The season 4 finale of 9-1-1: Lone Star is here, and it was an emotional roller coaster. In part one, as Judd worries about Wyatt, who is slowly recovering following his accident, T.K. and Carlos celebrate their upcoming nuptials with friends and family after Carlos and Gabriel make up following a rift. Unfortunately, a tragedy strikes that may put the wedding on hold indefinitely.
Keep reading to find out what happened in part one of the 9-1-1: Lone Star season 4 finale, “Best of Men.”
New Way of Life
Wyatt is on his way to recovery, but he’s still having trouble with his motor functions, just barely able to pick up a fork. Everyone’s trying to stay positive, and Wyatt is feeling a little better. A nurse comes by to tell them that the tests that Wyatt’s been waiting to take, an electromyogram and nerve conduction velocity, will have to be held off until tomorrow since the doctor is busy. Judd offers to miss work again so he can be there for the test, but Wyatt convinces him to go to work since they won’t know the results until later.
The next day, Tommy overhears Judd talking to someone on the phone, and Judd tells her that the electromyography revealed that Wyatt’s arms and hands are good, but his legs have a decreased conduction of velocity and the doctors think there’s a 99% chance he won’t ever walk again.
“99 ain’t a hundred.”
Tommy tries to keep positive for Judd, focusing on Wyatt’s hands and the fact that nerves can regenerate. Judd begins to break down, knowing how much Wyatt wanted to be a firefighter. He and Marlene still need to tell Wyatt, and he doesn’t know how to tell him or what the aftermath will look like.
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Judd visits Wyatt, who is still trying to pick up a fork. He and Marlene give him the test results and that his itchy leg was either a result of phantom limb pain or that some nerve pathways were crossed. While the doctors think he may never walk again, Judd says he “doesn’t give a damn.” Marlene tells Wyatt that he will be taken to another facility where they will teach him how to gain control of his arms and legs again and how to brush his teeth, comb his hair, live his life. She assures him that it’s going to be three months and he will be done before Leigh-Anne has the baby, but Wyatt just wants to go home.
Judd’s going over pamphlets in bed of places where the doctors want to send Wyatt, and they aren’t exactly the greatest. He thinks Wyatt can live with them, but Grace says he will need around-the-clock care, professionals to help him. Judd thinks about quitting his job to be at home with Wyatt. He has already missed 17 years of Wyatt’s life, and he feels like he can still make it up to him.
Judd visits Owen, who is getting the house ready for Robert and his family, who are staying over for the wedding. Judd immediately rips the bandaid off and tells Owen he has to quit, and tells him about Wyatt and the whole situation. Owen tells Judd to not quit but to call it a temporary leave of absence because of the money, but Judd has a plan. He really thought about it. Robert interrupts them, his wife and daughters coming in, too. Judd leaves them to it, and he and Owen have an emotional hug goodbye.
Back in Wyatt’s hospital room, a nurse is just finishing up with him as Judd walks in. She offers to bring him a cot, but he declines, opting to sleep on the chair. Wyatt wakes up, sees Judd asleep on the chair, and smiles.
Career Prospects
Gabriel visits Carlos and tells him his name came up during the Ranger daily briefing, as everyone had been talking about Carlos taking down an organ trafficking ring. He tells his son that Assistant Chief Bridges is wondering why he’s still working patrol, and T.K. tells Gabriel about Detective Washington getting on Carlos to take the detective’s exam. Carlos says it’s not the right move for him, and Gabriel agrees.
“Why take the detective’s exam when you can become a Texas Ranger?“
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The question shocks and flatters Carlos, as he wasn’t expecting it, but he doesn’t want to move since their lives are in Austin. Gabriel assures him that he’d be working in the city along with him, and it would be a legacy, merely following in his father’s footsteps, like T.K. and Owen. The offer comes directly from Bridges, and Carlos says he can’t. He doesn’t think the Rangers are for him. Carlos brings up the Porvenir Massacre and what the Rangers did. It may have been over a hundred years ago, but “One Riot, One Ranger” still rings true. Carlos doesn’t like that they are terrorizing people that look like them, and he understands the desire to be accepted by people that have historically rejected them. Gabriel wonders how long he’s been ashamed of him, and just then, Mateo, Marjan, Nancy, Paul, and Asha walk in for a 126 hang.
At the firehouse the next day, T.K. apologizes to the crew about canceling the hang, and he tells them about the rift between Carlos and his dad. Judd overhears and tells T.K. about the Ryder way, which is to just shove them in a closet until they make up. T.K. thinks shoving Carlos into a closet is what started this whole thing, so it’s a big no. Nancy suggests a good-fashioned sit-down, and Mateo thinks he needs to get in between them, and T.K. has the perfect idea of who that could be.
