. We only have a few episodes left this season so I'm pretty excited to see how things end. Until next time ...

#911 lone star reaction #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #911 lone star reaction 2023 #911 lone star #fox 911 lone star #911 ls 4x14 #911 ls s4 #rob lowe #gina torres #db woodside #brian michael smith #sierra mcclain #benito martinez #ronen rubinstein #rafael l silva #michaela mcmanus #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023

[reasonandfaithinharmony]

2023 writing gif-making round up

Rules (adapted for fic, gifs, art, etc.): Share what you made this year! It can be works you posted to Ao3, Wattpad, Tumblr, or anywhere else! You can share everything you made or just the projects you're most excited about. Thank you for the tag, @thisbuildinghasfeelings!

January

Um. Coming to terms with the idea of 2023? I dunno. But certainly nothing creative happened here.

February

Boyfriend → husband (Schitt's Creek) — A side-by-side comparison of how David refers to Patrick in season 4 and season 6. (Brought to you courtesy of a lovely text post by @jesuisici33.)

David questioning Stevie's motives (Schitt’s Creek) — A fun look at David's expressive face. 😄

March and April

An existential crisis. Or two. Or five. 🙃 Managed to finish absolutely nothing.

I did come in contact with a lot of 911 Lone Star content, however. Which explains everything that follows. Oops?

May

Marry me. (911 Lone Star) — Ah, my first gif set for this show. A parallel of TK referring to Carlos as his husband when he proposes, and then during their wedding ceremony.

Wedding → honeymoon (911 Lone Star) — Holding hands right after they first kiss as husbands. (Promo footage that didn't actually make the final episode cut). And holding hands poolside on their honeymoon.

Note: From here on out, everything in this list is for Lone Star, unless otherwise specified.

June

TK and Andrea helping Carlos get ready — A parallel set highlighting similar moments from Best of Men and a deleted scene from In Sickness and in Health

We almost forgot. Your boutonnière. — In which I attempt to put a couple pieces of unaired footage back together: the deleted scene with Andrea and Carlos + promo footage of what must be the same scene

Heart tutorial — Danielle Savre and Stefania Spampinato teach Rafael Silva how to make a heart sign with his hands at the First Responders Reunion 🫶

July

🤨 (affectionate) — Listen. I love this dynamic. Had to do the parallel set.

Nothing ever stays the same, Carlos. — A look at TK and Carlos' conversation in 2x04 in parallel with Carlos' wedding vows. The first set I wanted to do for Lone Star. Took me a while to get to it because I wasn't sure how to put it together.

August

TK needs you all to RSVP — My first attempt at this type of post. Incorrect quotes? Text post memes? I don't know what to call them, really. But it was definitely fun. And then it became the thing I did most often. Lol.

And if it never changes? // What if everything changes again? — A parallel set for me and ~5 other people, putting Tarlos in 2x04 side by side with Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

September

You're a menace to society *smooch smooch smooch* — My next incorrect quotes/meme post. And my contribution to ascribing cat-like behavior to TK.

I like him a normal amount — A fandom reaction gif, essentially. Courtesy of Joey Tribbiani on Friends.

Love is stored in humans finding out we can make heart shapes with our hands — Had to revisit the heart tutorial for Rafa. This time as one of the incorrect quotes/text posts.

When you can be silly and slutty with them — Oh, I had fun with this look at TK and Carlos' relationship. 😍

Pretty sure this happened at least once — In which we learn TK was seen trying to catch a frog outside the firehouse. Obviously.

October

Carlos is lit like an angel — Commentary on that beautiful moment from 2x02 where TK falls into Carlos' arms.

I put my emotions into my cooking. // This tastes… horny? — A playful and sexy look at Carlos in the kitchen with TK, and then heading upstairs… 😏

I adore you. Why are you like this? I’m going to kiss you with such fervor… — Oh, just exploring the Tarlos relationship dynamic with a text post and a scene from 3x18.

November

Unedited Gif Game (26 entries so far) — This has been very fun. I think it was good for me to have a bunch of low-stakes gif projects where I was not in charge. Lol. I will spare you individual links to each of them. But they should all be in the tag linked here. I will probably make this an ongoing thing, as long as it's not annoying everyone.

December

Episode vs. Promo: Yee-Haw (1x02) — Let's start diving into some more unaired footage, shall we? And let's start with some alt takes on that first make-out scene.

Missing moments: then and now — From an almost-kiss in 1x02 to an alt kiss from their wedding.

You're a miracle, TK Strand. My miracle. — A rather large close-up gif of that alt wedding kiss. Why? So we can see the teardrop that beads up under Carlos' eye.

Tags below the cut…

Tagging: @rmd-writes, @reyesstrand, @strandnreyes, @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut, @carlos-in-glasses, @lemonlyman-dotcom, @birdclowns, @welcometololaland, @lizzie-bennetdarcy, @rosedavid, @heartstringsduet, @noxsoulmate, @chicgeekgirl89, @paperstorm, @tailoredshirt, @guardian-angle22, @swearphil, @carlos-tk, @three-drink-amy, @orchidscript, @danieljradcliffe, @lightningboltreader + open tag!

#tag game #2023 writing (gif-making) round up #2023 round up #mythings #mysc #my911ls #tarlos #911 lone star #schitt's creek #david x patrick

[noxsoulmate]

❄️ Driving Home for Christmas ❄️

Ship: Tarlos | Fandom: 911 Lone Star | Author: noxsoulmate | Read on ao3

Written for: @12daysofchristmas ❄️ day eleven: ❄️ 2021: Mistletoe ❄️ 2022: Music/Songs ❄️ 2023: “Skip Santa, we’re both on the naughty list, anyway.”

Chapter: 11/12 | Word Count: 2116 | WIP WC: 25622 | Rating: General Audiences | Warnings/Tags: Stranded, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Mutual Pining, Idiots in Love, Snowed In, Cuddling & Snuggling, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Snowball Fight, Ice Skating, Meddling Kids, Mistletoe, Hot Chocolate, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Fluff, Getting Back Together, Holiday Sweaters, Hoodies, Domestic Fluff

Chapter Summary:

The boys are back in town – and finally back together?

❄️ Read on ao3 ❄️

Daily updates!

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Sneak peek under the cut:

(...)

“Carlos,” TK murmurs softly, not wanting to startle him awake. When he doesn’t react, TK reaches over, softly shaking his shoulder. “Hey, babe, wake up.” Still no reaction, so TK brushes a hand through Carlos’ curls – God, how he fucking missed that – gently calling out again. “Carlos, come on. We’re home.”

Another second passes before Carlos surges up, startled awake after all. “What? Everything okay? Is there another tree?”

“No,” TK chuckles, letting his hand fall to Carlos’ shoulder blades as he gently rubs his back. “No tree. We made it.”

“What?” Carlos asks, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he looks over at TK. The man must’ve been really far gone and his confused stare is just so adorable.

TK grins, nodding towards the passenger window, repeating, “We’re home.”

❄️ Continue on ao3 ❄️

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Noxy’s Tagging List:

@detective-giggles, @sgirl18, @firstprince-history-huh, @beautifulhigh, @rangergurlgleek1211, @shadesofdeviant, @actuallysara, @carlos-in-glasses, @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut, @wtfuckevenknows, @paperstorm, @lightningboltreader, @meditating-honey-badger, @sugdenlovesdingle, @alidravana, @morganaspendragonss, @bonheur-cafe, @heartstringsduet, @ravens-words, @lire-casander, @otter-love-asl, @buckybarnesalways, @mangacat201, @catanisspicy, @lemonlyman-dotcom, @a-kinkajou, @juuls, @paxdracona, @whatsintheboxmh, @carlos-tk, @reasonandfaithinharmony

#tarlos #911 lone star #noxy writes #driving home for christmas #tarlos christmas fic #tarlos holiday fic #tk strand #carlos reyes #12 days of christmas #day 11

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for the season 4, seventh episode "Tommy Dearest" which originally aired March 7, 2023. This episode was written by Bob Goodman and Jamie Kessler and directed by Scott White. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1: LONE STAR***Captain Owen Strand and the 118 prevent all of Austin from being blown to kingdom calm. 

Now that we're all caught up, let's talk about episode seven - TOMMY DEAREST.

We begin the episode at the firehouse. Owen catches Paul chatting with "an old friend from Chicago". Owen talks to Paul about helping TK and Carlos with their wedding. Meanwhile, Paul's phone is blowing up with text after text. Paul slips up and mentions that the  "old friend from Chicago" is a *she* which gets Owen's attention. Owen asks if this *she* is more than a friend but Paul tells him that's not like that. Owen encourages Paul to go after her, whoever she is. I love seeing Owen and Paul hanging out. We rarely get to see these two interact and I love how fatherly Owen can be in these moments.  

Their late-night chat is interrupted when a man named Jerry (Marcus Terrell Smith) wheels his wife Hannah (Abigail Bhimani) into the firehouse on a refrigerator dolly. Jerry tells Owen and Paul that his wife is having a medical emergency and if she is turned right-side up, she will die ... again. The rest of the 126 arrive and we learn that Hannah and Jerry were doing the horizontal mambo when she "died" the first time. Tommy says she needs to lie Hannah back to check her vitals but this causes Hannah to flatline. When they move her upside down again, her heartbeat returns to normal. Jerry mentions that Hannah has a pacemaker which is probably something he should have mentioned up front and Tommy theorizes that the pacemaker wire has become dislodged from Hannah's ventricle. Hannah needs to be taken to the hospital ASAP but since transporting her flat is not an option, they place her on the back of the rig upside down. 

Title card!

We then head over to Casa de Vega and see Tommy and Trevor (DB Woodside) making lasagna together ... and that's not a euphemism. I want to point out how amazing Tommy looks in this scene. Trevor is super nervous about telling the girls he and Tommy are an item and Tommy does some breathing exercises with him to help him relax. They hear the girls - Isabella, Evie, and Melody (Bella Blanding) playing together in the next room. During dinner, Tommy and Trevor let the girls know they are dating and the girls seem okay with this news. When Trevor, Isabella, and Evie go into the kitchen to get ice cream, Melody tells Tommy she needs to break up with Trevor. DEMON CHILD!!!!

We then head over to the Ryders' house where we see Tommy tell Grace and Judd about Melody. Judd calls her a "bad seed". Tommy tries to sympathize with Melody because she remembers what it was like when her own parents divorced. Tommy tels them she is going to cancel her date with Trevor and Grace tells her not to do that. Grace tells Tommy she should tell Trevor about Melody.

Back at the firehouse, Asha Fulton (Amanda Payton) returns to close out the case concerning Marjan. Apparently the couple who were trying to extort her have dropped their case against Marjan. Imagine that. Nancy, Mateo and TK think this is great news and can't wait to let Marjan know. Paul lets them know he's already told her. The others pick up on Paul's awkward behavior in front of Asha and figure out that he's interested in her. TK says he felt sparks between the two. Paul lets them know that he and Asha went to school together in Chicago and they have been reconnecting via text. Nancy, Mateo, and TK think Paul should ask her out. 

In our next scene, we see a pizza delivery man named Lance (Greg Hess) arriving at the home of a shut-in. He rings the doorbell multiple times and when the owner doesn't come to the door, he looks through the window and sees her on the floor having what appears to be a seizure. Lance calls 9-1-1 and of course he gets Grace on the line. Grace figures out that the owner of the house has a medic alert bracelet due to being diabetic. She tells Lance to break into her house. Lance manages to mule kick the door in and tends to the owner whose name is Valerie (Cheryl Lynn Bowers). He finds her insulin pen and injects her. When she comes to, she freaks out and tases Lance twice which stops his heart. Valerie calls 9-1-1 and gets Grace's coworker Bree (Nina Concepcion). Both Grace and Bree realize their callers are at the same scene. Thankfully Tommy, Nancy, and TK arrive on the scene and they are able to revive him. As Lance is being loaded into the ambulance, Valerie takes a step out of her house for the first time and asks him on a date. What a cute little meet-cute. Hope it works out between these two!

Later that day, Tommy arrives at Trevor's house and is shocked to see Grace there. Grace tells her she will be babysitting Melody while Tommy and Trevor are on their date. Trevor and Melody come out to the main room and Melody gushes over how beautiful Tommy looks. Tommy looked sexy as hell in this scene! Gina Torres is a knockout! Grace and Trevor leave the room which gives Melody a chance to tell Tommy that her dress is inappropriate. Tommy tells her she is not breaking up with Trevor. When Grace and Trevor come back into the room, Melody hugs her father and shoots Tommy a death stare. Methinks this little girl is a total psychopath. We then see Paul and Asha on a date and it looks like the two of them are really hitting it off. Things take an awkward turn when Asha takes out their middle school yearbook. Asha seems to revel in the memories but Paul looks visibly uncomfortable. I imagine it must not be easy for him to see photos of himself pre-transition. 

Speaking of dates, Tommy and Trevor have dinner at a pretty snazzy restaurant. Tommy goes to broach the topic of Melody with Trevor but Trevor gets a call from Grace. The two of them head back to Trevor's place and see Melody "sick" on the sofa. Grace apologizes to Tommy for calling during their date. Tommy offers to take a look at  Melody and makes up for an illness which I thought was hilarious. Something about juvenile gastro-something. She tells Trevor that the cure for this juvenile gastro-something is milk with pickle juice, horseradish (seriously who has horseradish at home), minced garlic, a raw egg, soy sauce, and tobasco sauce. Grace and Trevor leave the room to make Tommy's abuela's remedy and Tommy tells Melody to cut the act. When they return with the drink, Melody calls Tommy's bluff and drinks the nasty drink. Tommy is horrified by this and honestly so am I!

Over at the firehouse, TK, Nancy and Mateo see Paul working out in the gym. They ask him about how his date with Asha went. Paul tells them he doesn't think things will work between him and Asha. Paul then lashes out at the three of them and Owen overhears him. Owen asks to speak with Paul in his office. Owen asks Paul what's going on and Paul tells him about Asha. Paul says the problem with Asha is that she already knows everything about him, including him being trans and during their date Asha wanted to revisit old memories. Paul tells Owen he used to play basketball before he transitioned. He then says he gave up a lot of things so he could become the person he is today. He calls it a survival mechanism. I really like this scene because it's just a reminder of what trans people have to go through in order to live authentically. The fact that a trans actor is saying this through a trans character made this scene even more powerful for me and I'm so glad that Owen just listened which is what most marginalized folks need from their allies. 

Meanwhile, Judd teases Tommy about the nasty drink she gave to Melody. Tommy says she was only following Judd's advice. Judd calls her Tommy Dearest which I thought was hilarious. Melody shows up at the firehouse, without her dad, and tells Tommy she needs to speak with her. Melody says she Googled the illness Tommy said she had the night before and it does not exist. Tommy tries to make a truce with the 12-year-old but Melody says they are just getting to the fun part. Melody mentions Tommy's brother-in-law, Julius, and records Tommy talking about her intimate relationship with Julius. Melody threatens to blackmail Tommy if she doesn't break up with Trevor. Seriously, this kid is a sociopath! She should be checked out by a professional. 

Tommy heads over to the dispatch center to have some girl talk with Grace. Grace learns about Tommy's fling with Julius but isn't judgmental about it. She even asks Tommy how it was. Grace!!! I'm clutching my pearls over here. Tommy tells Grace she overheard Evie and Isabella talking about Melody having a secret Tik-Tok and suggests blackmailing her back. Grace thinks this is ridiculous and tells Tommy again she should just talk to Trevor. 

Tommy heads over to Trevor's and finds him in the middle of writing his sermon. He asks Tommy what's wrong and she says she thinks they jumped the gun by telling the girls about their relationship. Tommy tells Trevor she slept with her deceased husband's brother and Trevor, like Grace, is not judgmental. Trevor suspects that Melody has said something to Tommy but she lies and says no. She then tells him it's best they break up now before someone gets hurt. Trevor tells her it's too late for that. Melody comes out of her room and says she's hurting. Tommy thinks she's crying wolf but this time Melody is being serious. Tommy checks her out and figures out immediately what's going on. The two of them go to Melody's room.

Turns out Melody got her period and Tommy is there to help her through this pivotal moment in her young ife. Melody starts to cry and says she wishes her mom were there. Tommy tells Melody she can talk to her. Melody finally apologizes to Tommy for all the messed up stuff she's been doing. She says that Tommy's the first person her dad has dated since divorcing her mom. Tommy is so amazing in this moment as she comforts Melody. Melody asks if Tommy can un-dump her father and Tommy says she won't do it alone.

Back at the firehouse, Owen tosses a basketball at Paul. He then shows Paul the basketball goal he's set up. The two of them start playing a game of one-on-one. Paul looked so happy in this moment. Nancy, Judd, Mateo, and TK show up and Owen suggests they play three-on-three. Paul is really good at basketball and a part of me wonders if Brian Michael Smith is good at basketball in real life.

We then see Tommy and Trevor having ice cream with the girls. Tommy and Melody seem to be getting along quite well. The five of them look really good together and it would be so nice if Tommy and Trevor do end up together and they have a blended family. 

So, that's it for "Tommy Dearest"! This episode was a nice palate cleanser after last week's resolution to the big terrorist plot. We got a few emergencies, none of which were super serious. Both emergencies were also hilarious in hindsight, even though poor Hannah died twice. I love that we got to focus on Tommy this episode. We got introduced to Trevor back in episode one and we haven't really gotten a chance to spend time with him and Tommy until this episode. I love how supportive Grace and Judd are with Tommy. I love their friendship. I really like Trevor as a love interest for Tommy because the whole dalliance with her dead husband's brother was not a good look. 

I also like that we also got to spend some time with Paul. We haven't really seen Paul date since season one and it's so refreshing to see that Asha is fine with Paul just the way he is. I was worried his being trans was going to be an obstacle for them and I'm so glad the writers decided not to go in that direction. I hope we get to see more of Asha and I hope we get to see her date Paul. Paul deserves to have a partner much like TK and Carlos and Judd and Grace and Tommy and Trevor. 

Lastly, to all the Owen haters out there, you got your wish. Owen was in the background much of this episode and when he was in a scene, he didn't dominate. I like that we stepped back a bit from Owen, TK, and Carlos. I find it funny that people talk about how much Owen dominates the show but turn a blind eye to all the screen time TK and Carlos get. Hopefully this is a sign we will be focusing on the other characters. I need a Nancy-centric episode ASAP. Hopefully the writers give me what I need! Until next time ... 

#911 lone star reaction #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #911 lone star reaction 2023 #911 lone star #fox 911 lone star #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023 #911 ls 4x07 #911 ls s4 #rob lowe #gina torres #sierra mcclain #jim parrack #brian michael smith #db woodside

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for season 4, sixteenth episode "A House Divided" which originally aired on May 9, 2023. The episode was written by Matt Solik and directed by Tessa Blake. Spoilers ahead!

We begin the episode in the hospital. Thankfully it's not Owen or TK but it is another Strand. Robert Strand (Chad Lowe) has cut his hand while slicing open a bagel. Robert laments the tremor he has in his hand and tells Owen he is running out of excuses for not being able to play catch with his daughter. Robert still hasn't told his daughters about his diagnosis because he doesn't want to blow up their world. Owen admits he kept his lung cancer diagnosis from TK in the beginning. He tells Robert that he thought he was going to die but after several rounds of chemo and surgery he is still alive. Robert says that Huntington's is not cancer. There's no chemo or treatment for it. He describes it as a vicious, unrelenting descent to the end. He then tells Owen he and his wife are already making preparations for what's to come. Robert encourages Owen to check to see if he has the gene. 

Title card! Wow! I haven't written that in a while.

