S02.E12: The Big Heat

[jewel21]

Quote

A recovering Owen becomes the prime suspect in the serial arsonist case. Meanwhile, T.K. and Carlos find themselves in a fiery situation and Tommy gets the surprise of her life.

Airdate: 05/10/2021

[crowsworks]

Their sons are going to kill them. 

[jewel21]

OMG, I think my heart literally stopped for a moment when Tommy walked in and found her husband dead. I gasped and put my hands over my mouth and my stomach sank and it's still not feeling better. I know it's fictional, but my heart broke for her and her children. 

Years ago a second cousin of mine found her husband dead on the laundry room floor from a heart attack. She had 12 year old twin daughters at the time. I think this just brought me back. 

Aside from the Bobby bombshell, I really enjoyed this episode and it definitely made up for last week's awfulness. The arsonist was chilling. I kept thinking that Owen should have his house checked as well because Buttercup is all alone there but I don't know if he ever did. 

Next week will be hard. 

[BooksRule]

I kept hoping that Reyes was not actually thinking that Owen was the arsonist but was going through with the arrest and interrogation of Owen just to smoke out (heh heh) the real arsonist, but I didn't think that Owen was going to be in on it. That was a surprise.  I did think that it was the investigator and not Billy, since that would have been too obvious. 

I did think it was interesting that the first place that Owen's thoughts went to as to where I fire might have been set was the firehouse instead of his own or Carlos' house.  You would think he would consider that his own family might be in danger first. 

Judd: 'I guess you two are just a couple of crap magnets then, ain't ya?' (ha ha)

Poor Tommy.

 

[possibilities]

Probie thinking Cap's a superhero kind of bothered me. Superheroes are fiction, dude. I hate when they write him to be too dim. It's not funny. 

I liked Tommy's husband a lot. That bloody eye looked like a really bad sign. I guess if she was doing chest compressions she thought there was some hope, but I dunno. I'm not ready for more heartache, show!

I didn't see the twist coming. I was so annoyed by the entire situation but then they turned it around. I felt a bit bad for Billy having gotten his faced punched. But he did have a history of betrayal, so he kind of deserved it anyway.

I also was very worried about the homes of Owen and... Carlos's parents. I guess they wanted the revenge to be that they survive and suffer the loss, but I'd still want to check it out. 

How come Carlos's place didn't have smoke alarms?? I guess maybe they were disabled as part of the arson prep, but... I really need to stock up on fire extinguishers. I have two, but have never actually used one. I take this episode as a public service announcement to learn how.

 

[anna0852]

The back half was pretty good. Nice to see Owen bonding with Carlos father. I Carlos and TK are going to regret that introduction though :‐)

I like that in the end Billy wasn't the bad guy. And he was considered one of the gang at Judd's place.

[jewel21]

3 minutes ago, possibilities said:

How come Carlos's place didn't have smoke alarms?? I guess maybe they were disabled as part of the arson prep, but... I really need to stock up on fire extinguishers. I have two, but have never actually used one. I take this episode as a public service announcement to learn how.

 

Many years ago when we had an alarm system, there were two smoke detectors put in that linked to the alarm system. When we stopped paying the alarm company, the smoke detectors stopped working and are pretty much just dust catchers these days. I know TJ was having issues with the alarm so maybe by messing with the alarm system, the smoke detectors were disabled as well?

[Bulldog]

Poor Tommy.  If the husband really is dead (not a guarantee, IMO), I think it was a realistic touch to have him pass suddenly and unexpectedly.  I'd also venture to guess that the vast majority of deaths occur quietly at home instead of in some big dramatic television worthy accident.  I suppose if they were intent on killing off a character, he was the most logical choice as we've never seen him do much beyond cook dinner for everyone. 

24 minutes ago, BooksRule said:

Judd: 'I guess you two are just a couple of crap magnets then, ain't ya?' (ha ha)

I liked how he suggested they go golfing, then remembered that Billy was struck by lightning the last time they tried that. 

7 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Probie thinking Cap's a superhero kind of bothered me. Superheroes are fiction, dude. I hate when they write him to be too dim. It's not funny. 

I think dim is his default setting.  Remember this is an adult man who was recently seen wearing Captain America pajamas. 

