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The Series Finale of Rob Lowe's '9-1-1: Lone Star' Is Completely Bonkers

By Dustin Rowles | TV | February 4, 2025 |

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Header Image Source: Fox

After five seasons, 9-1-1: Lone Star wrapped last night on Fox, two seasons after its parent series, 9-1-1, moved to ABC, where it has thrived. I’ll confess that I haven’t watched the Rob Lowe spin-off since its first season — one 9-1-1 in my life is enough — but I had to tune in for the finale to see just how B-A-N-A-N-A-S Tim Minear’s send-off would be.

It did not disappoint.

The plot? An asteroid — yes, an asteroid — is barreling toward Austin, Texas. There’s some concern that it might cause an extinction-level event, but the real issue is a nuclear reactor underneath the University of Texas (which is apparently a thing). The asteroid does what asteroids do — kills a few people, disrupts the 911 call center, and triggers the most ridiculous chain of events ever attempted in a first responder procedural. The only thing standing between Austin and total nuclear annihilation is a professor who immediately has a heart attack and dies upon receiving an emergency alert. Over across town, a second elderly professor attempts to heroically run to the reactor, but just before he arrives, he slips, hits his head, and falls unconscious.

Meanwhile, Gina Torres — who joined the cast in season two — wakes up as the asteroid crashes and asks the ghost of her late husband, “Have I crossed over?” Her character, Tommy Vega, is battling cancer and is apparently on the verge of death. Nevertheless, she decides that because she is still upright, she might as well go to work.

At this point, the whole team — including multiple people I do not recognize — heads to the reactor. Along the way, there are fires, explosions, and dramatic obstacles. When they finally reach the unconscious professor, he’s alive but unable to speak due to brain swelling. Naturally, Tommy — who, again, is dying — grabs a drill and just casually performs emergency brain surgery on the spot, which instantly relieves the pressure in his skull. He then directs them to the SCRAM button that will shut down the reactor before it melts Austin off the map.

Then, as they are heading toward the button, there’s an explosion! Everyone is injured! They all collapse into a big, dramatic pile of pain, clutching each other’s wounds. Rob Lowe’s character, Owen Strand, keeps crawling toward the SCRAM button. He grunts. He sweats. He acts. With one second to spare, he heroically slaps the button, saving the city. But oh no! Is Owen dead?!

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Smash cut: Five months later. Mateo Chavez (Julian Works) is in court, delivering a monologue about how much he loves America to convince a judge not to deport him. His girlfriend, Nancy (Brianna Baker), refuses to marry him on principle, but it doesn’t matter because the Texas judge — who is feeling particularly generous that day — grants his request anyway. In Texas! Ha!

Elsewhere, Carlos Reyes (Rafael L. Silva) and T.K. Strand (Ronen Rubinstein) have adopted a baby, which is very sweet, though it comes at the cost of T.K. giving up his firefighting career. Gina Torres’ Tommy, despite being moments from death five months ago, is now cancer-free. All of her tumors? Just gone. Judd Ryder (Jim Parrack) is sworn in as the new captain, replacing Owen, who is presumed dead.

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And then, in the final scene, T.K. calls someone on the phone. Surprise! Owen is not only alive, but he is now the fire chief of New York City, overseeing a station that somehow has jurisdiction over both Brooklyn and Times Square. This is never explained. And that’s the end. Maybe one day, we’ll see a cast member or two back on the parent series or on a second spin-off, rumored to be set in Hawaii.