Our first emergency of the episode involves a yard sale. Vic (Michael McMilian) and Clara (Ellie Araiza) are  a divorced couple who are attempting to sell their things much to the disapproval of their adorable son, Quincy (Lincoln Bodin). We see Quincy talking to a creepy dude and then he is gone. Vic and Clara are freaking out and my first thought was that the creepy dude walked off with him. Clara dials 9-1-1 and Carlos arrives on the scene. Thankfully Quincy is still in the yard, in an old armoire, but due to it being super hot outside, he is unresponsive. Grace coaches Carlos on how to revive Quincy. Carlos goes over to Checkov's lemonade stand and pours a pitcher of ice cold lemonade onto Quincy which wakes him up. Quincy tells his parents he hid in the armoire because he doesn't want to leave. 

Owen heads over to TK and Carlos' apartment and tells his son that Robert was diagnosed with Huntington's a month ago. TK says he didn't notice any symptoms when they had dinner together. Owen tells him that Robert hides his tremors and cognitive issues well but they are progressing. TK is confused because Robert drove himself halfway across the country to visit them both in Texas. Owen says he is planning on taking some time off from the firehouse so he can drive Robert back to California. While he is gone, Judd will be in charge of the 126.

TK points out that Huntington's disease is hereditary and asks Owen if Robert knows which of his parents carries the gene. Owen tells TK that the gene was passed down from Owen and Robert's dad - TK's grandfather. TK connects the dots that if Robert has the disease then there's a chance he and Owen may wind up with it. TK is overwhelmed by this news and wonders if he should postpone the wedding. Owen encourages him to keep on living his life. TK tells him there's no way he can marry Carlos with a death sentence hanging over his head. Owen reminds him that everyone has a death sentence hanging over their head. He tells TK that he just got tested and he will have the results in 48 hours. If it turns out he doesn't have the gene then TK will definitely not have it. TK tells Owen he could've waited for a negative result and then never have said anything but Owen says he is done hiding things from him. He tells TK that he needs him just as much as TK needs him. 

We head over to the Ryders' residence and see a game of charades already in progress. This reminded me of the scene in season two where Grace and Judd, Tommy and Charles, and Owen and Gwyn were playing charades. This time around we have Grace and Judd, Tommy and Trevor Parks (DB Woodside) and Wyatt (Jackson Pace) and his girlfriend, Leigh Ann (Jessi Case). Trevor asks Wyatt about joining the fire academy and the latter tries to downplay how things are going. Leigh Ann pipes up and tells the room that everything is going well. Judd brags about Wyatt's ladder drill time which is 5 minutes and 29 seconds. He says that when he was in the academy the fastest time was 5 minutes and 50 seconds. Wyatt continues to be modest about his accomplishments but Leigh Ann tells everyone that he's been getting calls from captains in the area trying to recruit him. This scene was so cute because Judd is clearly so proud of Wyatt. Side note: Judd looked hot as hell in the glasses he was wearing. End of side note. Wyatt mentions that when he graduates he's been invited to join the 122 or the 124. Tommy says he should consider working for Captain Ryder at the 126. Judd shrugs off the compliment and says he is only acting captain while Owen is away. Judd admits that every time he is left in charge of the 126, he's always worried things are going to crash and burn. Tommy says the house couldn't be in better hands and reminds him that he's an excellent captain.

Trevor gets a notification on his phone about a table opening up at a really fancy, hard-to-get-into restaurant and asks if he should make a reservation. The others tell him to make a reservation and plans are made to have dinner together the following Thursday. Wyatt and Leigh Ann will babysit Baby Charlie. 

Our second emergency of the episode involves a fire at a paper mill. Judd is acting as captain and gives out orders. He sends Marjan, Mateo, and Paul inside the building to search for people. Tommy, Nancy, and TK arrive on the scene and set up triage in the parking lot. A woman comes up to TOmmy and tells her that her friend Jimmy is trapped inside of a machine inside the burning building. Tommy radios Judd to tell her she, Nancy, and TK are heading inside to check on the man and Judd tells her to be careful. Tommy, Nancy and TK locate Jimmy and they see that his arm is trapped. Jimmy's heart is racing and he is barely clinging to consciousness. Tommy radios Judd and tells him Jimmy is bleeding internally and asks for an ETA on when additional help arrives. Judd tells her he is still waiting on the 129. Meanwhile, Marjan hears one of the machines inside the mill making noises and radios to Judd. He tells her that it's probably chemicals and commands her, Mateo, and Paul to exit the building. Judd sends out a may day for everyone to evacuate. 

Tommy orders Nancy and TK to evacuate. Judd asks them where Tommy is and TK tells him she's still inside with the patient. Nancy tells him that the patient is stuck in a machine and Tommy needs help with extrication. Judd radios Tommy and tells her he gave the evacuation order and she needs to get out of the building. Tommy says she has a pulse on the patient. Judd places Marjan in charge and heads inside the building. Judd takes an axe and uses it to cut off the man's arm and he carries him out of the building with Tommy on his heels. The mill explodes moments later.

Back at the house, things are pretty frosty between both captains. Judd approaches Tommy and asks if she wants to talk about what happened at the paper mill. Tommy says there's nothing to talk about. Yes she lost someone in the field but it's something that happens. Judd clarifies that he's asking her about her disregard for his direct order to evacuate. Tommy says she heard his order but she chose to not follow it because she was trying to save Jimmy's life. Judd informs her that he has an after action report to fill out and he doesn't know what to document. Tommy encourages him to document what actually happened. Judd tells her he feels uncomfortable documenting what really happened due to their friendship. He then says he doesn't want to pull rank but Tommy reminds him they have the same rank. Tommy reminds him that as fire captain he gets to call the shots on how to best put out a fire and as paramedic captain she gets to decide what is the best way to treat an injured patient. Judd says that sometimes those two things don't always align and on their call he was the incident commander, therefore it was his duty to protect everyone in the paper mill. Tommy says it's her duty to protect her patients and she was not going to leave Jimmy to die. Judd reminds her that Jimmy did die and that it's by the grace of God that they didn't die along with him. Tommy tells Judd that she didn't ask for him to come into the paper mill. She then asks if he would like an apology from her. Judd tells her he ain't looking for an apology. What he is looking for is the assurance that something like that isn't going to happen on a future call. Tommy says she cannot predict the future. Judd flips the script and says that he can't predict the future either, however, he would like the confidence to know that the mother of his goddaughters is going to make it home - especially since they just lost their father. Tommy is clearly rattled by hearing this and tells Judd he doesn't get to use that against her. She tells him she is done with their conversation and gets up and leaves.

Carlos gets home from his shift and finds TK still awake. TK tells him that he can't sleep and when Carlos presses him about it, TK tells him that things are not okay. He tells Carlos about his uncle Robert's Huntington disease diagnosis and how it's hereditary. Carlos points out that Robert and Owen are only half-brothers but TK tells him that it comes from his grandfather's side. Carlos takes in this news and asks if there's a way to test for it. TK tells him that Owen is currently waiting for the results. If Owen doesn't have it, TK is in the clear. Carlos asks about the potential symptoms associated with Huntington's and TK says aside from all of the cognitive issues, there will be struggles with walking, eating, talking, and breathing. Everything starts shutting down. Carlos says it's a LOT to process and TK agrees. TK tells Carlos he has zero expectations and he doesn't want this to be a death sentence for both of them. Carlos asks what he means and TK tells him he doesn't expect Carlos to go through with the wedding. He doesn't want to be a burden on Carlos. Carlos reminds about the whole 'in sickness and in health' part of their marriage vows but TK is unconvinced. He is worried that he'll end up forgetting who Carlos is. Carlos says that he'll just have to remind him every day. Carlos tells TK that they are soulmates which is the first time he has said this out loud. Carlos assures TK that he will not run away. 

Asha Fulton (Amanda Payton) arrives at the firehouse and Nancy assumes she is there to see Paul. She is actually there to see Captain Vega. Asha goes to Tommy's office and talks to her about the incident at the paper mill fire. She asks Tommy if she recalls an order being given to evacuate the building and Tommy says she does. While Tommy is questioned, she sees Judd and it is very evident things are not good between these two. Trevor arrives at Tommy's house to pick her up for their double dinner date with Judd and Grace. Tommy is not dressed and tells Trevor they should cancel their dinner plans. Trevor insists they cannot cancel their reservation because it was a miracle he got the reservation in the first place. Tommy tells Trevor she can't break bread with a snitch, the snitch being Judd Ryder. She goes on to explain that Judd called HR on her due to the two of them having a difference of opinion. That's the understatement of the century, haha.

Meanwhile, Judd is having a similar conversation with Grace who is looking absolutely stunning. Grace believes her husband may have overreacted when he reported Tommy but he insists he didn't want to get HR involved. Judd says that since he has been trusted with the responsibility of being captain in the absence of Owen, he wants to make sure he is following the rules. Grace tells Judd he needs to get dressed but like Tommy, he is not in the mood to dine out.

Back at Tommy's place, Trevor is practically begging her to get dressed so they can go out but Tommy is being stubborn. He starts quoting Proverbs to her but Tommy tells him to not get biblical on her. Grace is also quoting scripture to Judd. Neither Grace nor Trevor seem to be getting through to their partners. Eventually Tommy and Judd acquiesce to going to dinner. The scene at the restaurant is one of the funniest scenes of the show. Things between Judd and Tommy get worse when their respective partners try to play mediator. Before long, Grace and Trevor are sniping back and forth at each other while Judd and Tommy watch in horror. Eventually both couples are thrown out of the fancy restaurants and things between our two captains are no better than what they were before they all sat down to break bread together. 

The next day at the house, it's the paramedics versus the firefighters. Judd and Tommy's feud has trickled down to their subordinates and now the whole family is at odds. I'd just like to point out that nothing like this has ever happened when Owen Strand was in charge. Just saying. Tommy breaks up the bickering between Nancy, TK, Mateo, Marjan and Paul and reminds them that even though they are two teams, they are one family. Judd goes to talk to Tommy and tells her he appreciates what she said. Tommy tells him that everything she said was true. Judd says that even though there were some things said the night before, the only thing that matters is that they love and respect each other. Tommy tells him that's never changed. Judd asks if he and Tommy are good and she says they've always been good. Tommy tells him she's made arrangements so that her paramedics will work an opposite shift from the firefighters until Owen gets back. 

In our final emergency scene of the episode, the 126 paramedics respond to a call where someone has been hit while riding a bicycle. When Tommy, Nancy, and TK arrive at the scene, they discover the victim is Wyatt. Judd arrives at the hospital and asks Tommy where Wyatt is. She tells him that Wyatt is in surgery. She also lets Judd know that Wyatt has some brain swelling and several broken vertebrae but he has the best spinal cord surgeon in Austin working on him. Judd starts to fall apart and Tommy reminds him that Wyatt is alive and that his vitals are strong. Judd asks Tommy to shoot straight with him. He asks her how bad it is and she tells him she doesn't know. She tells him that they will have to wait and see and that she will wait for him. 

TK gets a call from his dad who is at the beach with Robert and his family in California. He tells TK that he got the results back from the clinic and he is negative for the Huntington gene which means TK is also in the clear. TK is relieved and Owen tells him he should celebrate. TK tells him he should celebrate as well. Owen tells him that Robert's having a barbecue for him for his last night in California. 

In the final scene of the episode, Owen and Robert are sitting on a bench at the beach. Owen notices Robert has a tremor in his left land which means his Huntington's symptoms are getting worse. He asks Robert how long he plans on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his wife and kids and Robert says he will tell him soon. Owen says the problem with soon is that eventually it becomes later. He tells Robert not to do what he did when he kept TK in the dark about his cancer diagnosis. Robert says he will tell them tomorrow after Owen leaves to head back to Texas. He says he promises they will know before TK's wedding. Owen is surprised to hear that Robert is still coming. Robert says he will bring his wife and his daughters because he wants them to meet his family. 

Robert says he has a favor to ask of Owen. He says that he plans on staying in Texas after the wedding so he can spend some more time with Owen. Owen says he thinks that will be great but he doesn't think he'll be able to drive him back to California afterwards. Robert says he won't have to drive him back because he doesn't plan on coming back to California. He then asks Owen to help him die. End of episode. 

Whoa! This episode was way intense and I enjoyed every moment of it. I love the beef between Judd and Tommy. We've never seen these two be at odds before and it was fun seeing them going toe-to-toe. The interesting part about their disagreement is that I saw both sides. I totally got where Judd was coming from. At the end of the day, he knows what it's like to lose someone on the team and he doesn't want to see that happen to anyone on the 126. However, Tommy's job is to save people, even if it means putting her own life in harm's way. I'm glad these two are back to being friends again. I just hate that it took something bad happening for that to happen.

The plot involving Owen and his brother, Robert, was also well done. It sucks that Owen lost his brother when he was really young and now he's about to lose his other brother. This is all coming so close on the heels of him losing Gwyn. Both Owen and TK have endured so much loss on this show and this seems so unfair but it does make for great storytelling. I truly wonder if Owen is going to be able to help his brother end his life. It's even more messed up when you realize that Owen wasn't able to save his brother Tyler and he won't be able to save his brother Robert and his whole life is dedicated to rescuing people. Ugh! I feel really bad for Owen. Well, I guess we'll have to wait to see what he decides to do. Until next time!

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[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for season 4, fifteenth episode "Donors" which originally aired on May 2, 2023. The episode was written by Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson and directed by Brenna Malloy. Spoilers ahead!

The 126 arrive on the scene of a car accident and find one of the vehicles on fire. The driver of the other vehicle reports that the other driver fled the scene and that there's someone trapped inside the burning car. Marjan puts out the fire and Mateo extracts the passenger from the backseat. Tommy, Nancy, and TK load the victim into the ambulance and rush him to the nearest hospital.

In the ambulance, Tommy examines the comatose victim and realizes his injuries were not sustained in the crash. She finds a scar on his belly and yells for Nancy to notify the hospital to have their transplant unit on standby. This man has recently undergone a kidney transplant and the reason he is unconscious is because he is still under anesthesia. They arrive at the hospital but the doctor with the transplant unit is at lunch. Tommy sends Nancy inside to locate the doctor on-call. Meanwhile, there's a clatter coming from inside the ambulance. Tommy goes to investigate and finds TK knocked out. Poor TK. It's a miracle this man doesn't have permanent brain damage based on the number of traumas he's endured over the last several seasons. Thankfully he's okay but he does have a black eye and a bruised ego to match.

Tommy talks to a detective regarding the missing kidney-transplant patient. Detective McGregor (Adam Baldwin) tells her that none of the hospitals in the area have performed a kidney transplant surgery. He suggests that the victim procured his kidney via a less than legal way. Tommy tells him that he needs to stop whatever underground organ harvesting operation is behind this. Detective McGregor says he doesn't have the resources or manpower to investigate something so large, especially for one patient. Tommy says she's less worried about the transplant patient and more concerned about whoever the kidney was taken from. 

I should point out that this is a reunion of sorts for Gina Torres and Adam Baldwin. The two of them along with Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass played on the much beloved series Firefly and its film sequel, Serenity. Now I don't know all that much about Mr. Baldwin but based on some things I read on his Wikipedia page, he had a LOT in common with the character he is playing in this episode. P.S., Detective McGregor was a huge dick the entire episode and I love how he got humbled at the end. More on that later.

A young woman named Lexi (Mychala Lee) regains consciousness in a tub filled with ice. She sees a phone and uses it to dial 9-1-1. She gets Grace on the line and Grace instructs her to get out of the tub. Lexi freaks out when she notices a scar on his stomach. She suspects someone has taken her kidney and starts to lose consciousness due to severe bloodlost. Thankfully the paramedics arrive at the hotel room just in the nick of time. Grace goes to visit Lexi in the hospital and learns that the only family she has left is her stepfather who she does not have a relationship with. Lexi blames herself for what's happened to her but Grace assures her that she is not to blame. Grace presses her for information and Lexi tells her she met a guy via a dating app called Bash. Lexi says the guy travels a lot for business and the two of them met at a bar near the airport. The guy's name is Mike. Lexi thinks she's going to jail because the officers who questioned her believe she sold her own kidney. Grace is horrified by this information. 

Grace talks to Detective McGregor and tells him that the officers who interrogated Lexi treated her more like a suspect than a victim. Detective McGregor says she can be both. He tells Grace that it's likely she got involved with some shady people and got in over her head. Grace tells him about the man Lexi met on the dating app and he is super dismissive. It's so obvious he doesn't care about helping Lexi and one can't help but think it has everything to do with her being a young black woman. Detective McGregor tells Grace to leave the police work to him and to stick to answering the phone. What an asshole! Perfectly played, Mr. Baldwin!

Grace can't let this situation with Lexi go and stays up all night trying to find the guy Lexi met up with via the dating app. Judd finds her and tells her he's concerned she's using her real picture to lure a potential black market organ harvester. Judd reminds her about Charlie and tells her that he doesn't like that she's putting herself at risk. Grace reminds Judd that if Lexi was a white girl, her face would be plastered all over every news outlet which is so true. She tells Judd that she's doing this for Charlie because one day Charlie is going to become a young black woman and no one ever seems to be looking out for black and brown girls when bad stuff happens to them. I love that the show went there. I love how both 9-1-1 shows are very candid when it comes to the realities that black and brown people face in real life. Judd understands her motives but still doesn't like that she is putting herself in danger. Grace asks him what else choice does she have and Judd suggests she finds someone who cares just as much about Lexi as she does.

Grace meets up with Carlos and he introduces her to Detective Sarina Washington (Tamala Jones). Grace hands over the research she's done and Detective Washington reminds her that she handles missing person cases and Lexi is not missing. Carlos points out that Lexi's kidney is missing. I cracked up when Detective Washington told him that she typically doesn't look for people piece by piece. Grace reminds her that the guy who received Lexi's kidney is missing. Detective Washington seems invested in Lexi's case but tells Grace that she cannot help her because it's not her case. She then says that she and Carlos will need to talk to the detective who is in charge of the case. 

The three of them meet with Detective McGregor and he is just as smug as ever. He hands over the case to Detective Washington and tells her he's too busy anyway. He then casually mentions that Lexi has died which devastates Grace.My heart broke for Grace at this moment because all she wanted to do was protect Lexi and help find the people responsible for what happened to her. 

Grace, Carlos and Detective Washington go through a list of people on the kidney transplant waiting list in hopes of finding the patient who received Lexi's kidney. They enlist the help of Tommy and TK and both paramedics are able to ID the man who they rescued from the car accident. Carlos, Detective Washington, Tommy, and TK arrive at the home of a man named Clint (Peter Oldring). His wife lies and says he is out of town on business but Carlos doesn't buy it. Tommy tells the woman that her husband was the recent recipient of an illegal kidney transplant and that there's a strong chance his body is rejecting the kidney. If he doesn't get medical attention ASAP he will die. The wife lets them all in and they find Clint half-dead. 

Carlos and Detective Washington go to see Clint in the hospital. He tells them he would rather face a few years in prison than provide the names of the individuals who gave him his new kidney. He says they will kill him. Detective Washington tells him it will be more than a few years but Clint has done his research. He says he knows the punishment for buying an organ which is a $50,000 fine and maximum five years in prison. Carlos asks him if he knows the punishment for being an accessory to murder. Clint is shocked to hear this. Carlos informs him about his donor Lexi. Clint is horrified by this news because he was assured that all donors were on the same page with those who were receiving the organs. He assumed everyone was safe. Carlos tells him that Lexi woke up in a hotel room with her kidney missing and $15,000 on the nightstand. He shows Clint a photo of Lexi and Clint says he never would have gone through with any of this if he knew what was really happening to the donors. Detective Washington tells him to prove it by giving them the names of the people running the operation.

