What a strange 2020-2021 season it’s been for network television. Truthfully, this might have been the exact same time 911 Lone Star ended last year, but the pandemic has made time seem both impossibly fast and agonizingly slow. Regardless, I love where the show went this season and I’m glad to see that it got picked up for a third season next year! Anyway, let’s get into the action of last night’s finale episode.
With the 126 still down for the count, Owen is being offered deputy fire chief while he’s assisting in the administrative office. He mulls over the decision with Billy, who notes that they are both guys who belong out and love field work. I happen to agree with that assessment. Meanwhile, Tommy decides that she’s going to step away to take care of her children because Charles’ life insurance policy is much more than she expected. Obviously it’s a hard choice for her, and even harder to let T.K. and Nancy know, but pretty soon after her twins tell her the world still needs her when a dust storm covers the city.
The 126 can’t respond like they normally would because they are all spread apart for the time being. Well, technically Judd, Paul, and Marjan all ended up at the same, very swanky, firehouse. Poor Mateo gets stuck at the 129 which is full of jerks. He’s on his way back from a lunch run when the dust storm hits and immediately goes into firefighter mode. Good thing too, because there are injuries everywhere and a crashed plane overhead! The amount of stuff Mateo gets done before Owen finds him and starts helping out is incredible! Karma also sorts of gets back at his interim captain, but he makes it out alright. Mateo rightfully gets promoted from probie to firefighter by episode’s end!
Also, by the end of the episode Owen is tired of waiting for city planner’s to pick up the pace on getting the 126 back in action, so everyone heads to the destroyed fire station to start cleaning up debris. All of a sudden, Billy comes walking in looking pretty fancy and declaring that he is going to be the new deputy fire chief. Owen looks a little surprised by this, but he’s been relegated to desk duty, so I wasn’t. What was surprising though was Billy’s announcement that his first act as the new chief would be shutting down the 126 permanently to “save money.” The episode rightfully ends with a cool shot of Owen punching Billy in the face. Really the man deserves it! Just when I thought he was starting to turn a corner and join Owen and the team he goes and sucker-punches them.
I imagine at least a few episodes of the next season will see Owen and the gang try and figure out how to get Billy to change his mind, or get a fire lit under the city planner’s butts to start getting their fire station rebuilt. Mostly what I hope to see is more of Billy Burke as Billy, because even as callous as he is, I still think there is hop for him yet, and could end up being an awesome addition to Owen and the 126’s mission. Also, I really can’t wait to see Judd and Grace become parents, and the next step for T.K. and Carlos. One thing I know will be in full force next season? Drama.