GayTV Recap: 9-1-1: Lone Star (Episode 2x8)

The mid-season finale of the FOX first-responder drama 9-1-1: Lone Star put major focus on the show's gay couple, T.K. and Carlos, as each of the men struggled with their own drama in Episode 8. The episode began with T.K. (played by Ronen Rubinstein) addressing his friends and family as he celebrated one-year of sobriety, showing off his sobriety chip. He told them all about the dark place he was in the year before and how he almost died, leading his father to bring him to Texas with him. He talked about how much the move changed his life and how all of them went from being co-workers to being his family as well.  

He mentioned other great things that happened to him in the last year, turning his attention to Carlos (played by Rafael Silva), saying that he met an incredible man who convinced him to open up his heart again. T.K. then brought up one of the biggest positives for him because he got something he's been wanting for years, which was his parents getting back together. T.K.'s parents Gwen & Owen (played by Rob Lowe) both attempted to hold in their discomfort over T.K.'s enthusiasm, as they still hadn't informed him of their decision to break-up. T.K. then told everyone to enjoy the food and party, as he thanked them for celebrating with him. 

The next day, Carlos was back on duty and responding to a call after a bank robbery. Carlos and his partner, Mitchell, caught up to the robber in an alleyway, drawing their guns and demanding he freeze. He dropped the bag of money and turned around, revealing a contraption strapped to his chest, which he claimed was a bomb. Carlos was caught off-guard as the panicked man explained that he was forced to do the robbery after being abducted by two men and forced to wear the bomb. He told them that he had to drop off the money soon, or the bomb was going to explode, giving Carlos pause. 

Mitchell wanted to call-in the situation but Carlos stopped her, as he asked the man questions about where he was dropping off the money. The panicked man tried to explain to him that he didn't know and he had to answer the phone in his car soon or he would explode. He told Carlos that he had a young son that he wanted to get back to and he didn't want to die. He grabbed the bag to leave, causing Mitchell to draw her weapon again. The man told them that they would die too, if they tried to arrest him and put him in that car instead of letting him go. He walked towards his car and Carlos prevented Mitchell from firing or advancing, telling her to let him go. She was shocked, but Carlos said whatever happened would be on him. 

Meanwhile, T.K. arrived at his parents' house only to find his mother Gwen packing boxes, surprising him. She was surprised to see him, but T.K. revealed his surprise that she was packing up barely after moving in. Gwen told him that she & Owen wanted to tell him together, but she had decided to move back to New York, shocking T.K. who accused his parents of barely trying to make things work before giving up. Gwen told him that wasn't the case. It was more complicated than that. T.K. wondered why they weren't trying harder to make things work. 

He urged them to try harder, if not for him, then for their unborn baby. Gwen tried to temper T.K.'s anger, telling him that this wasn't about his father. Owen wanted her to stay, but she had to go back. She revealed to him that she found out that her baby was not fathered by Owen. T.K. was surprised to hear that her former boyfriend Enzo was the father and she was pregnant before she came to Texas. T.K. somberly understood her decision then. He told her that Enzo was a good guy and he left quietly for work, but Gwen was instantly worried about his emotional state. 

At the police station, a nervous Carlos waited in an interview room. He was surprised when his father, Texas Ranger Gabriel Reyes (played by Benito Martinez) showed up. He told his father about his boss taking away his badge and his gun because of what happened. His father informed him that he believes the bank robbery is connected to a case he's working on. It was then that Carlos realized that his father was there in a professional capacity to question him as part of his investigation. 

Gabriel questioned his son about the interaction he had with a bank robber that he left off the hook. Carlos explained to him that he followed his instincts and he believed the man's story that he was being coerced into committing the robbery. He reported the plates and called things in, according to protocol after the fact. Gabriel then mentioned they found the car abandoned. Carlos disputed that the man might have been lying, telling his father that he saw the panic in the man's eyes. Gabriel wrote that off as him being afraid of cops with guns trained on him. Carlos said there was more to it and he wasn't being played, but Gabriel wasn't so sure about that. 

Gabriel accused Carlos of being too trusting, but Carlos told his father that he was trusting his instincts. Gabriel wasn't sure that was a good idea, given how emotional he can get when it comes to people. He warned Carlos that this investigation was serious and that he was suspended until it was done. He then told Carlos that he knows the rules and shouldn't leave town. Gabriel went to leave, but Carlos told him that that he saw the fear in the man's eyes and he knew it was real. He did what his father taught him and that was to trust his instincts. His father gave him a partial embrace and harshly told him that Carlos needed to have the right instincts if he wanted to follow them, leaving Carlos alone and upset. 