[tennisgurl]

I admit this show got me a few times. First when I realized that not only was Reyes playing the real arsonist, but that Owen and Billy were both in on it, then when the arsonist set himself on fire, and then finally when Tommy got home to see her husband possibly dead. I hope he is going to be alright, but that eye clot does not look good. I was getting really annoyed with Owen being such an idiot about this, so I am really glad that it all turned out to be part of the plan. Last week was a bit of a dud, but this week was a lot better. I would almost say it....sparked more? 

Carlos and T.K now have to go from their dads hardly knowing each other, to seemingly becoming enemies, to being total buds in about twenty four hours, talk about some whiplash. The next family dinner is certainly going to have some wild stories. 

I am glad that Billy wasnt the bad guy, and that he and Owen are still getting along. Unfortunate that he had to get punched, but he did also betray Owen that one time, so we can just say that was a retroactive punch for that. Unless you count him being struck by lightning as getting punched by God. 

 

[shapeshifter]

Neener neener neener, I called it:

On 5/3/2021 at 11:02 PM, shapeshifter said:

with H!ITG! bad guy Todd Stashwick playing the arson investigator...

But I'm guessing I wasn't the only one.

[possibilities]

I guess it should have been clear once the arson investigator scoffed at the idea that Owen knew what he was talking about, and was trying to cast suspicion on him during that initial interview (last week).

[Florinaldo]

Poor Carlos and TK missed out on a session of make-up sex. Plus their house is now completely destroyed.

Considering how Mateo pointedly mentioned there are two spare bedrooms in the Cap's house, I think they will probably be moving in there temporarily. How long before they are tempted to strangle Mateo for being such an idiot?

20 hours ago, possibilities said:

Probie thinking Cap's a superhero kind of bothered me. Superheroes are fiction, dude. I hate when they write him to be too dim. It's not funny. 

One wonders how such a character could plausibly pass the Fire Department entrance selection process. Don't they have some standards and require a minimum trace of intelligence?

Edited May 11, 2021 by Florinaldo

[rove4]

I wasn't interested in Owen's arson storyline so I was barely hanging on for most of the episode, was even thinking this might be me my last Lone Star episode but then that final scene hooked me back in for next week.  But, really, I'm tired of all the Owen centric storylines.  I'd like a little more focus on the rest of the firehouse. 

[Moose135]

2 hours ago, Florinaldo said:

One wonders how such a character could plausibly pass the Fire Department entrance selction process. Don't they have some standards and require a minimum trace of intelligence?

I think the character has some sort of learning issue, maybe dyslexic? If I remember, he had to take the entrance exam multiple times, and had the crew work with him to get through it. But yes, some of the stuff he does is just off the charts.

[DearEvette]

Nice rebound from last week. So much better than the heavy handed setting up of Owen and having him act so stupid.

But I think the show tried to be a tick too clever and also have us guessing as well.  It is obvious in re-watch that after speaking with Judd and Grace that that was the point that Owen, Billy and Gabriel cooked up their scheme.  But in original watch that point in time was a little unclear.

In re-watch.  it was post his visit to Grace and Judd because otherwise if he were already working with Billy at that point, then accusing him to them made no sense.  And I figure it had to be before he was arrested because his banter with Gabriel during the arrest also made no sense given their conversation at dinner.  So we have a "missing" scene. 

On the one hand, it was a nice at keeping suspense. On the other they could have created some real damage in their relationships esp. Billy/Judd and Carlo/TK.

And speaking of Carlos and TK.  So I am not down with TK's first instinct at learning that Carlos pointing out the obvious holes in Owen's story is to start shoving and pushing at him.  I was half expecting him to take a swing.  That is not healthy and I was uncomfortable seeing that because  how was that acceptable?  Because they are a same sex couple?  That should not be ok to shove at your partner in anger like that regardless of their gender make up.  If they had been a het couple TK shoving at Carlos would send all sorts of DV bat signals.

OTOH, glad that Billy was forgiving of Judd.  Even if you are working undercover it can;t be easy to realize a guy you have been friends with for 17 years can believe you are an arsonist. I loved the scene around the table at Judd/Grace's house with all the 'adults'.

Regards Mateo, I am a little more charitable in my reading of him.  I just saw his speech to TK as being a pep talk using analogies he is comfortable with -- aka -- comic books.  He has a level of hero worship there, sure, but I didn't take it as 100% literal. Especially since he was clearly trying to comfort and pep talk TK.

