9-1-1: Lone Star Season 4 Episode 5 Review: Human Resources
Jasmine Blu
at
.
Marjan has exited the building (temporarily).
In many ways, 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 4 Episode 5 returned to form with more emphasis on the group and focusing on some of the other characters, namely Marjan and Grace.
But no one could've anticipated that ending.
Of all the calls that could've gotten Marjan in trouble, who would've envisioned it was Lila and Mitch, the "crazy" couple from the mobile home fiasco?
The very thought that Marjan would endure all of this and that the FD would sanction the couple's money grab to avoid a lawsuit is absolutely absurd.
The organization lost a good fighter because they wouldn't fight for her against money-grabbing opportunists who can't take accountability for their own actions.
Marjan is nothing if not noble, and she follows her own moral code of conduct. Marjan knows who and what she is and always walks her path with pride.
It's one of many things that is so admirable about her. It was commendable that she was even willing to apologize to the woman for using the "crazy" slur, somehow triggering and hurting her.
Because even if Marjan couldn't process that, her words would have damaged Lila like that, she recognized the offense and that it may have genuinely caused this woman harm.
Marjan doesn't ever intend to cause anyone harm. It reflected who Marjan is as a person that she put forth a heartfelt apology instead of telling that woman and her husband to get over themselves or reiterating that she never would've called the woman had she let Marjan rescue her instead of jeopardizing all their lives.
Cap, you have to understand. I would gladly walk through fire for you, but I can't do it on eggshells.
Marjan
Marjan is a far better woman than I am.
It's a scenario that prompts you to think about how casually we use certain words without considering the impact they may have on people. It's such a familiar phrase in everyday conversation that it wouldn't typically give you pause, depending on the context.
And there's definitely room in this conversation for how PC culture has gone amuck, and, as Grace teased Judd, that there's no space for saying anything without stepping on toes.
Interestingly, Iris's return and how her mental illness has been handled since, has sparked some conversations about the questionable ways mental health is depicted.
We discussed some issues when the team handled that call with the man and his sex doll and how many incidents were played for laughs.
As enraging as this Marjan situation is, it suggests that the series was cognizant of how they had come across with some of those stories and always intended to address them in some way.
It just sucks that it's through Marjan via something like this.
The couple was awful. Their messy marriage disputes cost them their home, but now they want the public, namely through Marjan and her plethora of followers, to raise $750K on their behalf for a new home.
Otherwise, they wanted to take things to court. Marjan had every right to tell them to kiss off with that, and the FD should've taken their chances with the lawsuit.
It's doubtful they'd have lost out when that whole incident was a waste of resources, like the costly chopper used to drop in Marjan, and resulted in a police chase down the freeway, endangering the lives of first responders and civilians alike.
The FD should've taken their chances with that case and backed Marjan. Now they've lost her and the faith of their workers.
The irony about this situation and what has been the dark side of PC culture is that it could elicit the light side of Cancel Culture.
Marjan's same 5.2 million followers could easily make a stink about this situation and do some damage to the department's image for not backing a woman who is the poster child for what an excellent firefighter should be.
Owen: How is he not in jail? How is he not in jail?
Asha: Captain Strand...
Owen: He kidnapped his wife, he illegally secured a home and drove it down two freeways without yielding to law enforcmennt putting his wife, my team, and the public at risk. How is he sitting in this room?
Mitch: They gave me a fine.
Owen: They gave you a fine. Not even traffic school?
Of course, there's no way of knowing if it'll get to that point. Owen has left her spot open, and we know she'll at least be returning for the wedding.
We got the opportunity to speak to star Natacha Karam about what's next for Marjan. She teases so many promising and exciting storylines, so it's a relief that this isn't an ending for her, and we don't have to settle for Marjan riding off into the sunset on Owen's bike and not catching up with her anytime soon.
Owen was a great and interesting person for Marjan to be with during all of this. For one, they have developed a special relationship in recent seasons, and you can tell he sees her as a daughter.
When they have those moments, it's such a refreshing change of pace for Owen, who can often feel distant from the rest of the team. And he was a great support for her the whole way through.
When he told her how proud he was of her, it was hard not to get emotional.
But it was also interesting to have Owen with Marjan because of their parallels. Yes, the 126 has a certain Cowboy Culture, and they're all guilty of that, but Owen is always in a different league.
If you stop to think about all the things he's done and gotten away with, whether it was the multiple times he's assaulted someone or how quick-tempered he is -- which we still saw when he verbally attacked Mitch and name-called during the meeting without consequence; it's unfathomable. It feels unfair that Marjan got taken down for a word.
And she's no good in the position if she must second-guess herself during calls, as was the case at the apartment building.
