Critic’s Rating: 4.1 / 5.0
4.1
Sometimes, love isn’t enough.
Yet, that didn’t make Tommy’s arc during 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 4 any easier to swallow.
Seriously, can they give that poor woman a break at any time?! Will Tarlos be the only 9-1-1: Lone Star wedding we’ll ever have?
House of Hoarders- House of Horrors
One of the things I appreciate most about the 126 is how they don’t judge people.
They get some of the most outlandish calls, and even when things warrant specific reactions, they rarely let the person they’re treating or assisting feel judged.
The sweet older woman with the high pain threshold and a dead cat was living in a house that the city should’ve condemned, and despite that and the fact that everyone was practically gagging and getting sick just to get to her, they never let her feel like a terrible person.
As someone who learned about how a relative used to be a hoarder, I found it rather endearing, and the hilarious moments that ensued with the arc didn’t particularly come at this woman’s expense.
Speaking of the hilarity, Brian Michael Smith is so great with comedic beats that one only hopes he’d consider a nice comedy in pursuit of future roles.
Paul doubled back to get that woman’s purse, and his reaction the entire time was truly hilarious and so utterly relatable that it made me belly laugh.
Paul was already a better person than most for re-entering that home and braving a legion of rats to find this woman’s purse in the first place.
But the way he went about it, loudly making noise so they’d scurry away from him, narrating his every move, letting them know he meant no harm, and desperately trying to get out of there as quickly as possible was basically myself in any situation that has me subjected to creepy crawlies, fuzzy critters, or anything outdoors related.
The Sprinkles revelation was the cherry on top, but it was a tough flash for animal lovers who struggle with their deaths in media.
TNT Has the Roughest and Most Gutwrenching Calls
We’re getting some great TNT action, and it’s nice that 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 is leaning so heavily into that dynamic.
It’s one of the strongest ones, and the closeness that has developed among Tommy, TK, and Nancy has been endearing.
It also has led to some great content and more scenes for Nancy, who the series notoriously underutilized before but now gets more time to flourish.
Their pregnant woman’s emergency call was shockingly harrowing in how it played out for many reasons.
There was the comedic aspect of a woman in active labor who wanted an elaborate birth plan of soothing lights, candles, ambiance, and all of that good stuff freaking out because he husband defied her orders.
But there’s also the flip side of it, knowing that the U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, and childbirth is often the closest a person comes to death.
It’s a terrifying ordeal, and it’s not wrong for this poor man to be proactive in trying to save his wife and child.
In the end, it was a good thing since she ended up hemorrhaging after she delivered.
Her survival was as close as a call as it gets, getting the number of things stacked against her, from the elevator getting stuck to the transport time for blood and Paul breaking the drill.
That she survived at all was a miracle in itself.
Paul Overcompensates on 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 4
One’s heart went out to Paul during this entire installment.
There are so many things that a person can combat when they get any type of promotion or find themselves in certain positions.
Interestingly, the series didn’t go the route I expected, and Paul struggled with imposter syndrome.
So many elements at play could’ve resulted in that specific storyline.
Instead, Paul struggled with the others not liking him anymore because of this new rank.
It’s different for him to be the new lieutenant overseeing his close friends than for Judd, who has always been more like a big brother to all of them and whose primary friendship circle consists of Owen and Tommy.
Positions of authority can test relationships and friendships, so Paul’s fear was valid, especially since he was insecure about it because of the abandonment of his childhood friends.
The Purpose of a Team is to Use the Team
Paul was trying to do way too much.
What good is being the lieutenant of a team if you fail to recognize that it’s a team for a reason?
It’s not one man here, and while it was a bit comical to have Owen trying to give Paul this life lesson, I’m glad it clicked at some point.
There was a genuine fear that he would end up severely hurt, far worse than his back, because of that stupid ladder thing and that he’d be out of the gig permanently because he couldn’t let anyone help him.
Opal’s near death was a reality check for him because his own actions could’ve been partially the reason she didn’t get critical care in a timely fashion.
Fortunately, this is the 126, and they respect Paul and consider him family as well, so they’d never cast him aside or treat him poorly because of his position.
However, what Owen said to Marjan during 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 3 is a curious thing that still lingers.
The second he threw that line out there about him making the wrong decision choosing Paul, I wondered if he actually did in the first place.
The Death of Tommy and Trevor on 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 4 Sucks
It’s disappointing that the series has devoted so much time to Tommy and Trevor and that their relationship ends like this.
Perhaps there’s an avenue where things change, but for now, it makes perfect sense that he’d want to return to Kansas to be wherever his daughter is.
Melody’s frustrating and dangerous games of sowing tension between her mother and Tommy aside, clearly, she needs to be where her mom is.
She’s always wanted that, and Trevor has to be around his daughter.
Things aren’t aligned for Tommy and Trevor right now, and one has to wonder if that will stick or if one of them can make a move if necessary.
While I’ve always been more indifferent to the pairing than a diehard shipper or anything, it’s unfortunate that this chapter is seemingly closing.
Once all the covert antics to expose Cassandra, Judd offering his support like a true bestie, and Nancy stirring the pot and ready to kick some ass on Tommy’s behalf were set aside, it ended on a sad note.
Tommy learned to love again after her husband died, and that’s something special.
9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5’s Limited Use of TK is Noticeable
It’s an unpopular opinion, as TK is such a fan favorite, but I don’t mind that the series has pushed him to the fringes some.
We have so many great characters that it’s nice to spend more time with them and learn about their different sides and interactions.
However, it is becoming more noticeable that TK has taken a backseat, enough that it makes me wonder what they’re setting up for him in the future and how they’ll lay the groundwork for it.
We have four episodes of a shortened final season under our belts, and it’s starting to hit that we don’t know much about TK’s status outside of his issues with Carlos throwing himself into work and investigating his father’s murder.
It’s such a switch-up for this series, and while Owen has blessedly taken a backseat in some ways as well, it at least feels like we have some inkling as to where he is in his life right now, too.
Over to you, Lone Star Fanatics.
How do you feel about Tommy and Trevor’s breakup?
Do you think there’s too little TK thus far?
Is Paul cut out for lieutenant?
Let’s hear all of your thoughts below!
Watch 9-1-1: Lone Star Online