Edited May 11, 2021 by DearEvette

[anna0852]

The forgiveness and decency the characters show each other is one of the reasons I keep watching, both this and the original. 

[Lady Calypso]

I guess I should have figured that it was the arson investigator and not Billy with how predictable Billy being the arsonist was, coupled with the characters being convinced. Alas, I think that I was a bit too slow on the uptake, only getting suspicious when the arson investigator shut off the cameras to talk to Owen alone. 

I'm actually partially glad that Billy isn't the arsonist. Billy Burke is great to see appear and, let's face it, Owen needs more friends in general, as does Judd. And I've kind of grown to enjoy Billy's gruffness. 

I knew TK and Carlos would be just fine, and it didn't help that the show had Carlos' house on fire in the promos for this back half, so I knew it was coming. 

What I didn't expect was the end, with Tommy's husband being shown at the end. I didn't expect Tommy to find him dead (or near death? Since it seems like the previews imply that he's not dead-dead yet if she has time to get to the hospital with him?). It seems like a ruptured aneurysm behind his eye. If he is gone, then what a realistic and sad way to go, dying alone and unexpectedly at home. After so many close calls this season with Grace, Judd, TK and Carlos, having Tommy's husband be the casualty on this show would be unexpected, for sure. But I love Tommy and her family and I love that she's had a stable relationship so I don't want him to die! 

They need to drop Mateo from this show ASAP because I really can't stand how they have written him to basically be someone with a lower IQ. Not because of his dyslexia, but because of the fact that he just says and does childish things all the damn time. And it isn't about him making references to comics or superheroes, because I love those things too. But, like, saying that Owen is gonna survive because he's a superhero? It just doesn't sound like something a person of Mateo's age would say. But I also look at how shitty the writing for Mateo usually is, so it isn't an isolated scene for him. I liked Mateo a couple of episodes ago when he yelled at his stupider roommates for blowing up their home. That's the Mateo I'd like to see more. 

 

[Florinaldo]

54 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

think the character has some sort of learning issue, maybe dyslexic?

There is a gap between dyslexia and the way he is written, i.e. as the village idiot; it's beyond being immature or having a learning disability.

Tommy walking in on her dead husband was quite the shocker to end the episode with. Especially since he had great plans for his own restaurant.

50 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

So I am not down with TK's first instinct at learning that Carlos pointing out the obvious holes in Owen's story is to start shoving and pushing at him. 

Yes, that was a cheap and much too facile script device to show the repercussions of the father's little conspiracy on their offsprings.

[iMonrey]

This episode certainly fared better than the OG episode that preceded it. I'll admit the undercover operation had me fooled for awhile. But, if I were TK and Carlos I would be furious with my fathers for putting them through that. There was really no reason not to let them in on it. 

The only thing that bugged me was how slow Owen was to consider that TK might be a target of the arsonist who had just told him he was going after the things that were most important to him. The fact that TK didn't spring to mind immediately doesn't speak well of him and how important his son is supposed to be to him. 

Tommy walking in and finding her husband dead was certainly an unexpected twist, but it wasn't written or staged very well because it's sort of a trope to have a character come home and start babbling on and on about their day and you instantly realize their spouse isn't responding way before they do, so I immediately assumed he was either dead or lying unconscious on the floor. 

[juliet73]

I was surprised that TK and Carlos's house didn't have any smoke detectors.  If they were hooked up to the security system, then I'm surprised they wouldn't have at least one stand alone that was battery operated.  

I would have thought Owen would want to check his house to see if the arsonist left him any presents or at least have a line saying he checked it.  I'm glad this storyline is over.  

I hope Tommy's husband isn't dead.  

[marceline]

It's still amazing to me that we are supposed to believe that Owen is recovering from lung surgery yet he's still out here running around and doing rescues.

I can't imagine how Carlos and TK's home didn't have a single smoke detector. I just couldn't believe it. I also couldn't believe they didn't hear the fire before smelling the smoke. Kudos to the special effect team on this show. The scene where the guy set himself on fire was insane.

Oh the end with Tommy. That silence from the moment she walked in the door was so foreboding.