Grace gets a call from Carlos and is told that Clint cracked and gave the names of the individuals running the trafficking ring. Carlos tells her they are waiting on a warrant so they can bust the people behind all of this. Grace is delighted to hear this news because it means Lexi's death will not have been in vain. 

Carlos and Detective Washington are posted up outside of a dentist office where the trafficking ring is being ran. Detective Washington gets a text letting her know the warrant has been secured so she and Carlos exit their vehicle and go inside and bust the doctors transplanting the organs. They see that the doctors are preparing for another transplant but there's no victim.

Grace gets a message on Bash from a guy named Mike and she agrees to meet him at a bar near the airport. Grace reaches out to Carlos but his phone is not on him at the time of the call. She leaves a voicemail letting him know the guy who met up with Lexi has reached out to her. She then calls Detective McGregor and tells him to let Carlos and Detective Washington know she is meeting up with the guy who lured Lexi. McGregor tells her he strongly advises she doesn't go but Grace is worried that Lexi's killer is going to get away. She tells him to relay the message and please be at the bar.

Grace meets Mike at the bar and he smooth-talks her. The two share some witty banter and when Grace turns her back, he puts something in her drink. We see Grace sip her drink. Mike tries to get her to go somewhere else and Grace excuses herself to use the restroom. Grace goes into a stall and calls Carlos. She hears someone come into the restroom and lock the door. Mike attempts to get inside her stall and kicks the door in. Just as he is about to get at her, he passes out and hits the floor. Then Detective McGregor arrives and he is quite surprised to see Grace alive and Mike unconscious on the ground. 

We learn that when Mike put something in Grace's drink, she took his drink instead which means he got the drink with drugs in it. Grace is a queen! The 126 paramedics show up and Nancy and TK tend to  Mike who is throwing up profusely. Tommy tends to Grace who is alright. Not a scratch on her. Detective Washington and Carlos applaud her for breaking up an organ trafficking ring. Grace says she didn't do it alone.

Judd shows up and he is so happy to see his wife is alive and well. Judd sees Detective McGregor and tells him the next time Grace tells him something he needs to listen to her. McGregor eats a giant slice of humble pie and Judd continues to lay into him. Grace says that she listens for a living and that she believes listening is a skill that can be learned. I'm so proud of Grace. She truly kicked ass in this episode. 

There's one minor plot I want to mention and it involves Owen Strand and his brother, Robert (Chad Lowe). Last season we got more of Owen's backstory and we learn his dad left after Owen's younger brother drowned. His dad went on to remarry and start a new family which includes Robert. Owen and Robert met the previous year and since TK is getting married, Owen thought it would be great to bring Robert into the fold. Robert seems very kind and brings items from their father to give to Owen and TK. Owen notices something's off about Robert when they are drinking wine later that evening and Robert tells him that he has Huntington's disease which is something that's hereditary. Oh, great! As if the Strand men haven't been through enough these last few years!

So, that was the episode. I really, really enjoyed this episode. I love how we got an emergency at the start of the episode which evolved into an even bigger emergency. I love that we got another team-up of Grace and Carlos. I like their relationship and I wish we got to see more of it. I love getting to see Carlos do things independent of TK because sometimes it feels like Carlos solely exists to be TK's partner. I also like that we got a frank discussion about something that was brought up in season 3 and seemingly never followed up on which is Carlos becoming a detective. Carlos admits he hasn't taken steps to become a detective because he believes he makes more of an impact patrolling. Detective Washington reminds him that not all bad guys can be caught from patrolling. There is a glimmer of hope that Carlos may pursue being a detective in the future but only time will tell.

I loved Grace especially in this episode because it reminded us of who she really is. She is someone who cares endlessly about people and who can be really stubborn when she has her mind set on something. I love that Judd never gets in her way even when he thinks she is doing something dangerous. I love that the only outcome she wanted was for the person who killed Lexi to be brought to justice. She never, not once, settled for anything less. She is a good person and it's clear why she is a good 9-1-1 dispatch.

Lastly, the scenes with Owen and Robert were truly heartbreaking. Owen has endured so much in his life. First he lost a brother and his dad only to gain a brother in his adult years. Now he is facing the prospect of losing Robert and there's a chance he and TK may suffer the same fate. It's really a lot to deal with so close to the Tarlos nuptials. It looks like next episode we will see him and TK dealing with this latest revelation. Until next time ...

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[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION (SEASON 1 REVISITED)

This reaction is for season 1, episode two "Yee-Haw" which originally aired January 20, 2020. The episode was written by Tim Minear and Rashad Raisani and directed by Bradley Buecker. Spoilers ahead!

As I stated in my last reaction, since I am going back and reacting to episodes from season one, instead of recapping the episode, I will be talking about the moments that stuck out to me. With that said, I'm sorry for all the Michelle Blake lovers out there but her storyline in this episode was not something I am particularly interested in and therefore I will not be mentioning it. Okay, with that said, let's jump into the episode!

MERCURY RISING One thing Lone Star has in common with its predecessor is the tone of the first season. I'd completely forgotten how dark season one is especially compared to later seasons. I'd also forgotten about the sheer amount of death we get in these first few episodes. Last episode we saw the destruction of the original 126. In this episode, we get a scene straight out of that Bird Box movie everyone was raving about during the height of the pandemic. What starts off as a casual work meeting over lunch turns into a literal bloodbath. I cannot describe how horrifying it was watching that first one jump out of a window to her death. And then more people started trying to kill themselves.

By the time the 126 arrive, it is absolute madness. People are stabbing themselves with cutlery. Another person jumps. Paul jumps into action and starts to figure out what's going on. He finds what they were eating before chaos broke out and sees their food has been laced with liquid mercury. He relays his findings and Iris suggests those who ate the food are suffering from erethism or what is commonly known as mad hatter disease. At the start of this scene we see a guy deliver a food order to the office. Paul suspects he is responsible for poisoning the food so he lures the guy back to the building. When the guy arrives with an order for the 126, Carlos arrests him. When he is asked about why he poisoned the food with mercury, he says he did it because they never tipped. Now I get that tipping is important especially for those in the service industry but this is taking things way too far. 

JUDD, INTERRUPTED Judd, one of the lone survivors of the original 126, is having a really hard time. He and Grace see a professional counselor together and he is told that he's stuck. I really liked the counselor's explanation of how unaddressed grief works. He compares it to listening to a song and then getting out of the car before the song ends. The part of the song we heard gets stuck in our head for the rest of the day because we never got a chance to finish the song. Because Judd isn't allowing himself to feel the pain of losing his 126 brothers, he is stuck in a loop.

Judd's initially resistant to exploring his deeply-rooted grief and trauma and it is in this regard he reminds me of Owen. Judd and Owen are two sides of the same coin. Judd appears tough as nails - a real man's man - unlike Owen who comes off as super fussy and a bit vain when it comes to his physical appearance. However, both men are extremely stubborn when it comes to dealing with their own emotions. Thankfully they both have people like Grace and TK in their lives. 

Speaking of Grace, I love how supportive she is from the get-go. I like that when we meet these two characters, they are already married. They seem pretty solid as a couple and even though Judd is having a hard time, Grace is super patient and understanding when it comes to her man. She always pushes him towards the right path but she never pushes too hard because ultimately she realizes that Judd is a grown man who is more than capable of making his own decisions. I believe another reason they are perfect for each other is because Grace can be a bit stubborn, too, and we will get to see that in later seasons. 

Ultimately, Judd has the moment we've all been bracing for. The walls he's built to hold back the immense pain and grief he feels finally break and Grace just lets him feel everything. It was so refreshing to see this giant Texan man who is so rugged and so manly openly weep in front of his wife.  What I love even more than that is Grace is more than comfortable with him crying. Growing up, I heard so many toxic things from both men and women about when it is appropriate for a man to cry. I love that this show is constantly challenging gender and societal norms. Men should be able to cry about whatever they want to cry about without being judged by their peers. Judd getting his grief out not only helps him, it helps his relationship with Grace and it definitely helps his relationships with everyone at the 126.

HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW As mentioned earlier, Owen is vain when it comes to his physical appearance. He favors special shampoos and creams and serums to keep himself looking youthful. His latest obsession is losing his hair and although this comes off as another facet of his vanity, as the episode progresses we learn there is a deeper meaning behind his concern. 

Owen losing his hair is a result of him undergoing chemotherapy which is a result of him having cancer. Owen having cancer means he is not as invincible as he thinks he is. So many people around him, even his own son, see him as Superman, but Owen is anything but. He's a man who has saved many lives in his lifetime but ultimately he is subject to the same follies as any human being. 

Judd takes Owen horseback riding and he tells him about his Uncle Cash who has cirrhosis. According to Uncle Cash, the secret to life is not thinking less of yourself but thinking about yourself less. Whoa! Judd reminds Owen he needs to hold on to what matters in life. He needs to do whatever he needs to do to stay alive. Losing his hair doesn't mean anything in the big scheme of things and push come to shove, this is Texas and he can just slap a cowboy hat on. I love that these two are forming such a close connection so early on in the series. On paper, these two should not get along but they do because at the heart of it, there's a deep respect shared between the two.

HOOKUPS AND HEARTACHES Last episode, TK and Carlos met at the scene of an accident and then danced together at a honkytonk. The two of them have started hoooking up and first it's fun and way sexy but these two are clearly not on the same page. TK is looking for a friend with generous benefits while Carlos is interested in something a bit more ... permanent. When Carlos summons TK to his apartment at dick o'clock, TK assumes there is booty on the menu. Instead, Carlos has prepared a meal for two which honestly scares TK.  

TK is a recovering addict who relapsed less than a month ago. He is not looking for a stable relationship because he is not ready for one. He reminds Carlos he just got out of a relationship with someone he was prepared to spend the rest of his life with. Carlos tells him it's only dinner and says he's acting crazy. TK looks like he's about to tell Carlos everything but leaves instead. Ultimately I know how things are for these two in the current timeline but this scene was heartbreaking because I see both sides. Carlos deserves to have a relationship but TK deserves to not want to be in one.

THE CASE OF THE KAREN Every once in a while, Lone Star will have a plot or emergency that is very similar to something that's happened on the OG series. In this episode, we get an emergency scene where an older white lady has called the police on her neighbors because she is, well, super racist. When the 126 arrive at the scene, the woman starts having an attack. She won't let Marjan help her because Majan wears a hijab. She asks TK to help her but he tells her he's a homosexual which she also disapproves of. Judd refuses to help her which is funny because I didn't think first responders could refuse helping someone. She turns to Paul and says he can help her which she thinks proves she isn't a racist because Paul is black. She asks if Paul is a homosexual and he tells her he isn't. He tells her he's trans and the woman looks at Owen and tells him to arrest her.

The reason this scene is so notable for me is because there's a scene in the second season of 9-1-1 that is very similar. Maddie is on a ride-along with Athena and they arrive at a military funeral where there are several protesters. One of the protesters has a colostomy bag which starts to back up and he eventually starts choking on his own crap. He refuses to let Hen and Chimney help him for reasons that are obvious. He looks at Eddie but Eddie tells him he's half-Mexican and half-Swedish but isn't sure which half is which which I think is totally hilarious. Ultimately these scenes exist to show just how ridiculous bigoted people are and how they'd rather suffer than give up the hate.

So, that's episode two for you! I really liked the episode. It was a good balance of emergencies which I like (the mercury scene was brutal) and drama between the characters. Owen Strand gets a LOT of hate from the fandom but I really enjoy him, especially in this season. He is flawed but there's so many good parts to him. I also really like Judd and I love his relationship with Grace. They are my favorite couple of the show. Sorry, Tarlos. Speaking of TK and Carlos, I totally forgot how quickly these two became wrapped up in each other's lives. I think they are good for each other. Carlos is a grounding force for TK which he needs right now. I am curious to see what happens next between these two. Until next time ...

#911 lone star reaction #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #911 lone star reaction 2023 #911 lone star #fox 911 lone star #911 ls s1 #911 ls 1x02 #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION (SEASON 1 REVISITED)

This reaction is for season 1, series premiere episode "Pilot" which originally aired January 19, 2020. The episode was written by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minnear and directed by Bradley Buecker. Spoilers ahead!

9-1-1: Lone Star is one of many shows I started watching during the pandemic. As a fan of Ryan Murphy, I'd known about 9-1-1 with American Horror Story alums Angela Bassett and Connie Britton as well Peter Krause from Six Feet Under but I never felt compelled to watch the show. When I heard news of its spinoff series, Lone Star, what initially drew me in was Rob Lowe, one of my fave television actors. I waited for the first season to air before I started the show and after watching episode one, I was hooked! I immediately fell in love with the story of an all-male 126 in Austin, TX being wiped out (mostly) and two city slickers coming down south to reboot the team. I also fell in love with the characters, especially the father/son duo of Captain Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) and TK Strand (Ronen Rubinstein). I also loved the settling of Austin which is something we rarely see in television and film. 

My mom and I often joke about how we don't like rewatching any of the season episodes because Michelle Blake (Liv Tyler) is such a buzzkill. I finally convinced her to restart the series from the very beginning (not season 2) and last night I fell in love with Lone Star all over again. I totally forgot how amazing this show was from moment one. I also forgot that like its predecessor, the first season of Lone Star is much darker in tone than its subsequent seasons. Another thing I failed to recall is just how complex and likable these characters are. In the first episode alone we are dealing with the grief of losing an entire fire department, an overdose, a cancer diagnosis, and a missing relative. Whew! That's a lot! But the show does an amazing job of taking all of these serious things and injecting some humor into them.

Since I'm revisiting Lone Star in its first season, I thought it would be fun to react to these episodes. Unlike my current reactions, these will not be a recap of the episode. My goal is to comment on what I believe are the five most notable parts of the episode. So, let's start at the very beginning because I've heard it's a very good place to start! Let's talk about - PILOT.

THE END OF THE 126 Our first scene of the episode is easily the saddest moment of the entire series thus far. We see the all-male 126, including Judd (Jim Parrack) responding to a fire at a warehouse. When they arrive on the scene. Judd instructs the crew on where to go. He receives a call from 9-1-1 dispatch Grace Ryder (Sierra McClain) who is also his wife alerting him to all of the fertilizer inside the warehouse. Before Judd has a chance to alert his buddies, the entire place explodes killing all of the 126 except for Judd.

Having Judd as the lone survivor of the explosion is a great way to jumpstart this series. We get to see his journey as he grapples with an immense amount of grief while also dealing with all of the new changes at the 126. I often joke that Lone Star, at times, feels like X-Men: First Class. If Owen Strand is Professor X, leader of the new 126, then Judd is a mixture of Scott Summers (Cyclops) , Professor Xavier's second-in-command, and Logan (Wolverine) who is resentful of Owen and his presence at the 126. Perhaps the most touching moment of the episode is when Judd sees the photos of his fallen 126 brothers. All along he thought that Owen was coming in changing the firehouse with little regard for the men who served there prior. Judd breaks down in the middle of the firehouse and Owen asks the others to leave so Judd can have time to grieve openly. Finally the last bit of Judd's resolve melts and he decides to rejoin the 126.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON One of my favorite relationships on Lone Star is the relationship between Captain Owen Strand and his son, TK Strand. These two are very close and even work in the same firehouse. I love how TK's being gay is such a non-issue for both Owen and the show. TK is openly gay, he's in a serious relationship, and while Owen isn't exactly thrilled about him wanting to propose to his boyfriend, he supports his decision to do so. 

When TK learns his boyfriend is in love with someone else, it crushes him. It is then we learn that TK is a recovering addict and the rejection is enough for him to break his sobriety. Owen ends up finding TK before it's too late but it's all the encouragement the older Strand needs to leave New York City and start anew with TK at his side.

TK isn't the only Strand dealing with something big. Right before their big move to Austin, Owen is diagnosed with lung cancer, a result of his being at the Twin Towers on September 11th. I think it's interesting that Owen demands that TK be transparent at all times about his sobriety, or lack thereof, but Owen decides to keep his diagnosis a secret. 

126: NEXT CLASS Part of the agreement of relocating to Austin to restart the 126 is that Owen will diversify the team. One of the major complaints I have seen regarding Lone Star is that it's *too woke* and it's *diversity for diversity's sake*. I like that the show is self-aware enough to have Owen point this out. Ultimately when assembling a team of first responders you want the best of the best and you wouldn't want to hire someone based on their race or sexuality or gender identity when there are more qualified candidates. What the show does right is it gives viewers a valid reason for the inclusion of the new firefighters. Marjan Marwani (Natacha Karam), a proud Muslim woman) is a bit of a wild card but she is good at the job and doesn't mind inserting herself in dangerous situations. So is Paul Strickland (Brian Michael Smith) who is easily one of the smartest on the team. He just so happens to be a trans man. The only head-scratcher is Mateo Chavez (Julian Works) who has failed the firefighter's exam multiple times but his work ethic is unparalleled and Owen clearly sees untapped potential in the young firefighter. I do find it interesting that viewers of the show have poked fun at the *wokeness* of the show but I rarely if ever hear similar critiques about the OG series whose 118 boasts a black lesbian, an Asian immigrant, and a Latino. If the argument is that they don't make a big deal out of the diversity of the 118 then that's not true. Hen's sexuality and race plays a big part in the show. As does Chimney's being Asian and Eddie's being half-Mexican. Anywho, whether you love or hate them, the new hires are a breath of fresh air and along with Owen, TK, and Judd they make an incredible team. 

WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IRIS So, I know I said I would be addressing the most notable parts of the episode and while Iris Blake (Liv Tyler) is not my favorite character on the show, I do think her inclusion on the show is important. Iris is the paramedic captain and her team consists of Tim Rosewater (Mark Elias) and Nancy Gillian (Briana Baker). As a fan of the OG series, the 118 is one big team. There's the firefighters and the paramedics. They ride in the same truck unless they need to have an ambulance at the scene. They're all super close. On Lone Star, Iris is the first to point out that the firefighters and paramedics are separate units. This easily added an interesting dynamic to the show. Instead of having one captain, there are two and I like that Owen wasn't an asshole about it. 

The reason Iris is such a meh character to me is there's zero joy about her. I get it though! Her sister is missing and she is justifiably upset and in agony over her disappearance. With that said, everytime Iris walks on screen it's like there's this dark cloud over her. She's the Eeyore of the 126 and it makes her unlikable. I do like that they fixed something that was an issue in the OG series' first season which is making sure all of our main characters are tethered to each other in some way. It appears her and Carlos Reyes (Rafael L. Silva) are friends so when he starts showing up places it doesn't seem random.

Overall, I like Liv Tyler. I think she is a competent actress. I just don't think she was a great addition to this show. As mentioned before, she is the reason I find it difficult to watch the first season which is a shame because season one is so good! One thing I will say about Iris that is positive is I like that she is a crusader for the less fortunate.

THE GENESIS OF TARLOS Perhaps the most notable part of the episode is we get to see the beginnings of one of the most iconic duos in all of cable TV. If you go on any 9-1-1: Lone Star Reddit post or scroll through your Tumblr feed long enough, eventually you're going to encounter Tarlos. Tarlos is Lone Star's equivalent of Buddie; only these characters are actually gay and it totally makes sense for them to be romantically-involved. Sorry, Buddie shippers! Alas, I'm getting ahead of myself. 

I totally forgot that Tarlos actually happens in the pilot episode. The first interaction we see of TK and Carlos is at the scene of an accident. Carlos makes a comment about Owen and TK tells him that's his dad. We then see them at the honkytonk at the end of the episode and Carlos asks TK to dance. The chemistry between these two are evident from the start and it blows my mind that they have pretty much been together since day one. 