At the 126 firehouse, T.K.arrived for his paramedic shift, crossing paths with his father. The upset T.K. coldly greeted Owen before walking away. An immediate call from Gwen informed Owen that T.K. knew of her impending departure and break-up. Owen went to talk to T.K. to check on him. He said that T.K. wasn't supposed to find out like this, but T.K. countered that it seemed like he wasn't supposed to find out at all. Owen said they were trying to find the right time. Just then, a medical call came through over the speakers. T.K. said this wasn't the time either and he had a call to get to, leading him to depart.

Later, Carlos arrived at the firehouse, seeing Owen. He asked if T.K. was around, but Owen informed him that he was out on a call. Carlos asked him to tell T.K. he stopped by but Owen suggested he stick around, thinking T.K. would be back soon. He offered to make him a smoothie while he waits. Carlos agreed. Owen asked if T.K. had asked Carlos to stop by and if they had talked today, but Carlos said they hadn't. He was in the neighborhood and his shift ended early. Owen figured it was a slow crime day, but then Carlos told him that he got suspended, drawing Owen's concern. 

Carlos told Owen that he wasn't allowed to really talk about the investigation, but he may have made a bad call today and following his instincts out on a call may not have been the right thing. Owen wasn't sure that could be true. He told him that instinct is all they have out there in the field and the rule book isn't always handy, though Carlos said he should probably stick to the rule book from now on. Owen wondered if he might want to talk to his father about it. Carlos revealed that his father was running the investigation, which Owen figured had to be tough for him. Carlos shared some of his history with his father and how they haven't really been close since he came out. His father always thought Carlos was a bit soft to be a cop. Owen disagreed, saying that you need heart behind the badge and he knew Carlos had a great heart. 

Later, Carlos was summoned back to the police station where his father revealed the robber in an interrogation room. Carlos was surprised that they found him. Gabriel revealed that the man found them. He turned himself in. Carlos confirmed that the man was telling the truth, which Gabriel figured was true, though they didn't find the money. He made his drop-off before turning himself in. He then revealed a pair of criminals that were the focus of his investigation. The man was able to identify them as those that forced him to do the robbery. 

Carlos took a look at the file on the two robbers, as Gabriel told him about the van they were looking for and the fact that they might be injured after an explosion at the apartment where they were last seen. Carlos then brought up that his father was leaving out the fact that Carlos' instincts were right and good when it came to the man. He looked for Gabriel to commend him on that, but he said that he couldn't comment on an ongoing investigation. Carlos grew upset, as he was looking for some fatherly support but his father was only focusing on the investigation. He angrily told his father that he would have appreciated him telling him what he thinks of him, but he figures he'll have to wait for an official report. Carlos stormed off. 

Meanwhile, T.K. was behind the wheel of the ambulance as his crew responded to a call about a pregnant woman lost in a parking garage. T.K. remarked that it was ironic given his current issues with his own pregnant mother. With the ambulance unable to clear the garage, Captain Vega told them were going to have to leave it behind. They went inside with supplies, finding the collapsed woman, who was revealed to be holding a gun. Vega figured they were being robbed for their drugs, but the woman's male cohort revealed his injured partner inside his van. They were looking for medical assistance. Vega convinced them to take him to her husband's closed restaurant where they could have room to work on the man's injuries, while being held hostage. On the way out of the garage, T.K. purposely dropped his sobriety chip. 

They arrived at the restaurant and Captain Vega began treating the man's severe injury, while the trio was threatened by the criminal man, wielding his gun. T.K. tried to stand up to the man, warning him that they didn't have the equipment to help his partner. They aren't surgeons. Vega stepped in, saying they would improvise but they needed more supplies from their ambulance. The man let the women go but kept T.K. at gunpoint. At Carlos' house, he sat in the kitchen with dinner half-prepared typing on his phone. His texts revealed that he had been trying to reach T.K. who had not responded. As he worried, Carlos wondered aloud where T.K. could be before blowing out the candles on the table. 

Back at the restaurant, T.K.'s crew mates Vega & Gillian worked on the criminal's injuries while the injured man's girlfriend and his partner watched them closely. T.K. eyed the fire alarm on the wall in the distance and began making his way closer to it as he saw the two gun-toting criminals distracted by the medical procedure. He got close to pulling the alarm only to be caught by the criminal man, who struck him violently in the head with his gun, knocking T.K. to the floor. Gillian moved to his aide, but she was warned to stay where she was as T.K. laid unconscious on the floor.

Owen was surprised by the arrival of Carlos at his house, looking for T.K. and hoping he might be there. Gwen & Owen revealed that they assumed he was with Carlos. He noticed all of the boxes and Gwen revealed that she was moving back to New York, which surprised Carlos. He wondered if T.K. knew that. She told him about him finding out this morning. Carlos wondered if that was why he's gone silent on him. He told them about the texts and T.K. not answering his calls, even though he should have been off from work an hour ago. Gwen immediately worried that he might be off drinking, or worse because of her. Owen tried to calm them both while he called the captain on duty at the firehouse. He inquired about Vega's team and got an answer. He then relieved Gwen by saying that they were still out on a call, so T.K. hadn't fallen off the wagon and there was no need to worry. 