Even Paul got away with knocking a guy out to save him, but Marjan is still compelled to resign over such a trivial incident. It feels like a clear double standard, even if that's not the intent with the storytelling.
The montage of Asha interviewing everyone did go to show that there's a particular culture at the 126, and everyone is unapologetic about it. I love those montage moments with the crew, as everyone's personalities truly come out.
But at least Asha saw through what was happening, too, not that her letter of recommendation mattered for anything.
Where there's a Marjan storyline, you know Paul will be close behind. It was heartbreaking to see the two best friends say goodbye to each other. It was the moment Marjan got the most emotional.
Paul: I love you, Marj.
Marjan: I love you too, buddy.
But Paul had her back all the way through, even going to talk to Asha when he thought it would help.
Little did he know that he'd be meeting someone from his past and making what felt like a romantic connection. And thank goodness we have some quality love interest content for Paul, and it's off to a promising start.
Their little game of trying to figure out how they knew each other was amusing on multiple levels. But Asha really blew him away by remembering who he was pre-transition from their time spent in freaking middle school back in Chicago.
You can tell from how she described everything that she must've liked Paul back then, too. And now, I'm fully onboard the Paul and Asha train, and I cannot wait for more content between the two.
Paul: How did you recognize me?
Asha: Please, a smile like that? You never forget.
They already have great chemistry.
The hour also featured Grace heavily, which is forever a treat. Grace is the series' best and most lovable character.
One could also appreciate her storyline because only so many people think about the ramifications of what happens when they make specific phone calls without knowing if their hunches are correct.
Grace isn't a "Karen" in the least.
The calls with Linus were endearing, especially the first one when she helped him with homework. We hear about kids who always make those calls, and the whole ordeal tickled Grace.
The funny thing about Grace is that she would've done the same thing and been just as great with this kid before the days when she became a mother. She's always had such a natural, warm maternal energy to her.
But the second call was more illuminating when she heard Sharon on the phone, and it's a good thing she paid attention the way she did.
When they showed Sharon, we heard her slurring her words a bit, and you could see her lip droop as well. It didn't seem surprising when Tommy helped Grace realize Sharon was having a stroke, but I loved the little hints.
With Sharon's past incident and Grace's concern, Grace easily could've contacted the authorities, and they would have investigated. Things could've gotten uglier if someone thought something was off for a second.
A family could've gotten ruined over an innocent hunch, and Sharon would've died. It breaks your heart when you stop to consider all the possibilities of how things could've gone bad for Sharon and Linus.
I wish more people were proactive but also aware, like Grace.
Judd is the consummate supportive husband, and it was sweet to see the Ryders embark on this adventure together and save a life in the process.
Grace: The last thing this boy needs is a big scary man showing up on his porch.
Judd: I'm a big scary man?
Grace: You are a little scary, Judd. Just a little bit.
He knows his wife so well, and he was there where he needed to be, helping her get Sharon out of that house and to the hospital. Sharon wouldn't have made it to the hospital in time if he hadn't been there.
It had a happy ending, and Grace was a hero for following her gut and considering what was best for Sharon and Linus.
You felt for Grace as she confided in Tommy about being out of control while in the field.
Grace may not be the most comfortable with fieldwork, but she's damn good at it, and it would be fun to see her outside of her element more.
She's excellent at nearly everything she does.
It was great to have some quality Grace screen time and a storyline for her. Hopefully, it won't be the last of the season, and we'll get more with her individually and of that Ryder content that we love so much.
They're the ultimate goals as a couple, but mama and daddy are due for a date night full of romance and adventure because this is 9-1-1: Lone Star, after all.
While we got some personal time for some of our favorite characters, they still managed to interweave the bomber storyline into the mix.
We got another glimpse of O'Brien's nephew, presumably plotting his bomb and shooting a man who found him.
He also was super creepy with Marjan when he approached the station after Owen and the others got pulled away for a call. When he stole that radio, you knew he'd listen to their calls moving forward.
And he was behind setting that apartment building on fire and taking advantage of all that paint thinner there.
It seemed like he was making notations of how long it took them to get to each call, and it's clear he chose that building because he knew it was within their purview.
Asha: We both know the 126 has a reputation for something else too.
Owen: We do?
Asha: A Cowboy Culture.
But why is he so obsessed with Owen? And what is it about the 126 specifically has him stalking them and plotting some massive terrorist attack?
Over to you, Lone Star Fanatics. Are you still reeling from Marjan's departure? What's your first impression of Paul and Asha? Did you love heroic Grace? Sound off below.
And don't forget, you can watch 9-1-1: Lone Star online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