All in all, this was a great way to introduce these new characters. I immediately liked everyone and everyone has a clear motivation. One character I didn't really get to speak about because she didn't really factor into any of the major storylines is Grace Ryder. Grace Ryder, hands down, is one of my favorite characters on the show and I can't wait to talk about her more in future reactions. I love her and Judd together. I love how level-headed she is and at times she seems like she's the only one who can get through to him. Like Tarlos, these two have been together since the very beginning and it's going to be fun seeing how we get to where we are currently with them. The same goes with all of our other characters. 

So, to all my passengers,  I ask that you buckle up because it's sure to be a bumpy ride. The real question is, will season one hold up to the memory I have of watching it the first go round or will I walk away loving it even more? Only time will tell! Only next time ...

#911 lone star reaction #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #911 lone star reaction 2023 #911 lone star #fox 911 lone star #911 ls s1 #911 ls 1x01 #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for season 4, twelfth episode "Swipe Left '' which originally aired April 11, 2023. The episode was written by Carly Soteras and directed by Steve Danton. Spoiler's ahead!

Hello, friend! Let's chat about the latest episode of Lone Star! Is it just me or is this season firing on all cylinders? Since the season four premiere on up to the latest episode, I have truly been enjoying the wild ride. We kicked things off with TK and Carlos' wedding planning but then things took a turn when it was revealed Carlos is married to Iris Blake. Then Carlos got kidnapped by a serial killer and held captive. Owen stopped a plot to blow up the capitol. Tommy wooed her minister and warred with his daughter. Marjan left the 126 and came back. We also got some much needed backstory on Marjan and Mateo. Oh, and Paul is dating now! Judd and Grace are going to be grandparents courtesy of Wyatt and his girlfriend. Like I said - it's been a wild ride!

In this episode, we get to major storylines involving TK, Carlos, and Marjan. Let's start with the Marjan storyline. We see Marjan at one of her physical therapy sessions. Her physical therapist is played by Natacha Karam's real life partner, John Clarence Stewart. John plays Joe and the chemistry Joe has with Marjan is palpable. However, Marjan needs to be with someone who is also Muslim.

We get a montage of Marjan going on various dates with Muslim men with her teammates accompanying as chaperones. Each guy has some sort of fatal flaw that makes him undesirable in Marjan's eyes however there is one guy that both Marjan and Owen fall in love with. His name is Fauza (Keon Alexander) and he is an animal lover (a plus for Owen) and by all intents and purposes a pretty swell guy. Plus he's very easy on the eyes if you get what i'm saying. 

During an emergency involving a jilted wife who goes to the no tell/motel where her cheating husband is getting his rocks off, Marjan discovers that Fauza is not only married but his wife is super pregnant. Yikes! Looks like Marjan dodged a bullet. A very gorgeous, animal-loving bullet.

While shopping for ingredients she plans on cooking for Paul and his girlfriend, Asha, Marjan runs into Joe in a Middle Eastern supermarket. Paul does a great job of playing wingman and encourages her to talk to him. Marjan has reservations about getting involved with Joe since he is not Muslim but Joe points out that he is Muslim. Just not the Middle Eastern variety. This moment was so funny to me because it's almost like Marjan couldn't fathom Joe (a black man) having the same faith as her. Marjan invites Joe to the dinner and he agrees. I hope we get to see more of these two in future episodes!

Now, let's talk about everyone's favorite ship - Tarlos! TK and Carlos interview four faith leaders in hopes of picking one who will officiate their wedding. Rabbi Finkel (Harvey J. Alperin) is okay with the two of them being gay, however he thinks Carlos should convert to Judaism. Amethyst (Maureen Driscoll) likes the color of both their auras but won't be able to commit to a time and date because time is all relative to her. Reverend Tom (David Grant Wright) is a homophobe and tells TK and Carlos they will be together forever ... in hell. Yikes! Lastly, Pastor Nicole (Briana Lane) appears to be their best option but when she asks them if they want to have kids, both men are surprised by each other's answers.

TK wants to have kids but Carlos doesn't. A part of me was surprised they were this far along in their relationship and neither of them had ever asked the other if they wanted kids or not. Then again, this is also the same couple where one of them was legally married to someone else for most of the relationship. This of course sends our two boys spiraling so they each go to their parents for advice.

Kudos to Owen and Andrea Reyes (Roxana Brusso) for giving some solid advice to their sons. Andrea points out that Carlos has issues with avoidance which is spot on! She believes that Carlos never got around to asking TK if he wanted kids because he knew exactly what his answer would be. TK wonders if Carlos' hesitation to have kids is because he's an addict but Carlos dispels that by saying he believes wholly in TK's recovery. Andrea asks if Carlos is worried the child wouldn't have a mother figure and Carlos says he's worried if he's going to be a good dad. Carlos cites TK's relationship with Owen and how they've always been close but he and his dad are only just getting close. Carlos is afraid he won't measure up. Owen tells TK that any time he's prioritized someone else's needs over his own, things have always worked out for the better. Andrea tells Carlos he needs to be considerate of TK's feelings and he also needs to be honest. Because, at the end of the day, the only thing that matters, or should matter is that TK has Carlos and Carlos has TK. Periodt!

We end the episode at TK and Carlos' apartment. TK cooks dinner and Carlos comes home with a cardboard box. Carlos opens the box and it's a bearded dragon! I guess if they don't have kids, at least they can have a lizard. Carlos tells TK he knows he will be a good father but he's not ready yet and he may not ever get there. TK tells him that's okay. I love this scene. Part of being in love is compromise. 

Oh, and the bearded dragon escaped from the box.

So, this was a fun episode! I loved getting to see a different side of Marjan. We're so used to seeing her be a badass firefighter but this time we got to see the softer side of her. The dating montage was so hilarious. I love that TK, Carlos, Paul, Owen, Nancy, and Mateo served as her chaperones. I liked the different types of guys she encountered. I especially liked her scenes with Joe. One thing I like that both 9-1-1 shows involve the actors' real-life partners and family members into the show. We've seen Jennifer Love Hewitt's husband appear twice on the OG series. Rob Lowe's son John writes for the show and his brother Chad appeared last season as his half-brother. Next episode we will see Sierra McClain's sisters appear as her sisters. 

As for the TK and Carlos scenes. These two have such amazing chemistry and I think that's because Ronen and Rafael are such great friends off-camera. I love how the writers aren't afraid to show them struggle. Relationships aren't perfect. Another thing I like is how mature both parties were when dealing with the children/no children issue. TK doesn't run off and get upset. Carlos didn't shut down. They are getting so much better at communicating and I love to see it! It looks like we're getting closer and closer to the Tarlos wedding! I cannot wait! Until next time ...

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[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for season 4, thirteenth episode "Open" which originally aired April 18, 2023. The episode was written by Wolfe Coleman and directed by John J. Gray. Spoilers ahead!

Okay, let's talk Lone Star! I really enjoyed this episode. It was a great balance of funny, drama and some action. Our beloved Grace Ryder does most of the emotional heavy-lifting this episode while Captain Strand provides the comedy. I also enjoyed each of the emergency sequences of this episode, however, the last one we get in this episode is perhaps one of the most gruesome things I have seen on either 9-1-1 show but we will get to that later. Let's talk about what happened with Owen first.

We see Owen is still carrying on his dalliance with wealthy heiress Kendra Harrington Michaela McManus) but things take a turn for the bizarre when her husband comes home in the middle of one of their romantic trysts. Kendra comes clean about having an open relationship and Owen is justifiably uncomfortable with the whole situation.

Things get even weirder when Kendra's husband, Brett Collier (Clarke Thorell) shows up at the firehouse. Apparently Owen accidentally grabbed his glasses off the nightstand before he left the house. This scene was so cringy and it was one of the rare moments where I truly felt bad for Owen. Owen can be pretty cavalier when it comes to his romantic life but having the husband of the woman you're hooking up with on the regular show up to your job is absolutely motifying. Oh, and all of this went down in front of all of his crew and his son. Poor TK. I guess he's used to things like this happening to his dad.

Things only get worse when the 126 end up responding to an emergency at Kendra Kendra's home. When Owen and company arrive on the scene, they find Brett with his arm pinned underneath his vehicle. The 126 manage to free him and he is taken to the ambulance. Kendra arrives and rides to the hospital with her husband leaving Owen even more confused about his situation. A few days later, Kendra arrives at the firehouse with a chef and prepares lunch for the 126. Owen opens up to her about how uncomfortable he is being the third party in her relationship. Kendra assures him things are fine and that she and her husband aren't intimate anymore but Owen decides to break things off with her.

The 126 end up responding to another emergency at Kendra's home. This time they find her husband Brett frozen solid in one of those cryotherapy chambers. Judd and Paul manage to take him out of it. Owen takes his pulse but doesn't find one. He then decides to do CPR on the poor guy and this is where the episode turned into a horror show. When Owen starts doing chest compressions, he literally crushes and shatters Brett's chest. Well, if there were any doubts as to whether or not he was still alive, I think this definitely confirmed things. Owen is horrified and so is the rest of the 126. Kendra, however, tells Owen she is feeling pretty numb about it all. Owen takes Kendra back to her place since obviously she can't go back to her house. At the end of the episode, he receives a call from Gabriel Reyes (Benito Martinez), Gabriel informs Owen that Kendra's husband's death is being investigated because there was poison found in his body. Did Kendra kill her husband? I guess we will get the answer to that question next episode! Now, let's talk about Grace!

We get the return of Grace's parents - Benjamin and Denice Williams (William Allen Young and Barbara Eve Harris). It's been two years since Grace has seen her parents and they are so excited to spend time with Baby Charlie. We learn that Grace has been avoiding her parents because she is still angry about her father's infidelity which was revealed in season 2. Grace confides in Judd that she finds it hard to be around her mom knowing that she is unaware of what her dad has done. When the babysitter calls to let Grace know she will not be available, Benjamin and Denice offer to look after baby Charlie. Grace is reluctant but Judd agrees they can watch after Charlie. 

When her parents arrive the following day, Grace takes her father to the side to let him know that she is glad he is watching after Charlie because it means that he will be saying out of trouble. Benjamin is clearly hurt by this but I really can't blame Grace for being upset at him. 

At the dispatch center, Grace's coworker receives an emergency call from Denice. Benjamin is on the floor and is unresponsive. Grace commandeers the call but her mother is much too distressed to follow her instructions. Thankfully Grace's boss takes over the conversation. Grace heads over to the hospital and we learn that her father has had a massive heart attack. Denice seems unbothered by her husband's medical situation and assures Grace that everything will be fine. However, Grace thinks she should call her sisters, Ashley and Lisa, because things aren't looking too good for her dad. Denice agrees that they should be contacted. 

Benjamin makes it through surgery but is on a ventilator. Grace goes to his room but can't bring herself to go inside because she feels immense guilt over the last thing she said to him. Denice overhears Grace talking with Judd and reveals that she's known all along about her husband's infidelities. Denice tells Grace that while it took some time, she has been able to forgive her husband and encourages Grace to do the same. 

Grace enters the room and talks to her comatose father. She starts singing Charlie Chaplin's "Smile". She is then joined by her two younger sisters, Ashley and Lisa, who are played by Sierra McClain's real life sisters - China Anne McClain and Lauryn Alisa McClain. By the way, fun fact: Sierra, China, and Lauryn have a singing group called the McClain Sisters. 

When the three sisters finish their song, Benjamin regains consciousness and he and Grace finally make peace. I must say, even though I enjoyed Owen's storyline, I was really impressed with Grace's. Sierra did such an amazing job in all her scenes. The scene where she couldn't go into her father's room absolutely broke my heart. It was so fun to see Grace get to shine in this episode. We've gotten a lot of her being Judd's supportive wife. I'm glad we got to see him step back and be the supportive husband. 

Overall, this episode was fun! I laughed. I cried at certain points. I nearly threw up my dinner when Owen obliterated that man's chest cavity. If I were Owen, I would need a lot of therapy after doing that. If I were his crew, I'd need therapy after seeing that. The fact that Kendra seemed nonplussed about her husband being shattered into pieces leads me to believe that she's not who she appears to be. I swear if she turns out to be some sort of serial killer or a woman who likes to kill off her husband, then I'm going to suggest that Owen join a monastery. Owen Strand has the absolute worst luck when it comes to women on this show. He just needs to be single. As for Grace - I'm happy we've got to see more of her and her family. I thought it was brilliant casting having her sisters play her sisters on the show. For four seasons I'd assumed that Grace was an only child but it's really cool to know that she's a big sister. Now that we've met her whole family, I hope we get to meet more of Judd's. This episode ended with a bit of a cliffhanger and I predict that Captain Strand is going to be in peril next episode. Well, until next time ...

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[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for the season 4, tenth episode "Sellouts" which originally aired March 28, 2023. The episode was written by Molly Green and James Leffler and directed by Tessa Blake. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1: LONE STAR***

A young girl named Mouse is involved in an accident that kills her best friend and his parents. Marjan sells her bike and gives the money to Kylie, the young woman she rescued from an abusive relationship. The 126 prepare for Marjan's return to Austin but worry when she doesn't show up to her welcome back party. Marjan is accosted by Kylie's abusive ex and ends up driving off the road. She encounters Mouse in the woods and the two work together to escape Kylie's ex. Marjan is rescued by her 126 family and we learn that Mouse was the nickname her parents gave her when she was younger. 

Now that we're all up to speed, let's have a chat about episode ten - SELLOUTS.

We start the episode with my favorite trio - Tommy, Nancy, and TK. They arrive at the home of an older couple - Arthur (Leonard Kelly-Young) and Edith (Betsy Baker) - and we get the first of two emergencies that truly made me squirm in my seat. It should be noted when Arthur answered the door, he seemed surprised to see Tommy, Nancy, and TK even though he was the one who made the 9-1-1 call. He ushers them inside and Tommy does an assessment of his wife, Edith. Edith tells Tommy she has pain on the side of her head. Tommy checks her pupils and she asks if Edith wears contacts. Edith says she does wear contacts and upon closer inspection Tommy sees quite a few disposable contact lenses in her right eye. More than a dozen disposable contact lenses actually. Tommy assures Edith (and the viewers) this is a lot more common than most people think. In fact, there was a woman in the United Kingdom who had 27 disposable contact lenses removed. Now I wear glasses but I did wear disposable contact lenses in my early-20s. Ultimately they weren't for me - too much hassle - but I can assure you I always made sure to remove them at the end of the day, especially before I went to bed. But I digress. I did think it was funny when Edith calls Tommy pretty and then sees Nancy and TK and calls them pretty as well. You're absolutely right, Edith. Tommy, Nancy, and TK are all very pretty. 

Tommy tells Edith they will transport her to the hospital just as a follow-up and Edith is very appreciative. When they roll the gurney outside, another ambulance pulls up. The ambulance belongs to Paragon - a private paramedic service (remember them from last season?). Tommy asks Arthur if he called another ambulance. We then see our good friend Pearce Risher (Andy Favreau) and his partner get out of the ambulance. He tells Tommy that Arthur didn't call them. They saw a call come through from the address and dropped everything to come right over. Pearce refers to Arthur and Edith as his most-valued clients which Nancy takes offense to. Edith tells Tommy that Pearce and his partner have come to their home quite a few times whenever Arthur has had one of his spells. Tommy is clearly not impressed by Pearce's new employer. Pearce is a smug asshat in this scene which makes his comeuppance at the end of the episode all the more satisfying. Pearce chastises Arthur for calling 9-1-1 instead of the number that links him directly to Paragon. Pearce tells Tommy that he and his partner will take things over from here. He tells Edith that the LED lighting in their ambulance will be a lot easier on her eyes and he will even throw in a complementary herbal smoothie which definitely appeals to Arthur. Pearce and his partner leave with Arthur and Edith. Nancy asks if they are allowed to do what they just did and Tommy says she is going to find out. 

Title card!

The 126 hosts a Stand Up to Cancer event at their firehouse. It should be noted that Stand Up to Cancer is a real organization and for more information, I encourage you to visit their website here. Owen gives a speech talking about firefighters suffering from lung cancer. Being that Owen has battled lung cancer at least twice, I can think of no better person to deliver the speech. It was so fun seeing everyone dressed up. Everyone looked amazing including Carlos who looked quite debonair in a black tux. This is the second time we've seen our Office Reyes in a tux this season. Hopefully the third time will be when he's exchanging vows with TK. I also want to give a shout out to our resident 9-1-1 dispatcher, Grace who looked absolutely stunning with her hair in a ponytail and a mid-drift baring black dress. 

After Owen's speech, we get to see each of our characters mingling with the wealthy guests in attendance. Judd does a horrible job wooing a donor. Judd is usually so charming but in this scene he was a rambling hot mess. With some gentle nudging from Grace he is finally able to properly schmooze the older gentleman. Meanwhile, Marjan talks about getting shot recently while Carlos regales an older woman about his abduction by a serial killer. Tommy vents to a besuited man about the cheap gloves her and her team are forced to use due to poor funding. She also alludes to her recent experience with Paragon. 

The funniest interaction involves Mateo, Nancy, and another wealthy donor. Nancy points out that the wine they're drinking is from the Hill Country which, hey - all my Texans out there, is Hill Country a real place near Austin? I'm curious! Anywho, when the donor comments on the taste of the wine, Mateo says this:

Mateo: "Familiar yet unexpected. It's kinda like reading Dostoyevsky in the original Russian."

The donor agrees and is quite impressed with Mateo. He tells him that his wife has the checkbook and that he will be back. Nancy tells Mateo that she loves Dostoyevsky and is shocked that he does as well. Mateo comes clean and tells her he doesn't like the author and that the only reason he knew his name is because he heard Owen say the same thing when describing wine he was drinking. Of course, Owen Strand would compare wine to a Russian novelist! 

Speaking of Captain Strand, he orders tequila from an attractive bartender named Kendra Harrington (Michaela McManus). They have some flirty banter. The chemistry between the two of them is palpable. He gives her a tip and he says it's a token of solidarity between two normal, non-rich people. She compliments his speech and he admits it's not easy for him to talk about his cancer journey. This is a rare moment of vulnerability we rarely get from Owen so I really appreciate him saying that. I've always suspected that underneath all that bravado and expensive hair product, is someone who has experienced more than his share of pain, hurt, and heartbreak. An older couple approaches the bar and they talk to Kendra. Owen figures out very quickly that she is not one of the have-nots like he initially assumed. Kendra comes clean about not being a bartender but Owen doesn't seem to mind the deception because in our next scene the two of them are back at his house ripping each other's clothes off. All I kept thinking during this scene is that Owen has a roommate and how awkward must it be for Mateo anytime his captain has a booty call. I can imagine him coming downstairs the following morning to have some cereal and he has to step over clothes to get to the kitchen. I'd like to also point out that Mr. Rob Lowe recently celebrated his birthday. The man is nearing his 60s and he's still fine as hell!  

The morning after, Owen wakes up in the most golden room I've ever seen. Whoever lit this scene did a great job. I would seriously love it if every morning I woke up completely bathed in golden light coming through my bedroom window. Owen heads downstairs and finds Nancy and Mateo still talking about Dostoyevsky. Owen asks them if they've seen a hot blonde and Mateo says she just left. Owen tells them that Kendra isn't a bartender - she's a wealthy heiress. Owen seems pretty smitten with her and tells his two subordinates that he and Kendra hit it off physically and mentally and then physically again. Ew, Owen! It's one thing to live with your boss. It's quite another to hear about his sex life. Mateo and Nancy seem unfazed by this. I imagine they've had similar morning after conversations before. Nancy points out the note on the counter that Kendra left before she left their booty call. When he opens the envelope, he sees a check. Mateo insinuates that she paid Owen for the sexytimes they had the night before. Owen is stunned.

