With only three episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star left to go, we can’t help but think about what the show needs to accomplish in that time—and there’s a lot to cover.
After all, there’s an asteroid heading for Austin, Tommy’s (Gina Torres) health, T.K. (Ronen Rubinstein) and Carlos (Rafael Silva) plan to adopt T.K.’s half-brother Jonah, Judd’s (Jim Parrack) drinking, Owen’s (Rob Lowe) job offer, and more. And yes, those things and others need to be resolved. But there are also moments we need to see happen before the February 3 series finale, like joy for a fan-favorite couple, everyone together for some fun, and everyone surviving.
Below, we take a look at those and more things we need to see in the final episodes. Let us know what makes your list in the comments section.
Joy for T.K. and Carlos
It feels like things are finally looking up for the couple: Carlos caught his father’s killer and is ready to move forward with T.K. and adopt his half-brother Jonah, whose father is going to prison. But as co-showrunner Rashad Raisani warned TV Insider, “it’s not that easy, and there’s going to be a major fundamental hurdle for them that they’re going to have to make a significant life decision to decide how they want to deal with it.” Will that be that both of them are in dangerous lines of work (leading to one having to perhaps make a change), or something else? Whatever is going on, these two deserve to have more happiness than not in their lives in these final episodes.
At least one more 126 hang
So many things may be changing for the first responders, but give us one more time of T.K., Carlos, Marjan (Natacha Karam), Paul (Brian Michael Smith), Mateo (Julian Works), and Nancy (Brianna Baker) at Tarlos’. And give us another event that also adds Owen, Tommy, and Judd, as well as everyone’s significant others.
Tommy survives and returns to work
Right now, Timmy is undergoing treatment for her cancer, but Raisani did say that “the hardest fight is yet to come” for her. “It’s cancer. All the treatments in the world, the best treatments in the world are not guaranteed.” He also refused to say if we’ll see her at the 126 again (to work or visit). But as much as we enjoy seeing Nancy as paramedic captain in her place (and she’s doing a great job), it’s just not the same. We need to see Tommy back in charge, even if it’s just in one scene—which is why next on our list is…
Just a small time jump in the finale
Given the massive disaster heading Austin’s way in the final episodes, a small but significant time jump in the final episode would be a great way to show us where these characters end up—and allow time for them to heal since realistically at least one of them should probably be injured. Plus, that way we can see…
Judd getting help—and becoming captain of the 126
Yes, right now Judd is in no position to take over and that was why Owen turned down the job offer in New York. Judd needs to take care of himself and face his drinking, and so with what Raisani has teased about Episode 10—”We’re going to see the power of addiction and the things that it can make good people do”—that won’t be so easy. But a time jump in the finale would allow for him to be in a place where he could be ready to be the 126’s captain. The only thing making us think that might not be his path? Raisani’s “Judd will have a new future that I think will both be very shocking, but also feel hopefully very appropriate that will change the game of where he goes” tease.
Owen becomes fire chief
In the fall final, Owen was offered the job of New York City fire chief. He was ready to take it, too, until he noticed Judd’s drinking. That allowed them to pick up a thread that was deleted from the series premiere in 2020. “We had a chance to put back that promise that Owen made in the pilot, which we cut, to these fallen firefighters, and that was that he would always be there for them,” Raisani explained. “And so as we were looking at what’s the most fitting end to this series, I really was thinking Owen’s first priority coming down to Texas was to get his son healthy and to help his son beat his addiction and survive. And if you look at T.K., he’s doing fantastic. And the firehouse, which had been decimated by this explosion in the pilot and everybody killed, is thriving. And so I think at the top of Episode 9, when that higher calling comes from New York City and he’s reminded of those promises that he made, it just felt, to me, like a beautiful kind of home song for him to give him some full circle and to start thinking about the end of the show and where do we leave Owen, our main character.”
He continued, “His history is in New York and I think 9/11 never has left. I mean, that’s a fundamental part of Owen’s DNA.” The co-showrunner also said the door isn’t completely closed on that offer, though Owen turned it down. And while we do think that Owen will be moving up in his career by the end of the show (and that he should)—as long as he survives—we’re not quite sure if that will mean in Austin or New York.
The door open for at least one character to continue in the 9-1-1 universe
There hasn’t been as much crossover in the world of 9-1-1 as other franchises (only one team-up onscreen on Lone Star) but while this show is ending, the original 9-1-1 is still going strong (and we have a feeling it will be back for Season 9 on ABC) and there’s another spinoff potentially coming. It would be a shame if one of the members of the 126 didn’t show up on one of those in the future in some capacity.
No major deaths
Yes, theirs is a dangerous line of work, and there’s an asteroid heading their way in the final episodes, but given there’s likely not going to be enough time to truly show anyone grieving, we’ll be okay with everyone escaping what should be a fatal situation for at least one of them. They’ve done it before.
