S02.E08: Bad Call

[formerlyfreedom]

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A bank robbery, an apartment fire and a pregnant woman lost in a parking garage are the seemingly unconnected calls to which the 126 responds. Then, T.K. celebrates his one-year anniversary of sobriety, while Owen and Gwyn may not make it to the end of the week as a couple. Also, Carlos finds himself working on a case with his Texas Ranger father.

Airing Monday, March 8, 2021.

 

[Maverick]

 Wow, Carlos is going to get an actual plot?  Will wonders never cease.

[anna0852]

I gotta wait til April? Not cool producer's, not cool.

[mojoween]

I watched the end of the ep through my fingers like a horror movie.  Do NOT fucking do it, show.

[GodsBeloved]

[jewel21]

Well that was a pretty enjoyable episode. I liked that Carlos got more focus as well as his interactions with Captain Strand. 

I felt for TK and his hurt at his mom leaving. 

But man, that ending. I was not expecting it and I literally gasped out loud. 

[anna0852]

I was yelling at Judd to watch the damn road

[Bulldog]

I've said many times before that Grace & Judd are my two favorite characters.  I absolutely refuse to believe that they will kill either of them off. 

[shapeshifter]

I guess Carlos' dad was replaced by his kinder, gentler clone.

[possibilities]

I'm always annoyed by people on TV not watching the road while driving, and now....

[Kleav]

2 hours ago, Bulldog said:

Grace & Judd are my two favorite characters.

I could watch a whole hour consisting entirely of Grace handling 911 calls.

[Lady Calypso]

I think Grace/Judd will be fine. Grace still has to deal with the fallout over her dad's affair(s?) and I don't see them getting rid of Judd either. But I think this just opens up a new story for them, and that's alright with me. 

The hostage storyline was interesting since it connected to Carlos' storyline. Finally, though, Carlos gets a storyline and significant screentime. And he got to bond a bit with Owen, which is something!

So, TK finds out about his brother actually being his half brother. It seems Gwen is finally leaving, which is good. Owen/Gwen's drama was boring me to tears.

[rove4]

I knew the second they showed Judd and Grace driving in the rain that it wasn't going to end well.

Though I never cared much about Owen and Grace as a couple, I still felt badly for TJ.  He's been wanting his parents together since he was seven.  It would've been cute seeing him as a big brother.  I mean, he still will be but with the baby in New York we won't get to see him in that role.  

"Man, this guy just won't die."  😄

Edited March 9, 2021 by rove4

[DearEvette]

It would be stupid beyond belief to kill of either Judd or Grace at this point.   Judd because he is the last survivor of his old squad and Grace because a) she is the only 9-1-1 operator we know on the show and b) why make Judd suffer one more catastrophic loss?  Also they have so much more story to go and they are very popular characters.  And quite frankly it is way too early in the show's run to have a major character death. Especially coming in the aftermath of killing off Tim - not a major character sure, but still a person close to them.

I think it is a typical if uncreative framing device to showcase their origin story together.  So be it as long as we get to quality time with these two.

This episode was good.  I just wish we got more rescues sometimes.  It is a little bit of mental whiplash to come from the OG 911 where they pack in all sorts of rescues/call outs to this one where we get maybe 2 an hour?   That said, I loved the hostage storyline that was tied to the earlier bank robbery.  I liked when Tommy and Nancy were able to kick into action.  I did side eye the fact that when Owen and an actual COP come charging in to rescue them, it is Owen who shot the guy, not Carlos.  Why?  Why would Owen be the one packing?

Anyway, this was a good episode.

[anna0852]

I do feel bad for TK. And I think Gwen needs to tell him that Owen not only wanted her to stay but said to delete the DNA test results. I really don't want TK blaming his dad.

 

Just now, DearEvette said:

I did side eye the fact that when Owen and an actual COP come charging in to rescue them, it is Owen who shot the guy, not Carlos.  Why?  Why would Owen be the one packing?

Anyway, this was a good episode.

That wasn't Owen's gun. He picked up it up after TK had kicked it away from the female robber.

[DearEvette]

2 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

That wasn't Owen's gun. He picked up it up after TK had kicked it away from the female robber.

Ah thanks, I do now remember that detail!

[GodsBeloved]

21 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I did side eye the fact that when Owen and an actual COP come charging in to rescue them, it is Owen who shot the guy, not Carlos.  Why?  Why would Owen be the one packing?

I side eyed the fact that once Grace could not find the rig, the police were not called in. I don't know if that is how it works IRL, but it seemed strange that a fireman and suspended cop were left to search for the rig.

