Heartfelt, unexpected, and beautifully acted. That story with Grace is an example of the 9-1-1 universe at its best. This story will remain a highlight of the show because it manages to perfectly capture the severity of the situation, delving into the emotion Grace feels about how to handle it, while still giving us surprises. Ultimately, Grace helps to save his mother’s life when she has a stroke, going above and beyond to make sure this little boy has a great life in front of him. Additionally, another highlight of the season is Grace’s story with Linus ( Mason Blomberg) in the episode “Human Resources” as he repeatedly calls the emergency line for non-emergencies, like his math homework. (Though, Silva gave an outstanding performance.) It’s because of TK’s desperate search for his fiancé and the emotion he brought back to the show with that, and the powerful reunion they shared after Carlos nearly died. Unarguably, the episode in which Carlos is held hostage by his would-be killer and that man’s mother is the best of the current season, but it’s not because Carlos is kidnapped. It’s the wrong approach, and it’s clear that fans aren’t interested as the ratings are hitting new lows every week. The stories are missing the mark (for the most part), trying to change what makes this universe great by making the stories more shocking and unexpected without the emotional factor. This shift in focus is severely hurting the show. An attack that, ultimately, had little to no emotional payoff as the only real casualty was Rose Casey. Plus, Owen’s six-episode-long investigation with Sergeant O’Brien ( Neal McDonough) and FBI Agent Rose Casey ( Amanda Schull) into the neo-Nazi biker gang suspected of planning a terrorist attack on the city. We’ve had a frog storm, the reveal that Tommy’s new beau is her church’s new reverend, Marjan’s surprise exit from the 126, and Carlos and Iris ( Lyndsy Fonseca) kidnapped by a serial killer. From the beginning of the season, it has just been one shock after another. The fourth season of 9-1-1: Lone Star has taken a step further now and stripped the show of nearly all emotion in favor of leaning on the “shock value.” They are focused on keeping viewers on their toes, rather than providing heartfelt stories to give the audience a good cry as we continue to bond with these beloved characters. But, these are anomalies, not routine as they are on the flagship series. There are a few notable exceptions, like Grace’s call with a dying astronaut in the first season’s finale or Tommy’s husband dying toward the end of the second season. The stories never quite utilize the characters as they do in the original, especially as Lone Star is always primarily focused on being all about Owen Strand. The disasters have paled in comparison on Lone Star to those on the original show. However, 9-1-1: Lone Star has never been quite able to replicate this success or the ability to tell deeply impactful stories. Moments with Maddie ( Jennifer Love Hewitt) on the phone with a caller, helping them out of a challenging situation, remain some of the strongest of the series because of fantastic writing (and, of course, great performances). What has made the 9-1-1 universe so successful - and has allowed the series to continue for several years now - are the powerful and emotional stories we’ve watched unfold from the point of view of both the first responders that we follow every week and the victims involved in the tragic incidents they are responding to.
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