9-1-1: Lone Star Season 3 Episode 3 Review: Shock and Thaw

The drama continues, and there seems to be no end in sight for our nerves!

One could say that 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 3 Episode 3 was another fast-paced hour that juggled roughly three storylines and introduced another nailbiter. We’ll be on the edge of our seats when the winter storm saga continues for another installment.

They went big with this ice storm, and they’ve milked it for all that it’s worth.

I’m still of the mind that the Ice storm event could’ve lasted for two installments rather than stretching on to, well, we’re headed into four now. Most of this, while entertaining, is a lot of filler.

They’re having a ball with this, and they’re stretching this event longer than necessary. In hindsight, now that the storyline with Owen and the migrant workers is complete, I’m of the mind that we didn’t need it at all.

Sadie: What the hell happened?
Owen: Marwani.
Sadie: What’s a Marwani?
Owen: That is a Marwani. Marjan Marwani, my friend, big time badass.

The resolution took up most of the hour, and it did incorporate Marjan, who was previously absent despite her car wreck. It had some great moments, including the genuinely random and weird, unusually long car Karaoke scene with Owen and Marjan singing a duet to Tom Petty’s Breakdown.

Listen, I’m not sure how Zillennial Marjan knew all the words unless she has a kickass Vinyl collection or gets her Karaoke on in her free time.

It was unusual and tonal whiplash since it happened after their action movie star antics while T.K. fought for his life across town. However, I’m not mad about Owen and Marjan getting some quality time together since they never have one-on-one scenes.

Is Lone Star making some odd choices to rectify their character-dynamic issues? Sure, but we’re going to roll with it and give them a gold star for improvement.

Marjan: It’s amazing what can happen when a family never stops fighting for each other.
Owen: That was subtle.

As stated before, lesser utilized characters benefit from merely sharing screentime or a storyline with Owen. Marjan got to be badass again by rescuing him from the dirty deputy. She succeeded in getting Owen back into town and considering his job prospects again, whether he wants to admit it or not.

It’s questionable why we needed the coyote/migrant arc combined with a dirty deputy (played by go-to portrayer of bad guys Brian Letscher). It was such a random storyline to explore.

Owen got in his heroic moments as he led the migrants back to his home, parting the snow like a hot Cowboy Moses after fighting off the coyote and proceeded to kick some ass once Marjan gave him a distraction.

It really did feel like something out of an action movie. The man moves quickly and smartly.

We went from concern that Marjan got trapped in her vehicle to her freeing herself with ease only to witness the deputy slay a migrant in cold blood. And for the life of us all, it’s still puzzling if Sadie is supposed to be a potential love interest for Owen or there’s something shady to her.

Despite Helena’s brief reunion with her boys (now that the authorities are involved, all those hypothermic migrants get deported), the happy ending is short-lived when you consider Owen still doesn’t know about his son.

The other characters don’t either. Was anyone else waiting for some moment where Judd or Mateo crossed paths with Tommy, Nancy, or Carlos at the hospital?

Despite Paul (and Lindsey and the boy T.K. saved) spending a more extended period in the climate wet and hypothermic, they didn’t make it to the ICU, so Paul and T.K. presumably aren’t on the same floor.

Paul is doing well, and his condition is stable. He’s damn near up and walking around, and it’s a relief after what he endured. His moments of sentimentality with Judd and Mateo were enough to make you smile. God bless the brotherhood.

You always got the sense that Paul wasn’t as close to anyone at his last house, so it’s extra moving for him to realize that he’s found a family with the 126, and they wouldn’t stop until they saved him. There aren’t any words for that moment when you realize that you’ve found a family and that people genuinely love you.

It was a great time spent with the guys. We often see Paul and Mateo, but Judd thrown into the mix made the scenes all the sweeter.

The shock of it all is that Lindsey’s parents are wealthy. The milk carton business must be good if her father is offering to buy Paul a Maserati as an expression of gratitude for saving his daughter’s life.

Paul: This is too generous.
Cole: Oh, we’re just getting started. Would you like a Maserati?

Her parents were the absolute cutest, and they didn’t hesitate to shower Paul with a bunch of gifts, despite Lindsey’s embarrassment. Something tells me they’ll be crucial in getting the 126 back open and running again.

If they have enough money to throw at Paul like this, then they can bankroll the firehouse, and it’ll be great for the community, too. It’s something that serves everyone. Lindsey knows how much Paul cares about his firehouse, so she’ll probably suggest her parents put their money towards something to that effect.

Between Paul’s heroic save of Lindsey, the 126’s track record, and the history of the house after the initial tragedy, there’s enough that is going for it that people would rally behind the opening of it.

Even Billy can’t deny that the 126 has a particular effect on people. Ugh, he continues to be an annoying man. On the one hand, you can’t help but be grateful that he’s there for Grace amid this storm now that she’s in labor.

Billy, I read that there are two reasons that we do anything. There’s a good reason, and then there’s the real one. So, how about you just admit it. When you saw a chance to shutter that place permanently, you couldn’t resist. You couldn’t stand to see that house thrive under Captain Strand. Billy, I don’t even want to think about what your 126 brothers would say if they could see you right now. I hope you think about it, though, and I hope it keeps you up at night the way losing the 126 kept my husband up at night, Billy! He thinks I don’t know, but I do, and dammit, Billy, I promised him that I would stay relaxed, and I’m not feeling so relaxed right now, so how about you get your sandwich, and you get out.