Tommy goes to see Chief Reynolds (Amy Farrington) to inquire about the city of Augtin cutting a deal with Paragon. Chief Reynolds tells her she didn't want to say anything until the press release. Tommy tells her to cancel it and refers to Paragon as greedy vampires. Tommy doesn't realize that Paragon's CEO, Jacques Lundy (Adam Ray) is also sitting in the office. I'd totally forgotten that when the firehouse got burned down towards the end of the second season, Tommy, Nancy, and TK were temporarily reassigned. Chief Reynolds tells Tommy that Paragon will share 35% of their profits with the city. This is so disgusting but hey, this is America where we often take advantage of the least of us so it sort of tracks that something like this could happen. Tommy tells the chief that Paragon's code of ethics and safety are not up to their standards. Jacques disagrees and shows her his business card. Chief Reynolds is on board and Jacques assures Tommy he is here to help anyway he can. Doubtful ...

Tommy reports her findings to the rest of the 126. Nancy wonders if things go private, what happens to her and Tommy and TK. Tommy's solution is that they'll have to arrive at each emergency quicker in order to beat Paragon. Owen and Mateo join them and Owen the former is upset because the latter has compared him to Richard Gere. The others are quite amused with what happened between Owen and Kendra and they give him some good-natured teasing. Paul assumes it's a Pretty Woman situation where Owen's the one who paid for sex with Kendra. TK reminds everyone that his dad doesn't have to pay for it which kudos to defending your dad but ew. If I were TK I would want no part of this conversation. Mateo clarifies by telling everyone he is not referring to Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. In this case, Owen is Richard Gere from American Gigolo. Judd tells Owen that Kendra Harrington that her family owns a LOT of land in the area. Owen insists that Kendra did not pay for sex with him and that the money she gave him was a donation for charity. Mateo reminds him the check was not made out to charity. It was made out to Owen. Judd asks him what Kendra wrote on the memo line. Owen says that no one uses the memo line. Tommy cuts to the chase by asking how much the check was for and Owen tells her it was for $100,000. Owen defends Kendra's honor and says that someone who looks like her doesn't need to pay for sex. Owen gets a text from Kendra asking if he's available or rather 'avail'. Owen tells the others he will get to the bottom of this misunderstanding.

Our next emergency is perhaps one of the worst situations I have seen on either 9-1-1 show. A man named Dan (Jared Gertner) boards a city bus and sits down next to a woman (Mary Claire Garcia). He sees that she's upset and asks her if she's okay. She tells him that she just got laid off after seven years. She tells him she feels useless and he assures her she's not. He then tells her that the hot pants he's wearing aren't a fashion statement. He's wearing them because he has a dialysis catheter in his thigh. He's been going to treatment three times a week for over a year. He tells her that having it sucks because he can't play soccer or go swimming with his son. He says there was a time he wanted to give up but he's just found out he will be the recipient of a new kidney. She congratulates him and introduces herself. Her name is Martha.

Dan sees a pregnant woman board the bus and gets up so she can have his seat. As he is trying to get up, the dialysis catheter gets caught on another passenger's cart. It snaps off and blood immediately starts spraying everywhere. Blood splatters across Martha's forehead. There's nothing cute about this meet-cute. Dan passes out and Martha calls 9-1-1. Back at the firehouse, Tommy receives word of a patient hemorrhaging and she tells Nancy and TK they need to get moving. Nancy is confused because there hasn't been a call. Tommy tells her that dispatch gave the call to Paragon and she heard it over the radio. The three of them load up in the ambulance and Tommy calls Grace on her personal line so she can help them get to the scene first. It was fun seeing Nancy drive the ambulance. Poor TK got tossed all about in the back of the ambulance as Nancy took every sharp curve. The 126 paramedics beat the Paragon paramedics to the scene and they immediately go to work. The 126 firefighters arrive soon thereafter. The Paragon paramedics finally arrive and Pearce tells Tommy this is their call. Tommy pulls rank and tells them they can start handing out water and towels to the crowd slowly forming around the bus. Pearce is pissed but he backs down.

Nancy boards the bus and finds Martha putting pressure on Dan's legs. Mateo and Paul arrive with a backboard to transport Dan and they keep slipping and falling because of all the blood on the floor. Speaking of blood, the bus is covered in Dan's life essence. At this point there has to be more blood in the bus than inside Dan's body but somehow he is still conscious through all of this. I haven't seen this much blood since that scene in Scream IV where Ghostface absolutely brutalizes this girl in her room and the walls and floors are covered in blood. Nancy applies a tourniquet to Dan's leg which temporarily stops the bleeding. Mateo and Paul finally manage to get over to Dan and they are able to get him loaded onto the backboard. They run into an issue when they attempt to move him because the floor is slippery. So, their solution is to slide Dan down the aisle like he's a hockey puck. 

Paul and Mateo are able to carry Dan off the bus and TK begins hooking him up to a lifepak. Dan's blood pressure starts to plummet because he needs a blood transfusion due to too much blood loss. Tommy calls out to Pearce and asks if he has whole blood on his rig. Pearce says of course. Tommy tells him that if he can transfuse Dan then she will give him over to him. Pearce begins the transfusion while his partner administers compressions. Martha watches as they work on Dan. Dan's blood pressure levels out and Pearce and his partner roll him away to their ambulance. Pearce calls Tommy second best and Tommy's dislike for the guy intensifies. 

We head over to the Strand residence where Owen is prepping for his second evening with Kendra Harrington. He's broken out the fine channel because he wants this evening to be more about romance than sex. Mateo asks Owen how he plans on asking her if the money was intended for charity or for sex. Owen says he plans on asking her to a high-brow event and if she says yes, he'll know that the money wasn't for sex. Mateo thinks he should be more pointed when he asks her about the intention of the money she gave him but Owen says that will be uncouth. Mateo brings up Dostoyevsky again and tells Owen that Nancy has him reading Crime and Punishment. I found this tidbit of information so sweet because when we were first introduced to Mateo in season one, we saw him struggle with dyslexia. Becoming a firefighter was an uphill battle for him and now he's reading huge-ass Russian novels. Good for you, Mateo! 

Kendra arrives with a bag of hamburgers which doesn't exactly flow with Owen's special romantic evening. Kendra recognizes the china on the dining room table and she wonders if her hamburgers are disappointing. Owen assures her they aren't. Owen asks her about the artist Joan Miro and tells her there's a special exhibit he would like for them to attend after they have their burgers. Kendra wants to stay in and have some more sexytimes. Buttercup interrupts the moment and Owen tells Kendra that he adopted him from a rescue that works with dogs with cancer. Kendra is impressed by this information and starts kissing Owen. Owen wants to take it slow but Kendra wants to put the pedal to the metal.

The next morning, Mateo finds Owen in the kitchen alone. Owen tells Mateo that he and Kendra had a great evening and that no money was exchanged. Owen monologues about how Kendra likes him for him and then he gets a Venmo notification on his phone. Kendra has sent him $40,000. Mateo jokes that the reduction in payment is a customer loyalty discount. 

At the firehouse, Owen is conflicted about what to do with the $140,000 he has received from Kendra. Judd comes to his office and asks him about his second date with Kendra Harrington. Owen tells him about the $40,000 and how this payment did come with a memo line - a bone emoji. Owen calls himself a cheap himbo but Judd tells him there's nothing cheap about $140,000. Owen admits that the money is a bit of an ego boost but he's also bummed because he really likes Kendra and thinks they might have something special. Judd tells him to just give the money to charity.

In our next scene, Tommy, Nancy, and TK arrive at a perfume factory where there's possibly a toxic, airborne event taking place. Paragon beats them to the scene and Pearce asks one of the employees about what insurance he has which is super gross. Pearce tells Tommy that she, Nancy, and TK are on hydration duty. Nancy gets upset but Tommy says they will do it. Nancy and TK are pissed and annoyed with Pearce but Tommy admits that he is good at his job. She reminds them about how he saved Dan. Nancy asks her what happens when Paragon takes over and they don't have jobs anymore. Tommy says they will help as much as they can for as long as they can.

Tommy receives notification that it's a false alarm and the three of them start to leave. They see Pearce and his partner load one of the factory workers into the Paragon ambulance. Tommy confronts them and Pearce tells her that they're taking the man to the hospital due to exposure. Tommy tells him it was a false alarm and Pearce tells her that she's out of line. Tommy calls him son and he pulls rank on her. Tommy apologizes for calling him son and says she should have called him a profiteering sociopath. TK calls him a sellout and Nancy calls him a coward. Pearce says he will report them to the chief and they will get suspended. He and his partner load the man onto the ambulance and then it explodes. Tommy, Nancy, and TK run towards the ambulance . Pearce stumbles out of the ambulance with injuries and Tommy and Nancy go to his aid while TK and Pearce's partner go to check on the factory worker. Tommy sees that Pearce's chest is not rising evenly. She performs a thoracostomy which is rare to do in the field and is successful. Tommy saves Pearce's life.

Owen gets a visit from Kendra and he decides to confront her about the money. Owen accuses her of treating him like a sex worker. Kendra explains to him that her brother died of lung cancer which is why she was at the benefit gala. She then tells him that the $100,000 is for the cancer charity while the $40,000 is for the dog charity. The bone that was in the memo line was a dog bone.

Kendra: "In what bronzer-soaked universe would I spend $100,00 to sleep with you?"

Kendra says this always happens to her. Money ruins everything. She never knows if people like her for her or if they want something out of her. Owen tells her he doesn't care about her money. He asks her on another date - a real date. 

Tommy goes to see Pearce in the hospital. I thought it was very sweet that she brought him a peace lily (or at least I think that was a peace lily). Either way it was a sweet gesture. Tommy tells him she is there to check on the incision she made. Pearce tells her that the doctor says it was a good incision and that she's in the wrong field. Pearce tells Tommy she is doing exactly what she is meant to do. I find it interesting that Tommy performed the same procedure in the field that Hen Wilson did on 9-1-1.  Pearce tells Tommy he is planning on suing Paragon right before Jacques shows up with flowers and other gifts. Pearce tells him he wants $20 million dollars. He then says he plans on suing Jacques for everything he's worth ... and then some. Jacques says that everything that happened was an accident. Pearce reminds him that the accident was caused by faulty equipment in the rig which Pearce had already warned him about. Tommy tells Jacques that if Pearce lodged a complaint already then this accident is due to negligence. Jacques leaves to call his lawyer. Tommy looks to Pearce and tells him that karma is a beautiful thing.

What a fun episode! This season has been filled with serial killers, sociopathic exes, and plots to blow up greater Austin. Now that all of that is behind us, it's great that we're back to episodes where we get humor and some fun emergency sequences. I really like that we got to focus on the paramedics this episode. I really enjoyed Tommy's pettiness while dealing with the insufferable Pearce. One thing Lone Star does well is its recurring characters. We got Ty O'Brien earlier this season and now we have Pearce back for his third episode. Hopefully we'll see Dave from the dispatch center before this season is over.

Owen's plot is everything I want from that character. Rob Lowe is a comedic actor first and foremost. He is not an action hero. When the show lets him be silly, that's where he really shines in my opinion. Of all the women we have seen him with, I like Kendra the most. I hope we get to see more of her and I have a feeling we will.  

I know some folks will call this a filler episode but so far I don't think we've gotten any filler episodes this season. I think season 2 is the best season of Lone Star but this season may just snatch the number one spot for me if it continues on this trajectory. If you're reading this, what did you think of this episode? Which plot did you like the best? The Tommy versus Paragon storyline or the American Gigolo storyline with Owen? Feel free to comment! I'm excited to see what happens next! Until next time ...

#911 lone star reaction #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #911 lone star reaction 2023 #911 lone star #fox 911 lone star #911 ls 4x10 #911 ls s4 #rob lowe #gina torres #brianna baker #ronen rubinstein #andy favreau #stand up to cancer #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for the season 4, ninth episode "Road Kill" which originally aired March 21, 2023. The episode was written by Carly Soteras and Wolfe Coleman and directed by Brenna Malloy. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1: LONE STAR***

TK and Carlos enlist Mrs. Reyes to help rein in wedding planning-obsessed Owen, but their plan backfires when Andrea's inner-bridezilla is revealed. Meanwhile, Marjan aids a young couple she encounters in New Mexico, but becomes suspicious when the girlfriend slips her a message asking for help. TK and Carlos end up removing both their parents from their wedding planning duties and Marjan helps the young woman get away from her abusive boyfriend. 

Now that we're all caught up, let's talk about episode nine - ROAD KILL. In our opening scene, a young girl named Mouse (Samsara Leela Yett) is involved in an accident with her best friend Joey Dawson (Ivan Sinitsin) and his parents, Jim and Susan (Greg Cohan and Jessie Cohen) when the dad becomes distracted and drives into the oncoming lane.

Title card!

Over at the 126, Captain Strand gets a Facetime call from Marjan. She lets him know she's sold the bike he gave her and got $200 more than what she paid for it. Marjan tells Owen and the others she's ready to come and of course they're all excited to hear this. She asks them not to make a big deal of her coming back to the 126 and Owen promises her they won't. She tells them she's currently in Tucumcari, New Mexico and she will leave for Austin first thing the following morning after she gets some rest at a hotel. Owen asks her to come straight to his house once she's arrived back in Austin because he says he wants to get a headstart on paperwork. Marjan sees through this and realizes her 126 family is planning a party for her return. Marjan is fine with the idea but asks that there not be any yacht rock. Marjan ends the call and we see her with Kylie (Brooke Sorenson), the young woman she rescued from her abusive boyfriend in the last episode. We learn that Kylie has purchased a bus ticket to Fort Lauderdale and Marjan gives her an envelope full of money so she can get a fresh start. Marjan says, "I blew up your old life. The least I can do is help you start a new one."

Kylie is overwhelmed by the gesture, especially when she learns that Marjan sold her bike. Marjan assures her she will rent a car to get home. The two of them arrive at the bus and Kylie begins to have second thoughts. She begins to reflect on the good times she and her boyfriend had but thankfully Marjan is there to remind her that those fond memories she has of their relationship aren't real. She then tells her that by now Grant has posted bail and there's no better time than the present for her to get away. Kylie tells her she's scared of doing this alone and Marjan tells her she's really brave for doing so. Marjan reminds her that her sister Sahar will be nearby in Miami should she ever need help. Marjan is such a good person! Kylie thanks her and hugs her before getting on the bus. Marjan tells her to enjoy her life because she deserves it. As the bus pulls away from the station, the camera pans out to show that Grant (Cameron Cowperthwaite) is watching.

Over at the captain's house, the 126 and Carlos are busy preparing for Marjan's return. Owen is fussing over canapes and LED balloons. It seems like he's channeling all of the energy he would be spending planning TK and Carlos' wedding into Marjan's welcome back party. 

Somewhere in New Mexico, we see Marjan in a rental car en route to Austin, Texas. She notices an RV following really close and she realizes it's Grant. She attempts to have Siri dial 9-1-1 but the call keeps getting disconnected due to low reception in the area she's in. The RV rams into the rental which causes Marjan to drift into the oncoming lane. We see a glimpse of a red car before she drives off the road. The car flips and winds up in a ditch. Thankfully Marjan is still alive. When she comes to, her face is bleeding and Mouse is in the passenger seat. Marjan asks her what's happened and Mouse tells her there was an accident and she drove off the road. Marjan tells the girl she does that sometimes and this is when I remembered something very similar happening in last season's snowpocalypse episodes. Poor Marjan! Perhaps she should just stay off of highways. Marjan assesses her injuries and believes she has a couple of broken ribs and a concussion. She asks where Mouse came from and the girl tells her she was in the accident, too. Marjan remembers the red car she saw before she drove off the road and Mouse tells her that her friend and his parents are still stuck in the car. She asks Marjan to help them and Marjan says she will call for help. Unfortunately her phone is all busted up so she gets out of the rental car and asks Mouse to show her where the car she was in is located.

Meanwhile, Grant regains consciousness in the RV and he is pretty banged up as well. He finds a gun and some bullets and gets out of the RV. While leading Marjan to the car, Mouse introduces herself. Marjan does the same and the two discover they have something in common which is playing the same position in soccer. The two arrive at the car and find it flipped over. Marjan tells Mouse to sit down while she goes to check on Joey and his parents. Unfortunately there are no survivors except for Mouse. Mouse asks if they're dead and Marjan tells her she's sorry. Mouse blames herself for distracting Mr. Dawson but Marjan assumes responsibility. Knowing the outcome of this episode, I find it interesting that both Mouse and Marjan blame themselves. Marjan tells Mouse they need to go to the top of the road and find help but Mouse wants to say goodbye to her friend first. Marjan doesn't think this is a good idea and suggests she say goodbye to him in her head. Mouse asks how to do this.

Marjan says, "Close your eyes. Think of a time when you were truly happy together. Do you have a memory like that?"

Mouse recalls the time when Joey made a goal and he was so happy and he hugged her. Marjan tells her that if she holds onto that memory then Joey will always be that happy. The two then start off towards the main road.

Back in Texas, Owen's canapes are going bad and he wonders where Marjan is since she hasn't arrived yet. Mateo calls her phone but it goes straight to voicemail. Nancy suggests that maybe Marjan doesn't have service but Mateo says that if she's on the interstate she should have service. Marjan not answering her phone and being late to her welcome back party is a red flag because according to Mateo, Marjan never turns off her phone and she's never late to anything. TK asks if they should start calling hospitals. Judd tells him he has a better idea. He calls Grace who is on duty at the dispatch center. Judd tells Grace that Marjan should've arrived two hours ago and her phone is going straight to voicemail. Owen asks if Grace can try to get a location on her phone. Grace attempts to track her GPS but doesn't see her. Carlos asks her if she can tell them when the last time Marjan used her phone. Grace tells him that an hour and a half ago two calls, both under three seconds, were made to 9-1-1. Owen asks Grace to check for accidents in the area where the calls came from and Grace tells him she doesn't see anything. Paul figures out that Marjan can't be too far out from Austin based on when she left and when the calls to 9-1-1 were made. Owen enlists Judd and Paul to come with him to look for Marjan and Carlos says he's going to get in touch with the police to send someone to that area. 

Marjan and Mouse make it back to the top of the road. A pickup approaches them and Marjan flags it down. An older man named Rick (Matt Gottlieb) gets out of the truck and let me just say, this guy was acting sketchy as hell, especially when he started talking about duct tape. One thing I noticed in this scene, especially during my second viewing of the episode, is that the man only acknowledges Marjan. He does not acknowledge Mouse. The old man tells them the nearest hospital is over 40 miles away. He goes into the bed of his pickup truck and hands Marjan a bottle of water. He then tells her he will dial 9-1-1. Unfortunately he doesn't get a chance to make the call because Grant shoots him. Grant starts shooting at Marjan but she and Mouse run away. The two of them retreat to what looks like a large sewage pipe and Marjan announces she is shot.

Back at Owen's house, TK and Carlos are busy making phone calls while Mateo combs Marjan's social media accounts. Carlos tells them that the rangers haven't found anything and TK reports that no Jane Does matching Marjan's description have been admitted to any hospitals in the area, Nancy suggests they start calling tow truck companies in case Marjan is stranded on the road. Mateo tells everyone he has a bad feeling. He says they never should've let her leave in the first place. TK and Carlos being great big brothers ask him to hold it together. Grace calls Carlos' phone and tells him that she ran a search on her name in the system and it came up on a recently filed paperwork. She tells them the report was made by a woman named Kylie claiming aggravated. Marjan was a material witness to the assault which is why her name is listed on the report. Grace tells him that Kylie's boyfriend was released from custody the same day and he failed to show up for his arraignment. Not to get all soap-boxy but this is yet another reminder of how flawed our legal system is. Grant should've never left police custody in the first place but I digress. Mateo finds Kyle's instagram account.