[Moose135]

8 hours ago, rove4 said:

But, really, I'm tired of all the Owen centric storylines.  I'd like a little more focus on the rest of the firehouse. 

IF they did that, he would leave to run for Congress from California and never be heard from again. Oh wait, that's a different Rob Lowe show...

[anna0852]

4 hours ago, juliet73 said:

I was surprised that TK and Carlos's house didn't have any smoke detectors.  If they were hooked up to the security system, then I'm surprised they wouldn't have at least one stand alone that was battery operated.  

I had assumed the arsonist had disabled any alarms. 

[Tdoc72]

On 5/10/2021 at 11:15 PM, jewel21 said:

OMG, I think my heart literally stopped for a moment when Tommy walked in and found her husband dead. I gasped and put my hands over my mouth and my stomach sank and it's still not feeling better. I know it's fictional, but my heart broke for her and her children. 

I gasped too and tears sprung to my eyes. Well done, show. I hope he’s not dead.  

16 hours ago, Florinaldo said:

Poor Carlos and TK missed out on a session of make-up sex. Plus their house is now completely destroyed.

I loved their house/condo.  I thought it had a cool layout and was modern without being sterile. 

[Bruinsfan]

On 5/10/2021 at 10:15 PM, jewel21 said:

OMG, I think my heart literally stopped for a moment when Tommy walked in and found her husband dead. I gasped and put my hands over my mouth and my stomach sank and it's still not feeling better. I know it's fictional, but my heart broke for her and her children. 

Years ago a second cousin of mine found her husband dead on the laundry room floor from a heart attack. She had 12 year old twin daughters at the time. I think this just brought me back.

When Tommy came in to the hubby sitting quietly in the corner and wasn't getting any answers to her patter, it gave me strong deja vu to the Buffy episode where she found her mother dead. Ow, that still hurts after 20 years.

On 5/10/2021 at 11:28 PM, tennisgurl said:

I admit this show got me a few times. First when I realized that not only was Reyes playing the real arsonist, but that Owen and Billy were both in on it, then when the arsonist set himself on fire, and then finally when Tommy got home to see her husband possibly dead. I hope he is going to be alright, but that eye clot does not look good. I was getting really annoyed with Owen being such an idiot about this, so I am really glad that it all turned out to be part of the plan. Last week was a bit of a dud, but this week was a lot better. I would almost say it....sparked more?

Wasn't Owen doing all that ridiculously incriminating stuff before he had a chance to talk to Gabriel about his suspicions? So all that was genuine dumbassery, it was just what he said after being arrested that was part of the plan. Though I do like that he was initially mistaken in his suspicions about Billy and it was Gabriel who figured things out, what with the latter being a high-status Texas Ranger rather than an amateur sleuth.

18 hours ago, Florinaldo said:

Poor Carlos and TK missed out on a session of make-up sex. Plus their house is now completely destroyed.

Considering how Mateo pointedly mentioned there are two spare bedrooms in the Cap's house, I think they will probably be moving in there temporarily. How long before they are tempted to strangle Mateo for being such an idiot?

One wonders how such a character could plausibly pass the Fire Department entrance selection process. Don't they have some standards and require a minimum trace of intelligence?

Raymond deserved to die horribly for interrupting that love scene alone.

My best friend works for a fire department, and the tales I've heard make me think the intelligence bar for hiring isn't set all that high. Mateo seems decent enough at his actual job skills, perhaps he's a high-functioning idiot.

Edited May 12, 2021 by Bruinsfan

[possibilities]

The two guest rooms is like Chekov's gun. But even with Carlos and TK moving back in, that still leaves one more empty room. I wonder who will move in there. 

I generally love the Carlos-TK pairing, but I agree with the sentiment that TK's reaction to Carlos during the "my dad is not an arsonist" conversation was waaaaaay outside the bounds and it bothers me that apparently the show thinks it was okay.

[JH Lipton]

Even if we assume that the arsonist disabled all the smoke detectors, including battery-powered ones which are not easy to disable without messing them up, there's still no reason (other than PLOTTTT!!!) why TK wouldn't insist on having a second fire extinguisher.

The last half was as stupid as the first half.

[Florinaldo]

1 hour ago, JH Lipton said:

there's still no reason (other than PLOTTTT!!!) why TK wouldn't insist on having a second fire extinguisher.