Grace

But he’s the reason she got riled up in the first place. Billy’s audacity never ceases, and, incredibly, he felt appealing to Grace would be his way of getting Judd to listen to his offer.

Judd would be a terrific captain, no doubt about it, but he’s into the field for more than ladder climbing and prestige. It’s so much more to why he holds the 126 and the people who work there dear to him.

And Billy is foolish if he thought he could sidestep all the wrong he did and appeal to Grace using the Ryders’ growing family. Billy assumes that people value things the same as him and share his thinking when that isn’t the case.

You got to love Grace. The woman is the epitome of her name, and we rarely, if ever, see her so angry or riled up by anyone. If you’re pissing Grace Ryder off, then it says a hell of a lot about you as a person! She’s the most loving, forgiving woman ever.

Billy: Grace —
Grace: Billy, I said get out of my house!
Billy: I believe your water just broke.
Grace: What am I supposed to tell my husband?
Billy: It wasn’t me?

She’s also stubborn as hell, too, and her anger at Billy kept her from thinking rationally about how she’d get to the hospital. She shouldn’t have been driving, and if her truck didn’t have four-wheel drive, then they should’ve gone in Billy’s. Maybe this will be a gateway to Billy earning some trust back with Judd and the others.

He admitted that he didn’t like that Owen could fix up the 126 and get it thriving, and he also misses his friendship with Judd. He cares about the Ryders, and there’s no doubt he’ll do anything to protect Grace and the baby if she goes into labor in that car or something.

Billy is a pain in the ass, but we at least know that.

It’ll be devastating if Judd isn’t there to see his child born, though. If we have to watch this moment unfold with Billy instead of Judd, there will be cussing and fussing by all, myself included.

It does make you wonder how the roads are and which ways are better or worse. Grace managed to get home fine after leaving the call center and her baby shower. Tommy somehow got to visit Grace and tell her about T.K. and express her guilt over it, but she made it back to sit with Nancy and Carlos.

One’s heart breaks for Tommy. It’s too soon for her to be in the hospital again and worrying about another loved one after her tragic loss.

It’s unfathomable how she could blame herself for what happened. Nancy was right to point out that T.K. made that decision to rescue the boy, and he wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again if he had the chance to change something. Would it have been any better if they lost that child?

Tommy wouldn’t have been able to cope with that loss and wondered if they did everything in their power. Nothing about what happened at that pond is Tommy’s fault, not even some of the claims that she should’ve sent T.K. to the hospital along with the child.

T.K.: So when did you get in?
Gwyn: Just now. I flew in as soon as I heard about your latest little stint in the hospital. You know you’re in there so often you ought to enroll in some sort of rewards program.

But she cares about T.K. as if he’s one of her own, and she doesn’t want to face Owen, who she credits with being there for her on the worst day of her life.

Everything about how T.K. got here and the condition he’s in is a twist of fate, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Owen wouldn’t dream of blaming Tommy, and he knows there is no stopping T.K., and he’d have done the same thing. T.K. is, of course, his father’s child.

It’s heartbreaking to see Carlos at T.K.’s side. We still don’t know what came between the two, but his love for T.K. is as clear as day. Tommy could barely keep it together and optimistic when she and Nancy were by themselves, but she couldn’t bear to break an already emotionally fragile Carlos’ heart.

It seems T.K. is headed toward multi-organ failure if his condition doesn’t stabilize. The conditions did a number on him. It’s not the best news to hear, and it left the trio reeling. It’ll be an emotional affair once Owen gets to his son.

T.K.: We almost had it again, didn’t we?
Gwyn: What’s that?
T.K.: Family.
Gwyn: Family is not always the picture that comes with the frame, T.K.

T.K. has had enough scares, something they’re aware enough of to at least acknowledge in the dialogue, but that makes things scarier for his loved ones, as they’re left wondering when his time is up, or his luck runs out.

In the interim, T.K. was in a dreamscape with his mother, baking some delicious cookies and listening to her cryptically state things about his health. He doesn’t seem aware that he’s supposed to be fighting for his life. He’s too comfy and content in this world baking cookies with his mother.

It makes you wonder why that pull is so alluring that he won’t consciously wake up. What does it say about his subconscious desires that the thing that can keep him in this other realm is this one-on-one time with his mother?

Is it meant to reference how he feels as an adult child whose mother now has an infant? He spoke fondly of his sibling, but it does seem as though T.K. and his mother aren’t as close as they once were. Something about Gwyn and that dreamscape is enough to keep T.K. occupied instead of clawing his way back to reality.

Grace: What are you doing?
Billy: You ain’t the only crazy one. You driving, I’m riding shotgun.

And if Gwyn and this world have such a hold on him, then what can pull him out of it? You’d think Carlos would be what gets through to him, and there’s a strong chance that’ll be the case, but perhaps he needs his father. After all, Owen is consistently the one who brings him back from the brink of death.

T.K. needs to wake the heck up and stop stressing everyone out!

Over to you, Lone Star Fanatics!

What are your theories about T.K.’s dreamscape? Will Grace make it to the hospital? Do you think Lindsey’s parents will save the 126? Hit the comments below.

You can watch 9-1-1: Lone Star online here via T.V. Fanatic.

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Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

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