While Grant moves Rick's body, he yells out to Marjan who can hear her from where she and Mouse are hiding. Marjan tells Mouse she needs to get away but the little girl refuses to leave her. Mouse commands her to get up otherwise they're both dead. At the top of the road, a cop car pulls up behind the pickup and an officer (Dan Southworth) gets out to talk to Grant. This scene bothers me so much because there are a few instances where the officer seems suspicious of Grant's behavior and let me just say, Grant is not doing a good job of pretending everything is good. The officer is both clueless and useless and drives away. Makes me wonder if things would've turned out differently if Grant was a person of color. Just saying. 

Marjan and Mouse find the RV and head inside. Mouse helps Marjan pack her gunshot wound in hopes of slowing down the bleeding. Marjan then finds Chekov's flare gun and grabs it. Marjan starts to drift in and out of consciousness while Grant goes looking for her. Marjan and Mouse manage to get out of the RV before Grant arrives but not before Marjan draws a sign in blood to alert anyone who comes looking for her. This game of cat and mouse definitely had me on the edge of my seat. 

Back at Owen's house, Carlos relays the information he got from Grace to Owen, Judd, and Paul. Mateo gets a DM from Kylie saying she is on a bus to Fort Lauderdale so the others know that she is not with Marjan. Owen tells Mateo to get her on the phone. Kylie receives a call from Carlos and he tells her he's a friend of Marjan Marwani. Owen tells her that Marjan is missing and he and the others have not heard from her since yesterday. Kylie says she hopes Grant hasn't done something to her. She tells Owen that Marjan put her on a bus to get her away from him. Kylie lets Owen know that the RV she and Grant were driving belongs to Grant's father and that it has lojack. Owen tells Carlos to fill Grace in so she can locate the RV. Kylie says that Marjan is a hero. Owen agrees with her.

Marjan comes to after passing out and once again she begs Mouse to leave her. She tells her that she's lost too much blood and she's not going to make it. Mouse, once again, refuses to leave her. She tells her to take her hand and get up. Marjan summons all of her strength and the two head into another sewage pipe but this one is blocked off by a gate on one side preventing them from exiting through it. 

Grace directs Owen to the location of where Grant's RV should be but he doesn't see anything. Grace tells him he should be right on top of it. Owen sees the pickup truck that Rick was driving and he, Paul, and Judd get out to look for signs of Marjan. Judd finds Rick's body on the ground. Owen says he will call it in and they need to split up to look for Marjan.

Grant finds Marjan and Mouse and prepares to shoot them. He stops when they hear Owen, Paul, and Judd calling for her. Grant figures that since Marjan is in rough shape, he doesn't have to waste a bullet on her. Instead, he goes to finish her off with his bare hands. As he advances towards her, Marjan takes out the flare gun she found in the RV and shoots him in the neck. I honestly didn't know flare guns could be used as weapons but it looks like it did quite a bit of damage to Grant. His neck is on fire. Yikes! He starts to choke on his own blood and it looks like Grant is dead. Marjan passes out right as the fire the flare gun started really starts to burn. Thankfully, Owen finds her in the nick of time. Marjan tells him to take Mouse first and Owen looks confused. Yet another sign of the twist that is about to be revealed. Mouse tells Marjan she will be okay and Owen picks Marjan and takes her back to his truck.

Tommy makes her appearance in this episode when she delivers some cronuts to the hospital waiting room where everyone's gathered. I've never had a cronut before but they sound delicious. One thing I love about this show is that when one of our first responders is down, the rest of them rally to show support. I love that. Of course TK and Carlos are the ones who go for the cronuts. Tommy asks how Marjan is doing and Grace tells her she is good and stable. Aside from sustaining a bullet to her abdomen, she also has two broken ribs, a concussion and some smoke inhalation. Goodness! There's a funny moment where Tommy talks about Izzy's three and a half-hour dance recital and Judd jokes that he hopes that Charley stays away from extracurricular activities.

Owen and Paul arrive with coffee right as Marjan's doctor, Dr. Cortes (Armand Vasquez) comes out to let them all know that Marjan's surgery was a success. Mateo asks if they are allowed to see her and Dr. Cortes says yes but only two at a time. Owen and Paul volunteer to see her first and when they arrive in her room she is happy to see them. Marjan is pretty groggy and she's on a LOT of painkillers. Marjan thanks Owen for saving her but he tells her she saved herself. Owen asks about Grant and Paul tells her he got what he deserved so I guess that means he's dead? Or in jail? I wish we got a more concrete answer. Owen does confirm the fate of Rick, the guy who tried to help Marjan. Poor guy didn't deserve that at all. Marjan then asks about the other car - the station wagon with the family inside. Owen tells her there wasn't another vehicle. Marjan is confused by this information. Owen asks if "Mouse" means anything to her and she says yes right as a nurse brings her flowers. When Paul asks her who the flowers are from, we get a flashback. 

Waleed and Nasreen (Nicky Boulos and Vera Hairabedian) arrive at the hospital and rush to their daughter's room. Mouse is distraught about Joey and his parents. Marjan tells them she felt so alone but her mother reminds her that with Allah she is never alone. Her father tells her that he and her mother love her very much and her mother refers to her as their "sweet, little mouse". Plot twist!!! Mouse is actually Marjan! More on that later! 

Back in the present, Marjan reads the card that came with the flowers and see that they're from her parents. End of episode.

What a great episode and what a great payoff to the Marjan leaves the 126 plot. I'm so happy we have Marjan back and I'm equally ecstatic we got a bit of her backstory. A few seasons ago we learned she was arranged to be married to her childhood friend but that's about all we knew about her other than her Firefox persona and her roller derby playing. I'm also glad we got to see Natacha Karam show off her acting chops. Not only is she one of the most stunning people I have ever seen on-screen, she can do action, comedy, and drama. I hope we continue to learn more about her because even though this can feel like the Owen Strand and Tarlos show at times, Marjan Marwani is particularly beloved by the fandom.

Let's talk about the episode's twist. I figured it out in the first scene but there were moments where I thought Mouse was really there. Upon second viewing of the episode, I noticed the car that the Mr. Dawson nearly collides with is not the rental car that Marjan was driving. However, in the scene where Marjan is hit by Grant's RV, she is already starting to lose consciousness when she sees a red vehicle approaching her. Another thing I noticed watching the episode again is that none of the characters Marjan encounters after the accident acknowledge Mouse's existence. When I knew for sure that Mouse was a figment of Marjan's imagination is when Owen finds her and she asks him to take Mouse first. Owen gives her the look Hen Wilson gave him when he was hallucinating Tim Rosewater back in season two. 

What I found particularly interesting is that when Mouse blames herself for Mr. Dawson crashing the station wagon, Marjan interjects and says it's her fault. I think this is a sign that even years later, Marjan still blames herself for the accident that killed her best friend and his parents. I also thought that Marjan's ability to survive and take care of herself after the accident until help came speaks to that old adage that you can't help others until you first learn to help yourself. Marjan's origin story isn't one of triumph. It's actually one of loss. However, Marjan was able to keep her wits about her and her inability to save her best friend became the thing that motivated her to want to save others and Marjan has saved a LOT of people. 

Well, we've gotten a lot of screen time with Marjan Marwani these last few episodes, so I wonder which of our characters will get focused on next. We still have quite a few episodes left in season 4. Give me some Judd and Grace, please, because they've really taken a backseat this season. Also, give me some more Paul and Asha and also give me some Mateo and some Nancy. Then I'll officially be happy. Oh, and one more thing - please bring Billy Tyson back because I miss that ornery asshole so much! Maybe I'll end up getting what I want. Until next time ...

#911 lone star reaction #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #911 lone star reaction 2023 #911 lone star #fox 911 lone star #911 ls 4x09 #911 ls s4 #natacha karam #rob lowe #brian michael smith #ronen rubinstein #brianna baker #jim parrack #sierra mcclain #julian works #rafael l silva #gina torres #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for the season 4, eighth episode "Control Freaks" which originally aired March 14, 2023. The episode was written by Jalysa Conway and directed by Toni Garrett. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1: LONE STAR***Paul went out on a date with Asha Fulton - the department advocate from the Professional Standards Division of the Austin Fire Department Internal Affairs. Also, Tommy hit a rough patch in her relationship with Trevor when his daughter, Melody, attempts to break them up.

Now that we're all caught up, let's chat about episode eight - CONTROL FREAKS.  

We begin the episode at Captain Strand's abode. Owen, Mateo, and Nancy are gathered to see TK and Carlos' tuxedos for the wedding. Now Ronen Rubinstein and Rafael Silva are hot just in regular clothes. In formalwear they are absolutely gorgeous. I love that they were wearing simple yet sophisticated black tuxes instead of doing the whole thing where one of them wears white and the other wears black. Even the bowties are black. People really underestimate the simplicity of black and white. Let the pop of color be the flowers and the other decorations. Anywho, I digress! Owen tells them the tuxes don't work and he isn't particularly fond of the pocket squares. He says they're bland like Paul's oatmeal.

SHAAAAADDDDDDEEEE! Mateo calls the tuxes dope but Owen tells them they're not going for dope. They're going for transcendent. Owen is a bit of a bridezilla, or rather a groomzilla, in this scene and it was so much fun to watch TK and Carlos bond over their mutual annoyance over the situation. 

We then see Marjan on her bike. It's so good to see our Firefox! She's all the way in New Mexico which I reckon isn't that far from Austin, Texas. She comes across a man and a woman standing next to an RV that's on fire. Marjan gets off her bike and tells them to step away from the RV. She uses a fire extinguisher and puts out the small fire. The couple introduces themselves as travel vloggers and Marjan tells them about her Instagram account. She also tells them that she used to be a firefighter. Marjan says she thought being on the open road would grant her some clarity and purpose but all she's found is more road. Marjan diagnoses the issue with the RV. Turns out it's the A/C belt creating the issue. Marjan cuts the belt and tells them they need a new one, especially out in the sweltering desert. She wishes them both luck. When Marjan goes to get back on her bike, she finds a note presumably from the woman, Kiley (Brooke Sorenson) saying Help, he's going to kill me. It is after this scene that I immediately told my mom this is very similar to the whole Gabby Petito and Brandon Laundrie case from a few years ago. I know Lone Star and the OG series parody real-life emergencies but this is one of the first times I can recall one of the shows actually drawing from a real-life situation.

In our next scene we see a man named Kevin (Cory Blevins) teaching his son Wesley (Benjamin Stockham) how to drive. Kevin's extremely Type A behavior is stressing Wesley out. So much so that it causes Wesley to hit one of the obstacles set up for his parallel parking test. Kevin chastises him and talks about his perfect driving record. Wesley calls his dad a control freak. They both end up getting out of the car and Kevin climbs into the driver's seat. Shortly thereafter, Kevin starts having an attack which causes his foot to smash down on the gas pedal. We then get a 9-1-1 call from Wesley telling Grace that his car has flew up the road.

The 126 arrive at the scene and everyone is baffled as to how there is a medium-sized sedan lodged in a telephone pole. Both Kevin and Wesley are still conscious which is a miracle in itself. Wesley thinks his dad is having a heart attack because his grandfather died from a widowmaker. There are live wires all around the car causing sparks to go off in all directions. Judd raises the ladder on the rig and Paul climbs to the top very similarly to how Buck did over on the OG series. Paul first hands Wesley a blanket to use to put over the broken window. The blanket will serve as an insulator. He then places a board int he car and tells Wesley that his dad will need to come out first since he's having a medical emergency. Kevin starts freaking out and tells them that it's not a good idea to leave the car until the electrical company arrives and shuts off the power. Wesley tells his dad to shut up and let him help him. Kevin complies and Wesley ties a rope around his waist. Meanwhile the car is now on fire so it's tick-tock, gotta hurry! Kevin is eased out of the vehicle and now it's Wesley's turn. Wesley manages to exit the car and Judd swings the ladder away from the car just in the nick of time. The car exploded but everyone is safe. The fire is put out and Wesley rides in the ambulance with his dad. 

Over at the firehouse, TK and Carlos are eating lunch. The rest of the 126 arrive and they are happy to discover that Carlos has brought them street tacos. YUM! Owen says he can't eat tacos because he has a wedding to go to. Oh, Owen. SMH. LOL. He reminds TK and Carlos of the cake-tasting at his house. He also tells them he knows of a gluten-free, daily-free, whatever-free bakery that can make their cake. Owen then starts to rail against sugar. Carlos calls him a dadzilla. Good one, Carlos! TK defends his dad but Nancy tells him that Owen is drunk on power. TK is happy because this is the first time in a long time he's seen his dad so invested. Judd suggests TK and Carlos have a talk with Owen and speaks of the issues he had with Grace's father prior to them tying the knot. Carlos says that someone needs to stand up to Owen and he knows the perfect person. Cue Godfather music.

TK and Carlos go to see Andrea Reyes (Roxana Brusso) and tell her all about Owen taking over their wedding planning. Andrea reminds them that the relationship between in-laws is too important. She cannot interfere. Carlos tells her Owen wants to go gluten-free on the cake and she responds with a resounding Hell to the No!

Back in New Mexico, Marjan pulls up to a diner. She sees the couple from earlier. A trucker named Patty (played by the amazing Dot-Marie Jones) sits by her at the counter. Marjan is too occupied with staring at the couple to notice. Patty tells her that she's being creepy. Marjan tells her she helped the couple with some engine trouble and when she finished she saw a note on her bike. Marjan can't reconcile the note with the happy couple eating. Patty tells Marjan that if she thinks something's going on, it's worth checking out. It's better to be a kook than for the girl to end up dead. Great advice, Patty! Marjan sees Kiley head for the restroom so she decides to make her move. Kiley hugs Marjan when she sees her and Marjan notices the bruises on her neck. Marjan says she will call the cops but Kiley says there's no use since the police won't do anything. Kiley says she was hoping Marjan would save her but Marjan says there's no room on her bike. She tells the woman to finish her lunch and she will think of something. They both leave the restroom. 

Marjan returns to her seat and asks Patty where she's headed. Patty tells her she's heading close to Denver. Marjan suggests that Kiley can ride with Patty and Patty seems on board with the idea. An announcement over the intercom lets Kiley and her boyfriend, Grant (Cameron Cowperthwaite) that their RV is ready. Marjan decides to send two pieces of apple pie over to Kiley and Grant to stall them.

TK heads over to Owen's house with Andrea and Carlos. Owen is looking at floral arrangements. Owen tells Andrea she should be involved in the cake-tasting. He has her try two pieces of cake and she likes slice number two. Owen announces the cake is vegan which is shocking to Andrea. Both TK and Carlos try the vegan cake and have to admit that it's delicious. Owen and Andrea appear to be getting along very well which means Carlos' plan to reign Owen in has backfired big time. Owen asks Andrea to help out with flower arrangements and Andrea is thrilled. It appears two monsters have been created!

Meanwhile, back in New Mexico, Grant is upset over the price of the fan belt for the RV. Kiley suggests posting more videos as a means of getting more money. He blames her for their added expenses. When he goes to start the RV, the engine won't crank up. He lashes out at the mechanic. Marjan walks up and tries to distract Grant while Kiley sneaks away to Patty's truck. The mechanic notices something unplugged and Grant gets suspicious of Marjan. That's when he notices Kiley is gone. Marjan tells him he will never see her again. We then watch as Patty's truck pulls away but Kiley is not on board. Kiley walks back over to Grant. Marjan is seething! Back in Texas, Owen and Andrea look at flower arrangements while TK and Carlos observe. TK is overwhelmed and Andrea says you only get married once - or, in Carlos' case, twice. SHAAAAADDDDDDEEEE! Owen and Andrea are shade assassins! TK and Carlos are not feeling the flower arches and orchids. TK's frustration and anger bubbles over and he snaps. He calls Owen controlling and fires him as their unofficial wedding planner. Carlos also fires his mom.

Back on the road in New Mexico, Grant is upset with Kiley because she almost left him. Kiley apologizes and tells him she loves him so much. She cries and he tells her she does not get to cry. Grant continues to yell at her and Kiley confesses to leaving a note asking for help on Marjan's bike. Grant tells Kiley that Marjan abandoned her just like everyone does - except for him. He tells her he is the only one who can stand her. Way harsh, Grant! The camera then zooms out and we see Marjan following them very close on her bike. My only concern for Marjan is what if the RV comes to an abrupt stop. She's gonna end up smashing into the rear of the RV.

Owen and Andrea retreat to the captain's house and have cake. Owen is upset over TK and Carlos' accusations. Andrea says this is not the first time she's been accused of not listening. She talks about Carlos coming out. Since she didn't know what to say, her and Gabriel said nothing. Andrea knows this hurt her son and it's her biggest regret. Owen assures her that Carlos forgives her. Her going overboard with the wedding plans is her trying to make up for sins of the past. She asks Owen what's his excuse.

The RV pulls over at a gas station. Grant forces Kiley to get out. Marjan watches them. After Grant refills the RV's tank, they get back on the road. Grant is playing music really loud and Kiley starts crying. He pulls over on the side of the road and slaps Kiley. Marjan emerges from the rear of the RV and hits Grant with Chekov's fire extinguisher. Grant is knocked out cold. Marjan calls the police and the marriage is taken away. Kiley thanks Marjan and tells her that her purpose is rescuing people. 

In our final scene of the episode, Owen arrives at TK and Carlos' apartment. TK answers the door and tells Owen that Carlos went to dinner with Andrea. Owen tells TK he doesn't have an olive branch but he does give him extra virgin olive oil which I thought was cute. Owen admits to TK that he went slightly overboard with the wedding plans and that he's been insufferable. He says he thought he was doing it for TK but he's been doing it for himself. Owen is scared that planning this wedding will be the last thing TK will need him for. He tells TK that Carlos is going to take great care of him so his job will be over. TK says he doesn't know the first thing about being married and tells Owen he's an amazing father and he will need him when he becomes a parent. TK calls Owen his best friend. The episode ends here.

So, a big complaint by viewers, or maybe a vocal few on Reddit, is that Lone Star is lacking this season on emergencies and rescues. This episode had only one emergency unless you count Marjan rescuing Kiley from Grant. Last week we only had two emergencies. While I think this is a valid critique of the show, as a long-time fan of this show, it's never been the emergencies and rescues that drew me in. I love the characters and I love their various relationships. This episode was short on the emergencies but I loved seeing the interaction between TK and Owen and Carlos and Andrea. Besides this is Austin, Texas. I sincerely doubt the 126 are responding to emergencies at the same rate the 118 are. Especially huge emergencies like cars hanging off cliffs or tsunamis wiping out thousands of people. The 126 probably spent the bulk of their time responding to small house fires and traffic accidents and let's face it, no one wants to watch those types of emergencies. We want the big ones. The bizarre ones. That is how I reconcile the lack of emergencies in my head. 

It looks like we're getting closer to a Tarlos wedding. I'm excited to see these two tie the knot. I'm so glad Owen is involved in the wedding planning especially since he's been a bit preoccupied with stopping terrorist plots at the beginning of this season. One of the things that really endeared me to this show is the relationship between Owen Strand and his son. I love that we got a lot of Owen and TK this episode. They are alike in so many ways but this episode was a reminder of how different they are. Owen is so fussy about details and TK could care less. I love how TK defended Owen to his friends. I think TK understands deep down that Owen is trying to make up for not showing up to things when he was younger and now that Gwyn is gone, he is the only parent. On the flipside, I like that we are getting more insight on Carlos and his relationship to his parents, especially his mother, Andrea. It would've been so cliche to have them be the super conservative Mexican family who turns their back on their gay son but they're not those parents. They love their son even if they haven't always understood him which is all that matters. I hope we get more Andrea and Gabriel.