Relationship Rift
Carlos shows up at the park after T.K. told him to meet him there, but T.K. isn’t there. Instead, it’s his mother. Andrea is just sitting at a picnic table eating tacos, and Carlos sits down after realizing what his fiance put him up to. Andrea brings up the argument Carlos and Gabriel had, and she brings up some of the good stuff that the Rangers have done after Carlos brings up the bad. Andrea tells Carlos about when Gabriel first joined the Rangers, and out of 96 sworn-in officers, only two of them, including Gabriel, were people of color. When Gabriel was promoted to Captain, he spearheaded a campaign to recruit and train people of all backgrounds and gender. Almost 30% of Rangers are people of color or women because of Gabriel, and he thinks there is still plenty of work to be done. Andrea tells her son that Gabriel deserves his respect and wonders if he’s proud. Carlos says he is, but Gabriel wasn’t proud of him for a while, so it’s only fair. Andrea thinks the tension between him is more than the Texas Rangers, and he needs to let it out.
“Silence only makes things worse.”
Carlos visits Gabriel and, after seeing some things around the house, realizes that a lot has changed in the last couple of years, as he’s now doing puzzles and drinking tea. He tells his dad that he’s sorry, but Gabriel apologizes too for the way he treated him when he was growing up and tells him that if the Rangers aren’t for him, it’s okay. Carlos says he’s proud of him, and he’s not just saying that. He’s the best man he knows. Which is why he wants Gabriel to be his Best Man, and Gabriel tells his son it would be the greatest honor of his life.
Carjacking Turned Kidnapping
A man carjacks a woman at knifepoint, with her baby daughter Piper inside. The AFD and APD team up to block the car on the street and control it without making it worse in the hopes of slowing it down. However, the guy steers straight through a fence and into a pool. He manages to escape the car that is now fully underwater, and Sergeant O’Brien catches him. Owen jumps in to save Piper; after some struggles, he opens the door and uses a pocket knife to free her from the seatbelt. He gives her off to T.N.T. and it seems like it’s forever until they get the little girl crying, but she’s fine.
Bringing the Family Together
The Strands and the Reyes’ have come together at the Tarloft for dinner, and Owen gives a very heartfelt speech about T.K., their move from New York, trying to save his son’s life, his gratitude, and how proud he is of him, and how happy he and Carlos are together.
Owen and Robert talk, but Owen can’t stop thinking about their discussion. Robert admits he told his family last week, and while they were devastated, they were stronger than he ever imagined.
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Gone in an Instant
Gabriel tries on his tux, and Andrea loves it; she thinks it’s “perfecto.” The doorbell rings, and Andrea says it’s her delivery. Her phone rings, so Gabriel opens the door. Carlos called to update his mom about a cowboy hat his dad can now wear with his tux. Unfortunately, when Gabriel opens the door, he’s shot. Andrea drops the phone, rushes over, and screams, with Carlos still on the phone, calling out for his mother.
T.K. helps Carlos get ready, with tears forming in Carlos’ eyes. The scene changes to a funeral, Gabriel’s funeral. Rangers give Andrea an American flag in honor of her husband, and she sobs. Following the funeral, everyone has gathered for a reception, and Owen introduces Tommy to Andrea. They have a quick exchange in Spanish, and Andrea thanks Tommy for coming and Owen for hosting since she couldn’t get the house ready in time. She couldn’t scrub the blood away. Tommy and Owen comfort her.
Carlos’ sisters talk about their dad calling them out of school and putting on puppet shows, but Carlos doesn’t remember because he was too little. Assistant Chief Bridges interrupts them and asks to speak to Carlos. Bridges tells him how grateful he is to have worked beside Gabriel all these years, and Carlos thanks him for what he said at the service. Bridges gives Carlos Gabriel’s Ranger star, telling him that Gabriel was proud of him. Carlos asks about the investigation, but Bridges tells him he can’t give him any information. However, his dad spent a lifetime tangling some of the worst bad guys Texas has to offer; he made a lot of enemies.
“But I can promise you this. I will not enjoy a night’s rest until we find the son of a bitch that did this to your daddy and our brother.”
Bridges wishes he had better news, but what Carlos can do now is to look after himself and his mother.
Stay tuned to our recap of part 2 of the season 4 finale of 9-1-1: Lone Star! All episodes are streaming now on Hulu. Check out the rest of our Lone Star coverage here, including updates on the fifth season!
