9-1-1: Lone Star, a spin-off of Fox’s groundbreaking 9-1-1, follows Captain Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) and his son TK (Ronen Rubenstein) as they move to Texas to rebuild the 126 fire station after a devastating accident leaves only one survivor: Judd Ryder (Jim Parrack). With their team — Captain Tommy Vega (Gina Torres), Marjan Marwani (Natacha Karam), Paul Strickland (Brian Michael Smith), Mateo Chavez (Julian Works), Nancy Gillian (Brianna Baker) — and some help from Officer Carlos Reyes (Rafael Silva) and dispatcher Grace Ryder (Sierra McClain), they work to keep Austin safe and showcase their impressive skills as first responders on a daily basis. Unfortunately, now well into its fourth season, 9-1-1: Lone Star is beginning to have a major problem that is keeping it from reaching new levels as the original has and driving the audience away.
‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Season 4 Is Lacking Emotion
What has made the 9-1-1 universe so successful — and has allowed the series to continue for several years now — are the powerful and emotional stories we’ve watched unfold from the point of view of both the first responders that we follow every week and the victims involved in the tragic incidents they are responding to. Moments with Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) on the phone with a caller, helping them out of a challenging situation, remain some of the strongest of the series because of fantastic writing (and, of course, great performances). However, 9-1-1: Lone Star has never been quite able to replicate this success or the ability to tell deeply impactful stories. The disasters have paled in comparison on Lone Star to those on the original show. The stories never quite utilize the characters as they do in the original, especially as Lone Star is always primarily focused on being all about Owen Strand. There are a few notable exceptions, like Grace’s call with a dying astronaut in the first season’s finale or Tommy’s husband dying toward the end of the second season. But, these are anomalies, not routine as they are on the flagship series.
The fourth season of 9-1-1: Lone Star has taken a step further now and stripped the show of nearly all emotion in favor of leaning on the “shock value.” They are focused on keeping viewers on their toes, rather than providing heartfelt stories to give the audience a good cry as we continue to bond with these beloved characters. From the beginning of the season, it has just been one shock after another. We’ve had a frog storm, the reveal that Tommy’s new beau is her church’s new reverend, Marjan’s surprise exit from the 126, and Carlos and Iris (Lyndsy Fonseca) kidnapped by a serial killer. Plus, Owen’s six-episode-long investigation with Sergeant O’Brien (Neal McDonough) and FBI Agent Rose Casey (Amanda Schull) into the neo-Nazi biker gang suspected of planning a terrorist attack on the city. An attack that, ultimately, had little to no emotional payoff as the only real casualty was Rose Casey. This shift in focus is severely hurting the show. The stories are missing the mark (for the most part), trying to change what makes this universe great by making the stories more shocking and unexpected without the emotional factor.
There Are A Few Glimmers of Hope From the Rest of the Cast
It’s the wrong approach, and it’s clear that fans aren’t interested as the ratings are hitting new lows every week. Overall, the season is lacking. Unarguably, the episode in which Carlos is held hostage by his would-be killer and that man’s mother is the best of the current season, but it’s not because Carlos is kidnapped. (Though, Silva gave an outstanding performance.) It’s because of TK’s desperate search for his fiancé and the emotion he brought back to the show with that, and the powerful reunion they shared after Carlos nearly died. Additionally, another highlight of the season is Grace’s story with Linus (Mason Blomberg) in the episode “Human Resources” as he repeatedly calls the emergency line for non-emergencies, like his math homework. Ultimately, Grace helps to save his mother’s life when she has a stroke, going above and beyond to make sure this little boy has a great life in front of him. This story will remain a highlight of the show because it manages to perfectly capture the severity of the situation, delving into the emotion Grace feels about how to handle it, while still giving us surprises.
That story with Grace is an example of the 9-1-1 universe at its best. Heartfelt, unexpected, and beautifully acted. It’s apparent that the writers still know how to deliver storytelling like this, and the talented cast of 9-1-1: Lone Star has no issue delivering well-done performances. So, frankly, there’s no excuse for the current path the series is on. There needs to be balance in the elements, yes, but nobody is watching these shows simply to be surprised and/or shocked. It’s all about the emotion, which should be prioritized, but that seems to have been forgotten while outlining the stories for this season. Instead, we’ve received six episodes of forgettable stories that have left viewers wondering why we’ve just sat through this, especially Owen’s investigation into the gang. Such a waste of time, and sadly it doesn’t appear that change is on the horizon.
As always, there is great potential for 9-1-1: Lone Star, but it never manages to live up to said potential despite having one of the best casts on television. These characters and actors are capable of doing so much more with the right material. However, the fourth season is taking this disappointment to a new level. Here’s hoping the writers manage to turn things around as the season progresses, especially now that the story with the gang has ended and with Carlos and TK’s forthcoming wedding. Unfortunately, it’s hard to believe things can be turned around at this point. This season is mostly lacking the heart of what makes 9-1-1 so captivating, and it’s hard to see the show surviving for too much longer.
9-1-1: Lone Star continues Tuesdays on Fox. Every episode is now streaming on Hulu.
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