As for Marjan, I like they we are following her on the road. It's giving Marjan a chance to shine away from the 126. Another thing I like about this being on the road plot is that technically she could go back to the 126 since that couple dropped their case against her but that's not the whole reason why she left in the first place. I think Marjan will appreciate the 126 and being a firefighter more after she has a chance to learn more about herself. I look forward to seeing what happens next with her.

Overall, this episode was pretty great. It did give filler episode vibes at times but the scenes with Owen, TK, Carlos, and Andrea are so important. Admittedly I did miss having Grace in the episode but we did get her voice at least. I think once we start getting some Nancy and Mateo stopies, I'll be extremely satisfied because so far those  two characters haven't had a real storyline this season. Perhaps we'll get that soon. Until next time ...

#911 lone star reaction #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #911 lone star reaction 2023 #911 lone star #fox 911 lone star #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023 #911 ls 4x08 #911 ls s4 #rob lowe #natacha karam #ronen rubinstein #roxana brusso #rafael l silva #dot-marie jones

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for the season 4, sixth episode "This Is Not a Drill" which originally aired on February 28, 2023. THis episode was written by Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson and directed by Michael Medico. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1: LONE STAR***

Marjan discovers she is the reason the 126 has been brought under review by the Austin Fire Department Internal Affairs due to her calling a woman she was rescuing a "crazy lady". The woman and her former ex-husband ask Marjan to publicly apologize as well as paste a link to their GoFundMe on her Instagram. Marjan refuses to be extorted and ends up resigning from the 126. Meanwhile, Grace investigates the concerning phone calls she has been receiving from a little boy. She enlists the help of her husband and Tommy to come to the boy's (and his mother's) rescue. 

Now that we're all caught up, let's talk about episode six - THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

We begin the episode with an actual drill. The 126, sans Marjan Marwani, enter a building with bomb gear on. Owen leads the team up a set of stairs and they find a young boy and his father. Owen tells the little boy to evacuate while Tommy tends to his father. The little boy tells Owen that his two sisters are in the room next door. Owen and the others go to the next room, open the door, and BOOM! Pink mist! The lights come on and a very official-looking woman with a clipboard in her hand comes out and tells them they're all dead. Paul, Mateo, Nancy, and TK are all upset by their failure at the drill. Nancy suggests that she is merely maimed and not dead since she isn't as covered in pink mist as the others. Paul makes a reference to the Kobayashi Maru (an unwinnable test) and my heart is filled with joy. My boy Paul is a Trekkie! It was fun to hear them banter back and forth but judging by the look on Captain Strand's face, he was not having it.

Title card!

Back at the house, Paul, Mateo, Nancy, and TK are in a jovial mood. They all take a selfie together to send to Marjan. Owen snaps on all of them and tells them to think about all of the first responders who went on calls where they didn't come back alive. I mean Owen does have a point but he's also being a major buzzkill. The others feel like poo after his outburst. Tommy gives Judd a look that says, hey, you got this one. Judd, our second in command, sighs and goes to talk to the captain. 

Judd goes to Owen's office and tells him that the others - Paul, Mateo, Nancy, and TK - haven't been through what they have. They don't know what it's like to lose someone on the job. Judd also reminds Captain Strand that the drills are designed for them to fail. Owen goes to close the door to his office. He tells Judd he believes something big is coming. He then tells Judd that the Honor Dogs are on the FBI's domestic terror watch list and that a truckload of ammonium nitrate was stolen. Judd asks him how he has all of this information and Owen confesses he's been working with the FBI. Judd asks if the Feds have any clue as to what the Honor Dogs are planning and Owen tells him that they won't even return his phone calls. Owen says he's tired of sitting around waiting for something to happen so he tells Judd he's acting captain until he returns. 

Owen goes off, alone, in one of the Austin Fire Department pickups, to the Honor Dogs' clubhouse and is met with an icy reception. He tells Red (Dan Sanders-Joyce) he wants to have a chat with him. Red asks if he's wearing a wire this time and Owen says he's not and tells Red he can "check his junk". Red says that he doesn't talk to Feds or the friends of Feds and threatens to drag Owen out of the bar. Owen reminds him he's a fire captain and tells him he can have the bar shutdown due to several fire hazards. Red asks him what he wants and Owen reveals that he knows about the ANFO (ammonium nitrate) and suggests that he can make a deal with Red if he gives everything up. Red is unmoved by Owen's words and claims he doesn't know anything. Owen is inclined to believe him just as the FBI raid the place. Owen is escorted outside by Special Agent Chuck Biondi (Rob Parks). Owen tells Biondi that he believes the Honor Dogs don't know anything about the stolen ANFO but Biondi is skeptical. He goes to put handcuffs on Owen right as the clubhouse explodes.

The rest of the 126 responds to the emergency and we find out there were nine FBI agents, including Special Agent Rose Casey (Amanda Schull), and who knows how many bikers inside the clubhouse when the bomb detonated. Paul and Judd notice an Austin Fire Department vehicle already on the scene. Judd gives out marching orders while Tommy, Nancy, and TK set start to set up triage. Owen carries Special Agent Casey out of the bar and she is taken by ambulance to the hospital with Owen riding with her. Special Agent Casey tells Owen she's scared and for a brief moment I wondered if this was a sign of a potential romance between the two. During the ambulance she asks him to call her "Rose" right before she dies.

Sergeant Ty O'Brien (Neal McDonough) arrives at the hospital at Owen's request. Owen fills him in on everything that's happened. Nine FBI agents, including Special Agent Casey, and several members of the Honor Dogs (we are told the number is in the double digits) are dead. However, Red is still alive but in surgery. The working theory regarding the explosion is someone 'accidentally' detonated the ammonium nitrate which was being housed at the bar. Neither Owen nor O'Brien believe this. Special Agent Biondi joins them and tells them that the case is closed since the prime suspect (Red) is in custody. Owen tells him that Red is not the man they are looking for and the explosion at the bar didn't even account for half of the stolen ammonium nitrate. Special Agent Biondi tells Owen that Red is refusing to talk. Owen suggests that he and O'Brien can try talking to Red.

Owen and O'Brien go into Red's room and find him bandaged up with several burns all over his body. The way he turned over in bed gave me Harvey Dent/Two-Face in The Dark Knight vibes. Red calls them both snitches which made me laugh. Owen informs him that eleven of his brothers are dead as a result of the explosion, including Turner (Scott Peat). Owen also tells him the FBI believes he is responsible due to his politics and their belief that he is a terrorist. Red doesn't seem too surprised by this information but he insists that he is not the one responsible. Owen mentions that prior to him arriving at the clubhouse the Honor Dogs in attendance looked like they were meeting about something. He asks if Red called the meeting. Red tells him that he didn't call the meeting but the invite came from his phone number. He suggests that someone 'spoofed' his phone number and he believes that someone is Andy - the person they kicked out due to his extreme views. Damn, how extreme do your views have to be if the Honor Dogs think they're too extreme?

The FBI raid Andy's house and find it empty. O'Brien tells Special Agent Biondi he hasn't heard from his niece (Andy's wife) in two days. Another FBI agent informs Owen, O'Brien, and Special Agent Biondi that a neighbor says they saw Andy's wife and son leave the house two days ago with an unidentified male. We then see Andy spray-painting a van. We also see two giant barrels of ANFO. Dun-dun-dunnnn!

Back at Andy's home, Owen asks O'Brien. Let me just say, I love their budding friendship. I feel like O'Brien brings out the best in Owen. He just seems more level-headed and people like Owen Strand need to be surrounded by people like Sergeant Ty O'Brien. Special Agent Biondi tells them three days ago someone blew up a school bus. Traces of ANFO were found at the scene along with a dead hiker. The school bus was traced back to a salvage yard where the owner identified Andy as the one who purchased it. Yikes! Things are not looking good for O'Brien's nephew. Special Agent Biondi asks O'Brien if he knows of where Andy may be. O'Brien doesn't know. Owen suggests Andy is living at The Farm which is where he and O'Brien found the ANFO. The FBI initially believed that Red and the other Honor Dogs moved the ANFO before the FBI raid, however Owen believes Andy is the one who moved it. Special Agent Biondi prepares to go to The Farm and O'Brien insists that he go with them. Special Agent Biondi seems reluctant to have him tag-along but Owen reminds him that he's already lost a lot of his team. Special Agent Biondi agrees to have O'Brien join them.

Owen heads back over to the 126 and comes clean to his team about his involvement with the FBI. He tells them that another terrorist plot is imminent and that he needs their help. Meanwhile, the FBI along with O'Brien and Carlos arrive at The Farm. I have to admit, Carlos looked pretty badass with a rifle in hand. We see Grace get a call at the 9-1-1 dispatch and then we see the alarm go off at the 126. Several houses are called into action. It's time for battle!

Back at The Farm, there's no trace of Andy. O'Brien speculates that someone is working with Andy and believes that person is still on the premises. Special Agent Biondi tells his team they need to head over to the capitol because he just got notice that an anonymous bomb threat has been called in. O'Brien thinks that they should continue searching the grounds, especially the surrounding woods. Special Agent Biondi tells him he can stay but they are leaving. Carlos offers to remain with O'Brien. Oooh, an O'Brien and Carlos team-up! I am definitely here for this!

Over at the capitol, the 126 are helping with evaculations. We see Owen inside of a van working with the bomb squad. They are trying to locate a bomb inside the capitol. Using a robot, they locate several metal drums possibly filled with ANFO. The funniest part of this scene is that Owen Strand, captain of the 126, appears to be running the whole operation. No one is a bigger Owen Strand-defender than I am. People often complain about how he gets too much to do in this show and my response is, Owen Strand is the main character on the show. Of course he gets more to do than anyone else. I don't see Lone Star as the ensemble show that the original 9-1-1 is. The original show has several big names attached to it (Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Connie Britton, and Jennifer Love Hewitt) while outside of Rob Lowe, Live Tyler, and Gina Torres, Lone Star is mostly composed of actors who don't have a lot of heft to their iMDB pages. Anywho, with that said, I find it a wee bit ridiculous that a fire captain is having such a major environment in a bomb situation. And I know the writers are really pushing the narrative that Owen was at the Twin Towers during 9/11 but this is Austin, not New York City. Okay, back to the story.

The guy operating the robot asks how someone was able to get all of those explosives into the building without being noticed by security. Owen immediately leaves the van against orders and walks right into the capitol building. When TK sees him, he shakes his head and has a look on his face that says, dad's gonna dad. I feel like if this happened two seasons ago, TK would be freaking out. It just goes to show, after so many instances of Owen just walking into volatile situations, all willy nilly, everyone around him is just like, that's what he does. The guys in the van ask Owen what he's doing repeatedly over the radio and he assures them he will be out in a minute ... one way or another. Owen locates the metal drums and for some reason decides to open one against the orders of the bomb squad captain. Well, it turns out the drum is empty along with the others. Outside of the capitol, Andy pulls up in an EMS van (the same van we saw him spray-painting) and he starts the countdown on the bomb that is in the back of the van. We have 10 minutes! Yikes!

Meanwhile, my new favorite dynamic duo/buddy-cop pairing, O'Brien and Carlos, strike out into the woods where they find tiny white pellets littering the ground. O'Brien picks one of them up and determines its ammonium nitrate. O'Brien posits this is where the bomb was built. The two of them stumble upon a shed. O'Brien sees tire marks on the ground. He tells Carlos he will go inside and sweep the place and will holler if he needs him. O'Brien goes inside and sees evidence of where someone has been living. He continues to do a sweep of the premises and finds his niece, Joanne (Stevie Lynn Jones) and his great-nephew, Jack (Kayden Alexander Koshelev) in a cell. He opens the cell to release them but is shot by Mikey (Richard Meehan). It turns out Mikey is the same young guy we saw getting branded the night Owen and Judd went to the Honor Dog's clubhouse a few episodes ago. Thankfully, O'Brien is wearing a bulletproof vest. When Mikey goes to shoot him in the head, Carlos shoots him. Hey writers! This is the Carlos we need! Give me more badass Carlos! Oh, and please make him a detective. At this point, he's doing more than the average cop. 

Owen exits the capitol and radios to Judd that everyone needs to go back inside the building. Judd asks if this is an all-clear and Owen tells him the safest place for everyone to be is behind the building's granite walls. Now, I'm not an expert on explosives but are we supposed to believe the same ammonium nitrate that can take out most of Austin is no match for the capitol building? Then again, who am I, a mere writer who likes to react to episodes of the TV shows I enjoy, to question the authority of Captain Owen Strand? Anywho, Judd thanks everyone for participating in the drill and tells them to head back inside. Owen debriefs with the bomb squad captain, Captain Jenkins (Bob Stephenson) and Tommy. He believes the reason the bomber wanted them to evacuate the building is because the bomb is outside the capitol, not inside. Captain Jenkins tells him that his team has secured the perimeter. Owen tells him he believes the bomb is in an emergency vehicle since they have clearance and access to the scene. Tommy suggests the bomb is inside an ambulance which seems like a leap to me in logic but, then again, an ambulance has more space in it to keep the explosives so perhaps that's her logic. She also mentions she saw a unit pull onto the scene shortly before the all-clear was given. She gives the unit number to Captain Jenkins and leaves to inform his team.

Owen gets a call from O'Brien and the latter catches him up on what he and Carlos have been up to. O'Brien tells Owen that Mikey is the one running the operation, not Andy. I get that this changes things a bit about the situation but I still don't see a scenario where Andy doesn't end up going to jail. Owen hangs up with his bestie and then we get a huge product placement for Verizon, one of the worst, if not the worst, cell phone carriers in the country. The bomb squad uses a drone (sponsored by Verizon) to locate Andy and the ambulance he's in. Special Agent Biondi arrives and tells Owen that when they find Andy, they're going to take him out. Yikes! Owen walks away and tells Special Agent Biondi he will find Andy himself. Owen sheds his gear and goes looking for O'Brien's nephew. He locates Andy and the ambulance and tells him that he knows that he's O'Brien's nephew. Andy tells Owen that Mikey's going to kill his family if he doesn't go through with their plan but Owen holds up a phone so that he can hear his wife. Joanne tells Andy that Mikey's been arrested and that they are safe. Owen tells him to get out of the vehicle and get his hand off the detonator but Andy tells him it's too late. There's less than 3 minutes left. Owen tells him to step out and do whatever the FBI says. While the FBI subdues Andy, Owen climbs in the ambulance and drives off.

Owen calls 9-1-1 and gets Grace on the line because, of course! Grace directs Owen to drive the ambulance into the river and make sure it's completely submerged underwater. Owen jumps out of the ambulance right before it drives into the water. In a funny scene, the ambulance stops just short of the water but thankfully, Judd, Paul, and Mateo arrive and finish pushing the ambulance into the water before it explodes. The underwater explosion isn't as big as I was expecting and all I kept thinking is, all of the poor wildlife! Also, what happens to the water supply in Austin if the river now has ammonium nitrate in it? Are we going to have a Flint, Michigan-level crisis in Austin because of this? Anywho, the day is saved by Owen, Grace, and the 126 so yay!

We then get a flashback to last summer. We see Andy get kicked out of the Honor Dogs due to his extreme views. Mikey finds him and the manipulation begins. Back in the present day, Andy tells the FBI he was really angry. He says he should've just walked away from Mikey but instead he got pulled into the madness. We learn Mikey's the one who stole all of the ANFO. Mikey is clearly psychotic. Sensing Andy's reluctance, Mikey threatens to kill Andy's wife and son and when he saw Mikey take out the hiker, he knew the threat was real. I'm so relieved that it wasn't Andy who killed the hiker. The last thing he needs is murder added to his growing list of concerns. Andy says that Mikey forced him to go through with building the bomb. He apologizes to his wife, Joanne. Andy thanks everyone, including Owen, for saving his family and all of the people. 

We see Andy say goodbye to his wife before he is taken to jail while Owen and O'Brien watch. O'Brien says that the worst part of all of this is that now Andy will have to watch his son grow up from behind bars where he'll be for 20 years. O'Brien looks so defeated. I'm sure he probably blames himself for getting Andy involved with the Honor Dogs in the first place. O'Brien worries that Jack will grow up without a father just like Andy did. The cycle continues. O'Brien feels like he fails but Owen tells him that he hasn't. Andy's alive and that's what matters at the moment. O'Brien thanks Owen for being a pain in his ass. I hope we get to see more of these two. 

In the final scene of the episode, we see Owen arrive at TK and Carlos' place with Chinese food. TK is pleasantly surprised by his father's presence and invites him inside. Owen tells TK he's proud of him. TK thanks him and asks what brought all of this up. Owen says throughout all of their ups and downs, he is grateful that TK has never decided to blow up a government building. Owen mentions the wedding and tells them he has thoughts. We then see the three of them through a window right before everything fades to black. 

Okay, my thoughts on the episode? I really, really enjoyed it. I love that we got the culmination to a plot introduced at the beginning of the season. My initial concern was that we would drag this storyline out for most of the season. It was fun watching Owen save the day with the 126's help, of course, but I look forward to episodes where Owen isn't the main focus. At this point, I think the fandom will revolt if we don't focus on Paul or Nancy or Mateo. It does look like next episode we will get to see more of Tommy and her blossoming romance with Trevor (D.B. Woodside). So, until next time ...

#911 lone star reaction #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #911 lone star reaction 2023 #911 lone star #fox 911 lone star #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023 #911 ls 4x06 #911 ls s4 #rob lowe #neal mcdonough #sierra mcclain #gina torres #brian michael smith #brennan keel cook #jim parrack

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for the season 4, third episode "Cry Wolf" which originally aired February 6, 2023. The episode was written by Carly Soteras and Wolfe Coleman and directed by David Katzenberg. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1: LONE STAR***Owen is enlisted by the FBI to infiltrate the Honor Dogs. When he returns to the bar to place a listening device in the owner's office, he is caught by Sgt. Ty O'Brien (Neal McDonough). Meanwhile, Tommy is feeling conflicted about dating her new pastor, Trevor Parks (D.B. Woodside). Carlos and TK meet with Iris Blake (Lyndsy Fonseca) about getting a divorce. Tommy invites Trevor over for dinner but also invites Judd and Grace. Iris tells TK she wants an annulment instead of a divorce. Tommy and Trevor share a smooch. Owen returns home to find O'Brien waiting for him. Whew, boy!

Okay, now that we're all caught up, let's talk about episode three - CRY WOLF!!!

We begin the episode by picking up where we left off. O'Brien is waiting for Owen when he returns home. He hands Owen back the listening device and asks him who he is working for. ATF? FBI? Owen tells him to get out of his house. O'Brien tells Owen to grab his helmet. We're going for a ride. 

Title card!

The two ride their bikes to a residential neighborhood. They arrive at the home of O'Brien's nephew, Andy. They are greeted by Andy's wife, Joanne (Stevie Lynn Jones) and son, Jacob (Viron Weaver). O'Brien tells Owen that his sister,  Melinda, died when Andy was sixteen and since Andy's dad wasn't in the picture, he became Andy's parental figure. He talks about how Andy would get in trouble, nothing too big, but really got his act together when Jacob was born. 

Joanne tells Owen she received a call from Andy a month ago and he sounded scared. He told her he was in trouble and not to look for him. He was never heard from after that. O'Brien goes on to say that a year prior Andy joined up with the Honor Dogs. Joanne says she assumed they were nice people but then Andy stopped spending time with her and Jacob. He would come home angry and she would ask him to quit. Andy told her he couldn't quit. Joanne tried to report his disappearance to the police but they wouldn't do anything because of the phone call where he told her not to look for him. 

