‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Showrunner on That Cliffhanger, the Future of Tarlos and Chemistry on the Set

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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 2, Episode 8 of 9-1-1: Lone Star, “Bad Call.”]

In 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s winter finale, paramedics Tommy (Gina Torres), T.K. (Ronen Rubinstein), and Nancy (Brianna Baker) are taken hostage, but they’re not the ones in danger in the cliffhanger.

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The three of them work together to fight back against their captors — the same people police officer (and T.K.’s boyfriend) Carlos (Rafael Silva) has his eye on for an investigation, which puts him at odds with his father, Texas Ranger Gabriel (Benito Martinez). Carlos and T.K.’s father, firefighter Owen (Rob Lowe), show up just in time to lend aid.

It’s firefighter Judd (Jim Parrack) and his wife, dispatcher Grace (Sierra McClain), we’re worried about: Their car goes off a bridge into the water below in the episode’s final moments.

Showrunner Tim Minear previews what’s next.

How much of the next episode will be about rescuing Judd and Grace?

Tim Minear: Most of [it] is going to be about not so much rescuing them — who survives will be answered by the end — but the story of how they met and how they fell in love. We’re going to be telling the Judd and Grace “begins” of it. … Tommy [who introduced them] appears in those flashbacks.

I love Judd and Grace and Tommy and Charles’ [Derek Webster] double dates because it’s kind of rare to have two solid couples in a room on a TV show.

It’s great. We’re actually shooting a scene today with both those couples. You watch those actors playing those characters, and it’s exactly what you hope for: a lot of chemistry and adult people who care about each other.

(Kevin Estrada/FOX)

Judd and Grace have started talking about having kids. What’s next?

They’re ready, let’s put it that way.

Owen’s ex-wife Gwyn [Lisa Edelstein] is returning to New York. Will she be back?

I imagine we’ll see her in the future. The thing that interested me about bringing Gwyn into the first part of the season is Owen is a man who thought he had really everything by Episode 7. He was going to have a new baby. He was back with the love of his life until he found out he was rebound guy. In the second part, Owen’s a little bit at sea and not quite feeling where his identity lies right now. Everything’s been stripped from him. T.K. is going to be even more serious about Carlos, probably moving out of the nest, and so Owen’s left with Buttercup and a big question.

T.K.’s in a good place: one year sober, accepted his parents’ split, fitting in on Tommy’s team, and he and Carlos are solid. How does that inform what we see from him on the job?

Now that he’s out from underneath his father’s shadow, he’s going to be allowed to become more of his own person. He’s still working with his dad, in the same firehouse, but the fact that he has a new captain and is not joined to the hip with his dad allows him to grow in different ways. He’s going to start to explore different elements of his own personality. As often happens on these shows, once things become a little bit too comfortable, that’s probably when he’s in the most danger. With T.K., it’s a danger of relapse. Working on an ambulance where he has ready access to all that stuff could become a problem for him.

(Jordin Althaus/FOX)

When will we see Nancy away from the firehouse?

We absolutely will. In the episode we’re working on now, we get to see a little bit more of Mateo and his story. I want to spotlight everybody. I’m secretly making thirtysomething [where episodes would focus on different characters] and nobody knows it. They’re all so rich and they could all star in their own shows.

How much did Carlos need his father to accept him as a police officer and his relationship with T.K.?

He really did. It was more about his father’s approval in terms of him being law enforcement because probably to some degree, Carlos had built up in his head his parents’ standoffishness when it came to his romantic partners. Carlos didn’t talk about it, then neither did they, and it became a standoff between the son and the parents. But I don’t think Gabriel has any problem with Carlos and T.K. He’s of a different generation and it’s maybe not as easy for him to talk about that stuff. A lot of catharsis happened in Episode 8 and now T.K. will be welcomed into that family.

When are we getting the big get-together with both families?

I would love to see more of Owen and Gabriel. I almost wish Episode 8 could’ve been a two-parter. There was so much great stuff there. What I really loved was Owen and Carlos — it was great to see Carlos bonding with his father-in-law. That brought out so many great things and seeing those two actors work together elevated Carlos’ character to exactly where we wanted him to be, which is front and center. Now I’m very excited to do more with Rafael.

(Jordin Althaus/FOX)

You said father-in-law, so is there a proposal coming up?

There could be. I say father-in-law in air quotes in this instance; that’s more or less what Owen is.

9-1-1: Lone Star, Mondays, 9/8c, Fox