On 911: Lone Star, Season 3 Episode 7, “Red vs. Blue,” the show takes a quick, abrupt downhill turn. Once again, 911: Lone Star has a chance to actually say something regarding the police and how they act even towards firefighters.
Instead, the episode becomes a joke all around.
Unfriendly Competition
Scenes meant for shock value haunt “Red vs. Blue” in an incredibly negative way, and they begin when Sgt. O’Brien (Neal McDonough – Arrow) issues a parking ticket to fire captain Owen Strand.
Then, though, it becomes outrageous. Having a city firetruck towed, keying said firetruck, possibly injuring someone at a seemingly friendly game of softball.
When a firetruck is towed, is the city not due to pay for the truck to be removed from the impound? Or when it’s damaged, don’t tax dollars pay to fix that?
Given the 126’s speed at ordering new one-time-use-only softball jerseys, I’m curious about the fire department's budget, which just a few weeks ago, was strained already.
In the midst of all of this is Carlos, a police officer himself, with a firefighter boyfriend.
Carlos doesn’t have a great repertoire with the rest of the 126 yet, especially people like Judd and Paul, but the writers felt comfortable putting him in the middle of this disagreement.
To not have TK at least try and see both sides, from his boyfriend’s point of view was frustrating.
Amazing Grace
Grace Ryder, best woman in the world, returns to work to find her seat taken by a man who usually works night shifts.
The story that takes place at the 911 Dispatch Center on “Red vs. Blue” feels like the writers threw a dart at a dartboard covered in “incidents.”
Dart one: heart attack. Dart two: overdose. Dart three: work frustrations.
Grace’s first call with the father who had Capgras was viable, but anything following that felt exaggerated beyond belief.
As Dave (Dominic Burgess - Feud: Bette and Joan) reveals to a client that his father killed himself when he was young, he promptly has a heart attack.
Dave later reveals that he lied about his father killing himself just to figure out what pills the caller took, and while that was quick thinking, it’s also incredibly shallow and strange.
This same man also ate Grace’s food out of the fridge that was not his because it didn’t have a name.
By the time we reach the end of the episode, anything else that’s bound to happen can’t possibly be taken seriously.
So, of course, Gwyn is dead. Mariachi music plays in the background as TK blankly tells Carlos that his mother is dead.
Now? Now you’re going to kill Gwyn? And for what? She’s not even on the show anymore! If Lisa Edelstein wanted to quit playing Gwyn, good for her! She already moved to New York.
Nothing that happened in this episode made cohesive sense. It’s doubtful that we’ll hear from Dave again and Pearce coming back was unnecessary and all-around awkward.
And One More Thing:
- Tommy in a baseball cap and pink turtleneck saved this episode.
- Nancy played softball in school but we’re meant to believe that she’s not a lesbian? Sure, okay.
- The half-apology that O'Brien gave before joining everyone for dinner felt like the ending to a bad Hallmark movie.
