9-1-1: Lone Star Season 4 Episode 12 Review: Swipe Left
Jasmine Blu
at
.
"Swipe Left" provided a fun, humorous, lighthearted, and entertaining hour.
Some of the highlights of 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 4 Episode 12 included the crew helping Marjan with her dating life, honing in on that family vibe they've succeeded at this season.
And, of course, we got another Tarlos update on the path to marriage in the form of a bump in the road.
Marjan is due to get back into the dating world and find a nice guy who can keep up with her and respect everything she is and wants to be in her life.
But dating is such a freaking hassle and something that Marjan doesn't have the patience or the institution to put up with when it comes to the stupid apps and dumb games that guys play.
It quickly became apparent when she went on a series of dates at the tea house with some of the group serving as her chaperone. It was such a fun montage to have.
I only hate that Judd didn't get in on the action. Can you guys envision Judd acting as a chaperone on a date like that?
He's intimidating to look at, he's less inclined to put up with bullcrap than Marjan, and it would've been pure, unadulterated gold as far as entertainment.
Nevertheless, the montage was enough to make you smile, especially with Paul, who is utterly devoted to his best friend and wants her to find real happiness with someone nice as he has with Asha.
Marjan's prospects weren't promising. The one that was coming out ahead for a while in my book was the Hogwarts guy, and he was supposed to be the safe and comfortable choice, but once he flipped out that Harry Potter wasn't also Marjan's entire personality, it was a lost cause.
Marjan's choice with the full-of-crap guy supposedly flying dogs in need around the globe was such a fluke that if Judd were there, he would've seen through it and ended things there.
But alas, Owen was enamored by a guy who seemed too perfect and would have checked all the boxes for him, and somehow Marjan left that date thinking that she and he might actually hit it off.
It wasn't surprising when she realized that the pregnant lady's philandering husband and her date were one and the same, but watching how that played out wasn't any less hilarious.
The one good thing from the dating debacle was that Mateo found a new problematic friend in Hasan. A win is a win, right?
It was one of those hours that felt like it could have been placed almost anywhere in the season and didn't have that continuity feel that carries over.
Mateo seemed fine, and we didn't see a glimpse of the effects his cousin's death had on him nor the strain that the loss, his truth, and the money situation had on his and Nancy's relationship.
They seemed alarmingly fine throughout the hour as if nothing had happened.
And Judd mainly was absent, so there was no real followup on the Wyatt situation or his feelings about all of that, and he wasn't even a factor when T.K. wanted to talk to someone about having kids and the future.
What was fun about the dating situation for Marjan was that Natacha Karam's real-life partner, John Clarence Stewart, guest-starred as her physical therapist and, by the end of the hour, date.
Anyone who has ever watched Stewart in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist or more recently, his hauntingly beautiful work in P-Valley knows how exciting it is to have this talented man onboard.
Obviously, the chemistry was instant between them. Yusuf can keep up with Marjan, challenge her, and give as good as he gets when it comes to her, and I love him for her already.
They instantly had a nice flirty chemistry, which carried over when they bumped into each other at the Halal market. Marjan's surprise that this guy who was already pretty great for her was also Muslim was enough to make you chuckle.
It's not something that would have come up, and as her P.T., he wasn't exactly going to broadcast his religion or anything, but one couldn't be more grateful for their fortuitous bump-in at the market.
Marjan probably wouldn't have known otherwise, and we never would've gotten around to her knowing that her incredibly attractive and funny P.T. was a viable option for her.
Maybe the universe is trying to show you to get back out there and start searching for Mr. Right instead of looking in the rearview mirror at Mr. Wrong.
Paul
Paul was an entire mood, from when he saw them flirting, to the end, when he was genuinely proud of her for asking Yusef over for dinner.
And the real pity is that we didn't get to see that double dinner date equipped with all that delicious Lebanese food and halal porterhouses. This girl needs an invite to dinner next time.
Marjan also got a win in the form of that annoying and obnoxious couple who sued her, needing a rescue from a sports car full of manure.
It suited them perfectly, and Marjan could both get validation for what she did publicly by having them on her live stream, make others aware of where their money went when they donated to this cause, and rub things in a little bit.
Goodness, Mitch and Lila are the worst. If we never saw them again, it would've been too soon. However, at least Marjan had fun with them this time.
The montage of officiants for Tarlos' wedding wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the dating one.
One can understand why they'd want to entertain some of their options with licensed professionals for the ordeal, but it'd feel more their speed to have someone they care about and who loves them officiate it.
Hell, Paul shared that he's done it before, and how special would that be for them?
Ma'am, this isn't a hotel. It's a no-tell motel. Believe me; you're not even the first wife who has come here looking for her cheating husband, not even this week.
Clerk
But it's puzzling that after all that time they've been together, they took that precise moment to discuss children.