Edited March 9, 2021 by GodsBeloved

[tennisgurl]

Don't you play me like that show, you had better not be thinking about killing off Grace or Judd! They're my favorite characters and there is no reason at all for either of them to be killed off. Not only are they really likable characters in the best and most stable relationship on the show, but Judd is the shows main connection to the area and the original deceased team, and Grace is our connection to the call in center. If either or both of them died the dynamics of the show would be totally thrown off, and their stories would come to an end without any closure. This is certainly just a midseason finale cliffhanger to get audiences amped for the show to come back...and mission accomplished because I NEED to get confirmation that they're alright. We might also get a story where one of them is badly hurt, probably Judd because it would affect his job more, and them having to deal with it, which would be juicy drama but will also inevitably be super angsty. I've been asking for more Grace/Judd content lately so now I guess we are going to be getting it...why is my monkeys paw turning up a finger...

Even without that brutal cliffhanger, there was a lot going on this episode with a lot of subplots and rescues, so I like that most of them ended up tying into each other. Most of the calls were about these bank robbers causing havoc all over Austin and culminated in the paramedics being forced to help one of them, which was also tied into Carlos's plot. 

So Carlos finally gets a story outside of being TK's love interest, which is nice to see. I am glad he was right about the bomb and that the "bad call" wasn't him accidently getting the poor guy blown up. I think he definitely deserves to throw a few Told You So's at his dad, partner, and department. We even got Owen and Carlos bonding which I enjoyed a lot. 

I am just fine with Gwen leaving and taking her baby daddy drama with her, even if it sucks that TK has now gotten the "your father and I love you very much..." talk twice. Not here to be overly judgy, but it is kind of wild that Gwen, this person set up as very responsible and successful, would have unprotected sex with two of her ex's in such a short period of time, during COVID, while not even being on the pill or anything. I guess she assumed they all assumed it was fine because she's older, but guys condoms are a thing.  

[anna0852]

There was a line from TK to Judd last episode that birth control was being used. Judd had specifically commented that you have to be careful every time. 

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, anna0852 said:

I do feel bad for TK. And I think Gwen needs to tell him that Owen not only wanted her to stay but said to delete the DNA test results. I really don't want TK blaming his dad

So now I guess we know why TK had a drug problem and the reason is named Gwyn..? The writers must have mommy issues.

Speaking of TK's drug history...
IRL, wouldn't that prevent him from being allowed to work as a paramedic in charge of drugs including morphine?

[gonzosgirrl]

Judd already had a storyline of coming back from the trauma of being a lone survivor of a tragedy. I can't imagine them doing that to him again, with his wife, so I bet if there is a serious injury from the crash, it's going to be Grace.

Much as I generally enjoy Lisa Edelstein, I hope that story is over. I didn't warm up to her character at all.

[iMonrey]

Quote

 Grace still has to deal with the fallout over her dad's affair(s?)

Honestly, I don't think the writers are really invested in that storyline beyond the one-off we saw a couple weeks ago. There has been no follow-up thus far and there has been ample opportunity. If there was going to be any follow-up I would have at least expected some of it this week.

[toodywoody]

Both my mom and I screamed NO! Not Judd and Grace! I knew something bad was gonna happen but not that.

[formerlyfreedom]

Ok, so to check all the boxes:

• ‘winter’ finale but cleared up the big plot with five minutes left
• Judd and Grace (YAY!!!)
• alone together in a car (hmmm, not liking this...)
• and it’s raining (wow, was that an anvil or three there?) and THEN...
• ’Lets have a baby!!!’

I think they’ll be fine, but they could have shoehorned in a few more tropes there.

[Lady Calypso]

16 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Honestly, I don't think the writers are really invested in that storyline beyond the one-off we saw a couple weeks ago. There has been no follow-up thus far and there has been ample opportunity. If there was going to be any follow-up I would have at least expected some of it this week.

I wouldn't have expected it to happen this week. Unfortunately, they seem to want to delay it because the show was focused on Owen/Gwen baby drama as well as Carlos' storyline. They will circle back to it at some point, and this cliffhanger may be the lead in to that. I think it's because we saw that scene of Grace clearly still upset at the end of the episode that makes me certain it's not over. I wish they had spent SOME amount of time acknowledging what she had been through but, sadly, the show's priority the last few episodes has been centered around Owen.

[DearEvette]

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

I wouldn't have expected it to happen this week. Unfortunately, they seem to want to delay it because the show was focused on Owen/Gwen baby drama as well as Carlos' storyline. They will circle back to it at some point, and this cliffhanger may be the lead in to that. I think it's because we saw that scene of Grace clearly still upset at the end of the episode that makes me certain it's not over. I wish they had spent SOME amount of time acknowledging what she had been through but, sadly, the show's priority the last few episodes has been centered around Owen.

