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Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
4.5
If you were looking for a “feels-fest,” then 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 5 delivered.
We had some interesting cases; both primary ones resulted in tragedy, which was incredibly upsetting to witness in some regard, but there were some bright spots despite that.
Carlos and T.K. were back at the forefront of 9-1-1: Lone Star for a bit, as was the topic of grief for the two and Owen.
A Horse Named Thunder
Owen has a penchant for going on side quests throughout this series.
Fortunately, this season, his missions feel more grounded and true to form, and they’ve helped to expand on other parts of his character, not just the shallow bits.
He’s still deeply grieving the loss of his brother, and with that comes the grief of the brother he lost before as well.
When he’s not annoying or obnoxious (and let’s be honest, he’s been both at times), he’s a man who carries around so much profound loss and grief that it’s hard to envision how he functions.
At his most vulnerable, Owen is a compelling character to explore.
And here is an instance when your heart went out to him over his loss and how it still lingers and touches many parts of his life and how he used that to save a troubled horse that was also in pain.
Owen finally became a bit of a cowboy, and Judd is right that Texas is agreeing with him these days.
The Thunder lasso moment was the cheesy fun you expect from this series.
Owen’s Connection with Thunder Revisits His Grief
However, the subsequent attachment Owen formed with this horse was touching instantaneously because you could understand how he saw himself in Thunder.
He, too, is a difficult person to deal with at times and someone who has experienced a lot of pain and is still trying to manage it himself.
The idea that this hurt horse who literally mourned his owner in the middle of a highway (in a moment that definitely didn’t trigger my allergies, nope) could get shipped off somewhere and put down because he was too difficult was heartbreaking.
Owen has seen so many lives lost that, in true hero fashion, he couldn’t bear the thought of this horse meeting such a tragic fate because it was inconvenient for others to deal with him.
It speaks volumes about how we tend to approach problems in society that we’re not willing to understand or fix.
Time is the most valuable commodity, yet people are unable or unwilling to lend it when it matters most.
Did 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 5 Introduce a New Romance?
Thunder and his many triggers were amusing. How does one navigate all of those at once?
And the parade of individuals interested in him, from that man who didn’t seem to value animal life at all to the “hippie” lady who bowed out at her first real challenge and the sexy woman who wanted a stud, all provided some humor.
But in the end, we all knew that Owen connected too much with this horse, and Thunder would be his in some capacity.
What was most unexpected was how they incorporated Marlene into the mix.
Frankly, I thought Judd was taking Owen to his father’s ranch, which would’ve been entertaining and cute.
Also, we know nothing about Judd’s brothers, whom we never met, so I figured it might’ve been a chance to nod at one of these figures.
But instead, we got badass, horseback riding, barrel-racing Marlene.
Owen’s New Love Interest Might Be Judd’s Ex
As someone who took a long while to adjust to Marlene and Wyatt’s presence in this series, I won’t lie and say I was particularly thrilled by this.
Mainly because Marlene is the fiery type of woman who will challenge Owen and put him in his place, and he gets off on that type of thing.
There was a chemistry there, wasn’t it? I wasn’t imagining that?
One could anticipate the series having Owen settle down by the end as a way to wrap up some part of his story.
It wouldn’t be surprising if they actually used Marlene to do that, but it would also be incredibly weird.
Elsewhere, the other Strand was struggling too when it came to his relationship and how Carlos is allowing his grief and quest to find his father’s killer to consume him.
Time always feels like a myth, and it was utterly wild to think that Tarlos was fast approaching their anniversary.
And at a time when they should be feeling their absolute closest, they were feeling more distant than ever.
Carlos and T.K. Face First-Year Blues on 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 5
These types of normal relationship struggles and issues are realistic and still interesting to watch.
Sometimes, many pieces of work treat couples as if they become boring the second they get together, and there’s nothing else worth exploring.
But these two people have experienced losses, fears, and vulnerabilities, and even as a happily married couple, they’re still trying to navigate those things.
For T.K.’s part, one of his strongest moments was when he had that emotional and sweet sit-down with Tommy.
The season has done a great job building on the dynamic between Tommy, T.K., and Nancy.
T.K. and Tommy’s Special Relationship Takes On New Meaning
She’s become vital to them, so it felt well-earned when T.K. went to her for advice about his marriage and how to work through this issue with Carlos.
Knowing he can’t go to his mother anymore, he feels just as comfortable going to Tommy, which is enough to warm the cockles of even the coldest hearts.
Tommy’s advice was great, especially as it came with her own admission that she and Charles faced something similar, and she was the reason for it.
Because Tommy was in Carlos’ shoes, it helped T.K. better understand his husband’s perspective and how he could contribute to getting the desired result from Carlos.
Carlos and TK Find a Nice Balance, Proving They Can Overcome Many Things
As frustrating as things were for T.K., Carlos mostly needed to know that T.K. would still try and wasn’t going anywhere.
Carlos, for his part, got to talk things over with Campbell, which was amusing only because Campbell is just such a GUY with his responses.
Fortunately, the therapy session opened Carlos up a bit and made him realize the full extent of how he’s been hurting T.K.
Carlos, my beloved, falling asleep during sex is one of the worst marital offenses there is!
What was interesting is that Carlos could recognize that his devoting so much time to trying to solve his father’s murder and not getting anywhere was doing some damage, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop at first.
Self-awareness is half the battle with anything, but it doesn’t matter how self-aware you are if you can’t take those extra steps to do something about it. Otherwise, you’re just stuck.
Hearing that Carlos is no closer to finding out who killed his father is disheartening, as it was one of his driving forces for becoming a Ranger.
Carlos Taking a Break May Serve Him Well in More Ways Than One and Lead to What He Desires
However, limiting the amount of time, he dedicates to this is good for more than just his marriage.
He must be able to step away from the work and research for his benefit, too.
Otherwise, he’ll burn out and likely miss something pivotal because he’s trying too hard. In the end, it’s counterproductive.
Tarlos’ rough patch was a genuinely endearing display because they both could work on some things, acknowledge where they could do better, and then put in that work and the action to correct things and make them right between them.
They’re in a healthier place now than before, and it’s great to see a couple face conflict and problem-solve together.
Carlos’ case had a lot to do with his appreciation and value of his time with those he cares about now.
9-1-1: Lone Star’s Drug Case Could’ve Extended to More Episodes
That poor woman lost her sister and kept thinking about all the ways she could’ve been more in tune with her instead of pouring her all into a job that didn’t give a damn about her and a project that they still made her revise all over again.
She can never get her sister back, and she lost her in such a disturbing way as whatever drugs that poor woman and all those other bus patrons smuggled in were the worst of the worst.
The only criticism about the drug case was that Carlos and Campbell managed to wrap it up quickly.
It felt like a case that could’ve lingered for an episode or two.
Over to you, Lone Star Fanatics.
Will Carlos make any headway with his father’s murder case?
Do you think they’re hinting at an Owen/Marlene pairing?
Let’s hear it below.
Watch 9-1-1: Lone Star Online