The whole "couple who doesn't have a basic discussion about kids until it's too late" trope is so cliched and annoying. They tried to justify it by saying they've been so preoccupied with not dying and all the other significant events in their lives that it never came up, but it still doesn't feel realistic.
T.K. has an infant for a baby brother. Around then, you'd have expected a more detailed conversation about kids, even if Carlos was trying to dodge the discussion in some capacity.
They've watched the Ryders have a kid and Judd's Wyatt discovery from the sidelines. There were too many times for the topic to come up and an unavoidable discussion to happen.
We're led to believe that Carlos tried to avoid it because he feared what would happen and that it could be this dealbreaker for them or drive them apart.
Andrea: Why don't you tell me what's really bothering you?
Carlos: Honestly, I don't feel comfortable saying it out loud.
Andrea: Are you worried about the child not having a mother in its life, because I'm here for you, and so are your sisters. Carlos: I know you are. I'm not worried about who the mother will be. I'm worried about who is going to be the father and not TK.
It's frustrating what they've done with Carlos within the frame of their relationship. Carlos having these issues rooted in his past isn't the problem, but him failing to communicate and blindsiding T.K. has become one.
He's now become the guy who didn't tell his fiance that he was previously married to his best friend before and the man who deliberately avoided broaching the topic of kids because he knew he feared having them and may never be prepared for them.
Carlos' previous actions regarding his strained relationship with his parents, or why he was a bit uncomfortable with being more open with them and letting T.K. meet them, were things that felt understandable because his experience coming out was so vastly different than T.K.'s.
Even though those were issues that bothered or hurt T.K. initially, it really wasn't about him but Carlos and his own experiences he had to work through.
But what feels like back-drafting and retconning Carlos or bits of their relationship for new plot points and contrivances in the relationship this season has become grating at times.
I feel conflicted in appreciating more screentime and character development for Carlos and questioning how they've gone about doing that.
The worst part about all this is that in this grand effort to show that Tarlos isn't a perfect couple but one with their share of ups and downs, they've put a damper on the pairing and one's confidence level that they're ready for marriage presently.
The longer time goes on, the more I wonder if they should be getting married anytime soon. It feels like they keep tossing some hurdles at them that should require more time to work through, but they're handwaving past these things that, under any other circumstances, would be red flags.
Every night that I get to spend with you is a night worth celebrating.
TK [to Carlos]
The chat both of them had with their parents was endearing. The increased use of Andrea has been a delight this season, and she and Owen can give some sound advice when they're having these one-on-one moments with their sons.
Owen was just such a dad during this installment, and it's when he shines his absolute best.
It makes sense that Carlos has some insecurities about fatherhood when he's had a much more difficult time with Gabriel than T.K. ever did with Owen. He's terrified of not being good enough.
The foundation for their relationships, ones that have shaped them, are different enough that these are things that Carlos would think about more than T.K.
In many ways, T.K. has always had this freedom, a privilege that Carlos never had. Because of their different experiences, it can be hard when T.K. never entertains or has to think about situations outside his own experience and perspective, thus never fully understanding some of Carlos' unique struggles.
Just like Carlos can't fully understand certain things for T.K. no matter how hard he tries to be T.K.'s all in life. T.K. himself likely is chasing some idealism he lacked growing up.
As someone who loves children but doesn't want any of her own, Carlos couldn't be more relatable when talking about being an uncle or loving other people's children but not being up to the task on a personal level.
Sometimes people equate one's love of children with a desire to have them, or they assume that not wanting them means you hate them, which isn't the case.
I believe in TK's recovery with my whole heart.
Carlos
And while traditionally, it's familiar and all too annoying that they'll have the person who doesn't want kids compromise or cave into it to appease their partner, they didn't do that here, thankfully.
But there's still an uneasiness that T.K. essentially had to compromise on something that seems to mean a lot more to him than they explored, and he's in this vague limbo where one day Carlos could be ready for them, but also potentially not.
Yes, they've chosen each other, and that's great, but it's like they're both afraid to have candid, messy, ugly conversations, so they scratch on the surface of them and then move on before things get too deep because they're too afraid of where they'd end up if they go much further.
And that is concerning to me, so here we are.
Carlos: I know you're ready to be a father, and I have no doubt that you will be an amazing one, but I'm not so sure I'm there yet, or I ever will be. I just want to be honest with you and say that this may be the only child that we ever share together.
TK: OK.
Carlos: OK?
TK: Ok.
Carlos: Really? You sure?
TK: Carlos, will you just take the yes?
Over to you, Lone Star Fanatics. What are your thoughts on how T.K. and Carlos handle their many obstacles? Are there too many contrivances?
Are you already a fan of Marjan's new love interest?
Sound off in the comments below, y'all! And catch up when you 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.