With Gwen calmed, Owen suggested that he and Carlos go down to the firehouse and meet T.K. there. Carlos agreed and went with him. They climbed into Owen's truck, with Carlos sharing how relieved he was to know that T.K. was just still working. Owen then revealed to him that it wasn't entirely good news. He told Carlos that Captain Vega's team hadn't been heard from in hours, leaving Carlos worried again. Owen put in a call to his friend, 9-1-1 dispatcher Grace who got them the last known location of the team at the parking garage. 

Back at the restaurant, Vega got her criminal patient stabilized and then defied her captor by announcing she was going to check on her injured crew. The man let her pass and she checked on T.K. who began to regain consciousness and respond to her. Meanwhile, Carlos & Owen arrived at the parking garage. Carlos ran around on foot while Owen drove his truck through, as they looked for any sign of the paramedics. Carlos came across T.K.'s sobriety chip, showing it to Owen. They deduced that they had made it to the call though there was no sign of them now. 

Carlos then spotted the brown van that his father told him about in his investigation into the two criminals responsible for setting up the bank robbery. A curious Carlos checked out the van with Owen, who opened it, finding bloody towels in the back. Carlos began putting the pieces together about the two criminals and Owen wondered where they would have gone. Realizing they would want to lay low if they needed medical attention, Carlos thought of places Vega might take them. Remembering Vega's husband talking about his restaurant at T.K.'s party, Carlos thought that might be the place. 

Owen made it clear that he was going to check it out. He told Carlos that he was going to have to call it in. Carlos called his father, surprising him by telling him that he found a trail on Gabriel's missing criminals. He told him about hostages having been taken and the location of the van. When he told him about his suspicion of where they may have went, Gabriel said he was heading to the restaurant. He ordered Carlos to stay where he was. Carlos hung up. Owen wondered what he was going to do. Carlos replied that he was going to follow his instinct. He jumped in the truck and Owen sped away. 

Back at the restaurant, Vega's surgical efforts proved successful, though the now-awake criminal patient shot and killed his partner, blaming him for his injuries. He made it clear to his girlfriend that they were leaving and they only needed one hostage. Vega checked on T.K.'s head injury before volunteering to be their hostage on the condition that T.K. & Gillian were left alive. She & Gillian then executed an attack on the two remaining criminals, getting the upper hand briefly before a gun was again trained on Vega. At that moment, Owen & Carlos arrived, with Owen shooting the criminal man after T.K. kicked away the woman's gun. Carlos ran over to check on the injured T.K.,as Vega thanked Owen for arriving just in time. Carlos & T.K. were relieved to be back in each other's arms.

Gabriel arrived with back-up, securing the scene. He chatted with Owen, wondering if he might be interested in a future with the Texas Rangers after his actions tonight and saving the day. Owen made it clear that he was where he needed to be, before telling Gabriel that the real hero was his son. He said that it was Carlos and his investigative skills that led them to the rescue. Owen pointed at Carlos who was at T.K.'s side at the ambulance, saying that Gabriel's son was an impressive guy. T.K. was placed into the ambulance as Gabriel walked over to Carlos, reminding him that he had told him to stay put but Carlos followed his gut. Carlos said he did. Gabriel commended him on a good job. 

Gabriel told Carlos that he was proud of him. Carlos was happy to hear that and thanked him. Hearing the ambulance engine start, Gabriel looked over at T.K. and wondered if Carlos was going to ride with his boyfriend. Carlos was caught off-guard, realizing that his father knew about his relationship. Gabriel told him that he's known since they crossed paths at the farmer's market and he saw them together. He said that next time he expects a proper introduction. Carlos told his father that he was going to really like T.K. and Gabriel said he was sure he would because he knows his son has great instincts when it comes to people. 

At the hospital, T.K. was bandaged up in a hospital bed, joined by Carlos and his parents. He told them that his head hurts but it beats getting shot, like before. They commended him on refusing heavy medication given his prior addiction. Gwen & Owen gave each other credit for T.K. taking after the other, but T.K. said that he takes after both of them. 

Owen & Gwen apologized to T.K. for their relationship secrecy and that things didn't work out between them but they promised that they were always going to be a family. T.K. said it was okay because today made him realize that not all couples belong together. They laughed, with a bit of annoyance, that he seemed to be comparing them to the criminals they dealt with today. When his parents began to hover, he suggested they head off to get Gwen to the airport, as Carlos smiled at him.