I agree.  That last scene of Judd and Grace in their bedroom was the last time the two shared any screen time together until the blink and you miss it shot of them at TK's party and of course the end of the ep that is setting up their story.  That was three  whole episodes ago.  I think we were intentionally left hanging and they meant to revisit all of that after we got the Judd/Grace-centric origin story.

Also I am betting they were only going to have Lisa Edelstein for a limited time so they had to front burner that story and burn through it rather quickly so she could have her storyline and go. 

[tennisgurl]

19 hours ago, saoirse said:

I think they’ll be fine, but they could have shoehorned in a few more tropes there.

You half expect Judd to announce his plans for an early retirement...

[zapper]

I'd like to know how the security company caller to 911 for the bank robbery knew that the man's coat was orange from a black/white security camera ...

[Bruinsfan]

Seeing Gina Torres stare down and later drop that ogreish bank robber/murderer was awesome. It made me nostalgic for Firefly. I just wish he'd managed to fire a stray bullet into his screechy moll on the way down.

My sympathies to viewers who are invested in Grace and Judd; however, after hearing the episode described as "heartbreaking" I breathed a sigh of relief that all the characters I enjoy watching were fine. I generally like Jim Parrack, but the cornpone platitudes Judd spouts every episode have really been getting on my nerves. And I'm pretty neutral about Sierra McClain/Grace, so not exactly white-knuckling it over her fate either.

[jabRI]

For some reason I'm not warming up to TK, he seems to me a bit immature and self-centered.

[Court]

Y'all I knew Judd and Grace were going to wreck. Then when he said yes to kids, I stupidly thought for one moment that they wouldn't succumb to that trope. Grace and Judd better be fine. 

[Lunula]

On 3/9/2021 at 4:08 PM, gonzosgirrl said:

Much as I generally enjoy Lisa Edelstein, I hope that story is over. I didn't warm up to her character at all.

Same. And the baby story line was so completely unnecessary. They could've just gotten the two back together, had her move in and then had Enzo show up and Gwen realizes she's still in love with her old flame and that Owen was the rebound guy. I legitimately hated the unexpected late-middle-age baby trope and given how this ended, it was 100% unnecessary. Blech. 

On 3/11/2021 at 9:23 PM, Court said:

Y'all I knew Judd and Grace were going to wreck. Then when he said yes to kids, I stupidly thought for one moment that they wouldn't succumb to that trope. Grace and Judd better be fine. 

As soon as they showed them in the car, at night, in pouring rain - I said, "They are going to be in an accident." If we must have a cliff-hanger accident, why can't the writers at least give us something at least a tiny little bit unexpected here? They're driving in the middle of the day, sun shining, birds chirping and bam! But no, we get the completely predictable accident at night in the rain. 

The show is okay and I like it better since Liv Tyler left - it's even more campy and unrealistic than 9-1-1 and I found it funny in the cross-over episode that the writers made fun in the scene where they compared the epic disasters they've all faced. Completely ridiculous & somewhat fun, but it feels so lazy and boring to make big stories like this so predictable. 

[Guest]

On 3/9/2021 at 11:57 AM, DearEvette said:

  I did side eye the fact that when Owen and an actual COP come charging in to rescue them, it is Owen who shot the guy, not Carlos.  Why?  Why would Owen be the one packing?

I watched this one the other day.  Now admittedly, I have some BTS Rob Lowe opinions that are probably unfairly lingering from West Wing days, but there are times with this show when I wonder how much of Owen's character and storyline is coming from needing to make sure that Lowe feels like he's the top dog of the ensemble at all times.

One of those times was when Owen shot the guy when he was going in there with a cop. 

[Bruinsfan]

Other times: when Owen bravely does a solo rescue that's too risky for the much younger firefighters he's supervising; when other characters awkwardly refer to how handsome Owen is; Judd's weekly stop at the door to the captain's office to give a pep talk about how wonderful he is.

[kwnyc]

On 3/11/2021 at 1:00 PM, jabRI said:

For some reason I'm not warming up to TK, he seems to me a bit immature and self-centered.

TK & Carlos both seem to be hurt little boy-men with Daddy issues. It doesn't make for a compelling character OR relationship.

[txhorns79]

On 3/9/2021 at 2:17 PM, tennisgurl said:

I am glad he was right about the bomb and that the "bad call" wasn't him accidently getting the poor guy blown up. I think he definitely deserves to throw a few Told You So's at his dad, partner, and department.

I've been catching up on these episodes and no, he does not deserve to throw any "told you so" at anyone.  He was extremely reckless.  That his recklessness was later validated does not change that.

And I cannot even get into the ridiculousness of Carlos' daddy being the one to investigate him, but that's a different comment. 

And why were Vega's kids at TK's sobriety party?  Has TK even met them?

Edited October 27 by txhorns79