O'Brien explains the reason he's aligned himself with the Honor Dogs is because he is looking for Andy. Owen suggests that he speak to the FBI but O'Brien says he doesn't trust the federal government. O'Brien asks if Owen knows what the Honor Dogs are planning and he tells him he cannot talk about it. Good move, Owen! O'Brien asks Owen not to tell the FBI about him or his nephew. Oh, and Jacob throws a toy at Owen and it hits his eye. Like father, like son, I guess. 

Carlos and TK speak with Detective Grier (Blythe Howard) regarding Iris being missing. Carlos assures the detective Iris is doing well, mentally but Detective Grier lets him know they found her meds in the abandoned car along with the unsigned divorce papers. TK speaks up about the divorce papers and tells Carlos and Detective Grier that Iris wanted an annulment instead of a divorce. TK tells Carlos that he confronted Iris at her work and says that Iris was fine when he talked to her. Detective Grier leaves. Carlos is very cold to TK and TK assumes he blames him for Iris going missing. Carlo tells him he should've given Iris more time. Hey, Carlos! You're being an asshole right now! Look, I get that you're upset about your bestie/fake-wife/soon-to-be ex-fake-wife being missing but TK does not deserve your ire. Carlos leaves the apartment and I feel really bad for TK.

Owen arrives for his shift at the firehouse the next day and Judd notices his shiner. Before Judd has a chance to press him for details, Owen gets a call from Special Agent Rose Casey (Amanda Schull). She asks him to come into the FBI so that he can go back to the bar to activate the listening device. Owen tells her he is busy and he will see what he can do. 

Grace gets a call from a man named Granger (John Shartzer) who says his girlfriend fell off the side of a cliff. The 126 arrive at the scene and find a woman lying flat down on a rock several feet below the clift. Carlos shows up to the scene saying he received a call from a witness saying she saw a man throw a body over a cliff. While Paul and Marjan repel down to the woman, Carlos grills the boyfriend, Granger who is being very cagey about what happened. Carlos thinks Granger threw Iris off the cliff but his interrogation is put to an end by Detective Granger. 

In perhaps one of the funniest scenes in the history of the show, we discover that the woman who was thrown off the cliff is a sex doll ... named Chrissy. Owen learns that Granger has detachment disorder and that he and Chrissy have been together for 2 years and he has decided to break things off. Nancy, like myself, is confused as to why he would bring Chrissy up to the canyon and toss her off a cliff only to call 9-1-1. Carlos, who is standing next to TK, suggests that Granger can't let go of a bad relationship. Gee, Carlos ... projecting much?!? We then cut to a scene where Nancy is pretending to revive Chrissy. When Chrissy flatlines, Owen apologizes to Granger and asks if he wants to say goodbye to her. Granger tells Chrissy he will love her forever. Hopefully Granger gets all of the medical/psychiatrist help he needs.

Owen goes to see Special Agent Casey and she sees his eye. He tells her he walked into a door. She knows the listening device was never planted. Owen asks how much they heard but Casey gives no indication she heard his conversation with O'Brien. When Special Agent Casey leaves the room to get another listening device, Owen looks at the board set up with information about the Honor Dogs. He sees a photo of whom he believes to be Andy and takes it. He swaps it out with what looks like a menu from a Chinese restaurant. Owen takes another listening device from Special Agent Casey and assures her he will plant it this time and turn it on. 

Grace gets a call from a woman claiming she's been kidnapped. She tells Grace her abductor is in the room with her and that he is asleep. She also tells Grace she is in an abandoned house. When Grace asks for her name, she tells her Iris. Grace reports this information to Carlos. Grace tells him she believes Iris is in Laurel Canyon, and Carlos drives to the location. Grace keeps Iris on the line. She tells Grace the house is boarded. up. Iris tells Grace the guy who took her is awake and the call ends. Cops swarm the abandoned neighborhood and Carlos hears a scream. He goes into a house and finds Iris unconscious. Carlos carries her out of the house fireman-style. This is when my bullshit meter went off. Is Iris trying to get attention from Carlos? Since Carlos didn't look for her when she was homeless and experiencing severe mental health issues, is this her way of making him look for her? 

Detective Grier asks Carlos to come with her and before he leaves, Iris reaches for his hand. He promises her he will come back. The detective tells Carlos the cops have searched inside the house and they didn't find anyone. Carlos appears baffled by this information. Does this mean Iris is ... crying wolf?

Meanwhile, Owen shows O'Brien the photo he took from the FBI and the sergeant confirms it's Andy who is in the picture. December 8th is written on the photo and Jo says she heard from Andy two days after that. Owen tells him that two days after the photo was taken, a shipment of ammonium nitrate was stolen. He also suggests that Andy was working with the FBI. O'Brien mentions that he's heard some of the Honor Dog members talk about a place called The Farm which may be where they train. He says no one can get inside unless they have a brand. 

Carlos goes to Iris in the hospital along with Detective Grier. They want Iris to retrace her steps. Iris says she was looking for one of her residents at the shelter when she was grabbed at the homeless camp she used to frequent and was forced into a car. She describes the man who took her as tall, plain, and creepy with a mustache and he has a messed up hand. He didn't do anything to Iris and told her she wasn't ready yet. She says that he looked at her like she was a painting. He put a mattress against the door they were in and just sat and looked at her. When he fell asleep, she used his phone to call 9-1-1. She also says the reason she has the gash on her head is because the man woke up and smashed her against a wall. She didn't see him leave the house. Carlos and Detective Grier leave Iris's room and the detective expresses her doubts regarding Iris's story. 

Owen and O'Brien go to the bar. O'Brien goes to plant the listening device and Owen plays pool with a guy named Turner (Scott Peak). The more they play, the drunker Turner gets. After losing multiple games, Owen tells Turner is an excellent marksman. Turner challenges him and tells him he knows a place where they can go shooting. 

Tommy talks to TK in the bunk room at the firehouse. TK tells her Carlos is at the hospital with Iris. He tells Tommy there may not have been a guy who kidnapped her. TK tells TOmmy they had a drone up and no one else came out of that house. Tommy talks about mental illness and how it can be triggered. TK thinks he set Iris off. I really hate that TK is feeling this way and Carlos isn't doing shit to make him feel better. Do better, Carlos!!!

Carlos sees Iris again. By the way, I'm super surprised Carlos is able to talk to Iris like this because wouldn't this be a conflict of interest? Anywho, Iris doesn't think Carlos believes her and he tells her he believes she believes what she experienced. He tells her they couldn't get anything off the burner phone she used to call 9-1-1. Iris assures him she's been taking her meds and doing much better. She tells Carlos she can still smell the guy's scent. She describes it as flowery detergent. She says she can still see his face. Iris starts to doubt herself and her sanity. 

Owen and O'Brien accompany Turner to The Farm and I found it funny that the password to get into the compound is 1-2-3-4-5. Turner takes them to a shooting range. The guy is drunker than a skunk but is an excellent shooter. Turner eventually passes out and Owen and O'Brien go investigating. They notice the place is the same as the place in the photo of Andy. They find a HUGE arsenal of weapons as well as 14000 pounds of ammonium nitrate. Owen meets with Special Agent Casey in a parking garage and tells her he's been to The Farm. She tells him about him she knows he stole the photo and he's taken to headquarters. Special Agent Casey said the FBI raided The Farm and found no ammonium nitrate. Owen learns that O'Brien is a founding member of the Honor Dogs. Owen tells her he's told O'Brien a lot of stuff. Special Agent Casey tells Owen he was played by O'Brien and lost.  

Carlos returns to the house where Iris was being held captive. Before he heads inside, he calls TK. TK asks how Iris is and Carlos has said not great. He then tells TK not to wait up for him and that he's staying with Iris. Carlos puts on gloves and goes inside the abandoned house. He finds some removable wall panels inside the closet of the room where Iris was found. He goes down into a creepy ass crawlspace. He ends up in another house in the neighborhood and is hit in the head by the guy who abducted Iris. End of episode.

This was an interesting episode. The stuff involving Owen got ratcheted up to a thousand and I'm curious to see how this Honor Dogs wraps up. The question I have is: who can be trusted? The FBI or O'Brien. O'Brien was definitely in that photo of the founding members of the Honor Dogs, but perhaps the group didn't always have ties to white nationalism. It does beg the question, if O'Brien was a founding member of the Honor Dogs, how did Andy hide his involvement from him? Did O'Brien leave and come back. These are questions that definitely need answering.

Then we have our Carlos storyline. I'm still iffy on Carlos being married to Iris even though he is planning on marrying TK. Plus, I'm not a fan of how Carlos acted in this episode. I don't think he has a right to get mad at TK when he hasn't been honest with TK during the entirety of their relationship when it comes to Iris. I said it last reaction and I will say it again - TK Strand is a way better man than me. The way Carlos was cold to him throughout the episode was so unnecessary. I get that Carlos is worried about Iris and wants to do right by her but that shouldn't be at the expense of hurting the person he claims he loves and who loves him. Also, Carlos reminded me a lot of Athena from the OG series when he went into the abandoned house at the end. I get why Athena goes off alone a lot. She has mentioned before that she likes being able to go where she needs to go and we rarely see her partnered with someone. Carlos actually does have a partner and if he was going to go investigating, I think he should've had some backup. So, of course, he gets bonked on the head with a shovel. 

It looks like in the next episode titled "Abandoned" we are going to learn that Iris was not crying wolf. There is, in fact, a man, tall, plain, and creepy with a mustache who has him abducted. According to the preview I saw, apparently this man is supposed to be a serial killer. Now obviously they are not about to kill off a beloved main character but this is yet one more horrible thing that TK and Carlos are going to have to contend with. I guess the fans got their wish when they asked that Carlos get to experience some of the trauma that is often hoisted onto TK. Be careful what you wish for! Well, that's all I have for this reaction. I really liked this episode. Of the three we've gotten so far, episode 2 is my favorite. With that said, this season is keeping me on the edge of my seat so I hope we keep this momentum going forward. Until next time ...

#911 lone star reaction #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #911 lone star reaction 2023 #911 lone star #fox 911 lone star #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023 #911 ls 4x03 #911 ls s4 #rob lowe #rafael l silva #ronen rubinstein #gina torres #neal mcdonough #lyndsy fonseca #sierra mcclain

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for the season 4, second episode "The New Hot Mess" which originally aired January 31, 2023. The episode was written by Bob Goodman and directed by Chad Lowe. Spoilers ahead!

***LAST TIME ON 9-1-1: LONE STAR***

The 126 go up against baseball-sized hail, frogs, and porta potties. TK and Carlos look for a venue for their upcoming nuptials but first they have to deal with the fact that Carlos is married? To Michelle Blake's little sister, Iris? Oh, and Tommy gives her number to a guy who nearly choked on a frog and got stuck in a ferris wheel only to find out he is her new minister. Our fearless leader, Owen, joins up with a motorcycle gang called the Honor Dogs and finds out they might be ... gasp ... white nationalists!

Okay, now that we're all caught up, let's talk about episode two - THE NEW HOT MESS!!!

In our cold open, we get a woman named Lila Geralds (Ashley Rae Spillers) waking up to her home shaking violently. It's not an earthquake; it's just her crazy ex-husband, Mitch (Jamison Webb) driving off with their trailer attached to his pickup. She calls 9-1-1 and our favorite dispatcher answers. Grace asks her for her location but Lila tells her she doesn't know.

The 126 get the call, of course, and go after the husband. Sgt. Ty O'Brien (Neal McDonough) is also on the chase. Meanwhile debris is falling off of the trailer and onto the road. Grace asks if Lila knows where Mitch is going and she tells her that he has an empty lot in a place called Birch Glen.  TK and Marjan are in a helicopter flying over the pickup and trailer and Marjan attempts to repel down on top of the trailer. Mitch starts swerving. The 126 pulls up alongside his truck and Owen attempts to talk him down by talking about how he has been divorced twice. Turns out the man is upset because the judge told Lila she could stay in the house. 

Marjan crashes through the trailer ceiling to rescue Lila but Lila is resistant. Lila is adamant she is not leaving the house because the judge said she could stay. The trailer starts to fall apart and Marjan manages to extract herself and Lila out of the trailer before it crashes. The SWAT Team and Sgt. O'Brien are waiting at mile marker 23 and when Mitch drives towards them, the trailer gets caught underneath the overpass. The day is saved!

Title card!

Owen meets with special agents Rose Casey (Amanda Schull) and Chuck Biondi (Rob Parks) in regard to the Honor Dogs. Owen tells them he doesn't know much about them. Agent tells Owen the group is trying to reclaim Texas and is officially a terrorist group. The agents believe the Honor Dogs are plotting a terrorist attack. There is also a truck carrying three times the explosives used in the Oklahoma City Bombing. Long story short, they want Owen to go undercover to infiltrate the group. 

Tommy goes to see her bestie Grace at the 9-1-1 dispatch center. Grace goes on break so they can go have a lady chat. They talk about the new pastor, Trevor (D.B. Woodside). Grace is curious to see if the reverend has called Tommy but Tommy is avoiding him because she is deeply unnerved by the fact he is her pastor. Tommy is worried about people gossiping about her. Grace encourages Tommy to call the reverend. Fun fact: Grace waited until she was married to have sex with Judd. Tommy tells Grace she doesn't know if she wants to get married again but she does want something more than a dinner companion. Tommy tells Grace she will call Trevor to tell him she is not interested. 

TK and Carlos prepare for Iris's arrival. TK is understandably nervous. I mean it's not every day you meet your fiance's wife. During their visit, Iris gives TK the third degree. She calls him short, wonders why he is a paramedic instead of a firefighter, and also asks why he wants to get married when he and Carlos are pretty much already married. TK mentions he's been in three comas - OD, hypothermia, and when he got shot. Poor TK! Baby boy has been through a lot! 

Carlos tells Iris he and TK love each other and they want to get married. Iris reminds him he is already married. She asks for the divorce papers and when TK hands them to her, she says she will take them with her and look them over. I do not like her. Not at all. Wish she would've stayed missing. Ooh, that's so mean. Forgive me, y'all! Poor TK! He does not deserve this! Carlos, you're on my shit list right now!

TK talks to Nancy about Iris holding him and Carlos' wedding hostage. TK has a bad feeling about Iris and I think he is totally valid in his feelings. I don't trust her and it has nothing to do with her mental health. Reverend Trevor shows up at the station house and Nancy teases Tommy when she finds out he is a pastor. Tommy apologizes for giving him her number without knowing what his job was but Trevor says he believes God brought them together. Smooth move, Mr. Preacher Man. Tommy agrees to have dinner with him. 

Owen goes back to the hole in the wall where the Honor Dogs gather. He runs into the young guy, Mikey (Richard Meehan). He talks to Red (Dan Sanders-Joyce), the bartender, and asks why they brand their members with an eagle instead of a dog. Owen insinuates the eagle has ties with Nazism. Owen goes to use the restroom and does some spying. This scene was so tense because I was wondering if Owen was going to get caught. He is caught after he bugs the office by none other than Sgt. O'Brien. The real question is: Is he working undercover or is he an Honor Dog?

Owen and O'Brien have drinks and Owen finds out Sgt. O'Brien is, indeed, an Honor Dog. O'Brien asks Owen why he's there. O'Brien tells Owen that this is not a place where he wants to be. He tells Owen to finish his beer and never come back. He is NOT welcome there. Owen meets with Special Agent Casey in a parking garage about what he found out at the bar. He tells her about O'Brien. Owen worries his cover is blown. Owen feels conflicted because he likes O'Brien. He says every time he makes a new male friend it ends badly. Hmm, good observation Owen. When Agent talks about the bug being activated, Owen tells her he forgot to activate it.

Tommy gets all dolled up and looks AMAZING for her date with Trevor, and Mr. Preacher Man looks sexy as hell himself. She invites him inside and their sexual chemistry is off the charts. Tommy is being so forward, uncharacteristically forward. I wondered if this was a dream sequence. Tommy tells Trevor she is feeling conflicted because she has never dated a preacher. He tells her he has no plans on preaching tonight. They start kissing and he tells her to try not to cry out the Lord's name. He rips open her dress and Tommy wakes up from her very sexy dream.

Tommy goes to Owen to talk about her feelings for Trevor. She tells Owen she is having sex dreams about her pastor. Owen tells her he is flattered she came to him. Tommy tells Owen she gave the guy they saved at the fair her number and that she feels bad about it because he's her pastor. Owen asks if the sex dream came before or after she found out he was a pastor. Owen asks her what Trevor was wearing in the dream. Tommy is like, why is that important. Owen asks if she likes the church and she says yes. Owen tells her to say no to the date with Trevor because he once asked out a receptionist at his haircutting place and he tells her that if it doesn't work out, she can't go back. Very valid advice, Captain Strand! Tommy thanks him for the advice!

TK goes to see Iris and asks if they can talk. He asks if she had time to look at the divorce papers but Iris is being super evasive. TK tries to prove that he loves Carlos, which he shouldn't have to do because who the hell is this woman anyway, and Iris questions if they are a match or not. Iris tells TK it would be a mistake to sign the divorce papers. TK reminds Iris that Carlos is gay and his and asks why she won't sign. Iris says she should be his first and only marriage. She says she should get an annulment and not a divorce. TK asks what she meant by him being exactly what she thought he would be. She calls him a hot mess. She says he can be Carlos' life work. Way harsh, Iris!

Tommy gets ready (for real) for her date with Trevor. She invites him inside and they have a witty repartee. Tommy cooks for them ... and three others. Judd, Grace, and Charlie show up but it's clear they are unaware Trevor was going to be there. Izzy and Evie also show up to dinner as well. Grace gives Tommy the stink eye. 

O'Brien is waiting in Owen's home when Owen arrives. He gives Owen back the bug he left in Red's office. Owen accuses him of being a Nazi. He tells O'Brien he is a disgrace. O'Brien asks Owen who he is working for. ATF or FBI. O'Brien mentions Red has security cameras but he got to them before Red did. O'Brien tells Owen he needs to take care of him. Gulp! He tells Owen he is going to take him somewhere.

TK is still smarting from Iris' burn. He starts to question whether he and Carlos getting married is a good idea. Carlos asks him what's going on and TK asks him if he sees him as a project. A bird with a broken wing or a tragic case that needs rescuing. TK asks if Carlos married Iris because he thought he could save her from her mental illness. Carlos reminds TK that Iris's mental illness came later and that when they got married, he was the project. TK asks if he thinks he's a hot mess, Carlos says yes but that he is his hot mess. Dawww! I'm still mad at you, Carlos. THe scene ends with Carlos getting an important call. 

Dinner is over at the Vega residence. Trevor gets ready to leave and Tommy walks him out. Grace chastises Tommy for what she did. Judd is confused and Grace tells him that he, Charlie, and her are. the third, fourth, and fifth wheels on Tommy's first date with the pastor. Tommy says she feels terrible and Grace says she should. Tommy tells Grace she likes him. Trevor comes back and kisses Tommy at the door. Ooooh, yes!!! He tells her next date, no chaperones. Get it, Mr. Preacher Man!  

Carlos drives to a police scene where Iris's car is abandoned and the divorce papers are found on the seat. Where is Iris? Did she have a mental health episode? Did she go missing? Was she kidnapped? or is she just crying wolf to mess with Carlos and TK? 

Speaking of crying wolf, "Cry Wolf" is the name of our next episode. I'm interested to see what happens next. Is O'Brien really an Honor Dog or are him and Owen working toward the same goal? Where is Iris? Is she alive or dead? Can she be trusted? How long will they drag out this whole Carlos is already married storyline? Hopefully we don't go too long without a resolution to this plot. I'm also interested in seeing Tommy's romance with Trevor develop. Also, can we please get some more Nancy, Marjan, Mateo, and Paul next episode? Pretty please! Sigh ... Until next time ...

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