Exactly. Plot expediency required that the characters, including a trained firefighter, act as negligent idiots as far as safety in their home.

[Moose135]

23 hours ago, iMonrey said:

The only thing that bugged me was how slow Owen was to consider that TK might be a target of the arsonist who had just told him he was going after the things that were most important to him. The fact that TK didn't spring to mind immediately doesn't speak well of him and how important his son is supposed to be to him. 

I agree - it was telling that the first thing Owen thought of was the fire house, not his son, being in danger.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

6 hours ago, possibilities said:

The two guest rooms is like Chekov's gun. But even with Carlos and TK moving back in, that still leaves one more empty room. I wonder who will move in there. 

Maybe Tommy? If indeed Charles is gone (damn you, show) I’d think she might need a place to stay for a bit where she’s not confronted with that memory every day/night. 

[possibilities]

25 minutes ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

Maybe Tommy? If indeed Charles is gone (damn you, show) I’d think she might need a place to stay for a bit where she’s not confronted with that memory every day/night. 

She has two kids as well, though. It would be really something to see the whole family there!

[SoCal Mema]

On 5/11/2021 at 6:12 AM, rove4 said:

I wasn't interested in Owen's arson storyline so I was barely hanging on for most of the episode, was even thinking this might be me my last Lone Star episode but then that final scene hooked me back in for next week.  But, really, I'm tired of all the Owen centric storylines.  I'd like a little more focus on the rest of the firehouse. 

I think we're never going to get away from Owen-centric as long as his brother and son are involved in the writing and directing of the show.

[iMonrey]

I forgot to say, I was extremely impressed by the special effect used when that guy lit himself on fire by pouring water over his own head. I wonder how they did that. It looked pretty amazing.

[Bruinsfan]

7 hours ago, SoCal Mema said:

I think we're never going to get away from Owen-centric as long as his brother and son are involved in the writing and directing of the show.

I think we're never going to get away from Owen-centric as long as Rob Lowe is on the show. Other shows he's been on have been warped into constantly blowing smoke up his character's ass despite him not being the lead, and I'm not aware of any of his relatives working on them.

[DearEvette]

I don't think it is too far fetched to believe that the house wasn't up to standard.  They moved into Carlos' house, not TK's.  He's a cop, not a firefighter.  So it is believable that he may not have been as diligent in following the best domestic fire safety protocols as he should have. It sounds like TK gave him advice (a second extinguisher in the bedroom) but he never followed through.  Like a lot of people he may have planned to get around to it, secure that he had good smoke detectors and changed the batteries every 6 months.

And since the arsonist had the time and expertise to get in, mess up the code, install fake circuit breakers etc. He would have also disabled any battery powered smoke detectors and would have removed any extinguishers in the house. 

What I find harder to believe, is given how smoke permeates (and heat rises) they didn't realize there was a fire from smell alone until the first floor was almost fully engaged.  I mean, I know they were gettin' bizzay -- but still. I can smell toast burning from anywhere in my house...

[bilgistic]

18 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

My best friend works for a fire department, and the tales I've heard make me think the intelligence bar for hiring isn't set all that high. Mateo seems decent enough at his actual job skills, perhaps he's a high-functioning idiot.

My ex-brother-in-law is/was a firefighter/paramedic and captain of his firehouse at one point many years ago. He's a piece of work and far from the brightest bulb. He's been given endless chances to redeem himself and start over in new companies/positions despite being fired several times over for cause for being an habitual liar and addict under the influence on the job, among other things.

[shapeshifter]

10 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

What I find harder to believe, is given how smoke permeates (and heat rises) they didn't realize there was a fire from smell alone until the first floor was almost fully engaged.  I mean, I know they were gettin' bizzay -- but still. I can smell toast burning from anywhere in my house...

When we saw the fire ignite under the stairs just after TK and Carlos passed that step I was thinking they had to be smelling the smoke, but then I remembered that I didn't get my Spidey Sense of Smell until after my first baby was born, so I handwaved them not smelling the smoke earlier, but it was hard --and took a lot of hand waving.

[Bruinsfan]

I wondered in that bedroom scene why TK didn't haul the mattress to the window after Carlos broke it. Throwing that out first and jumping to land on it would make the fall a lot less likely to be lethal, and he should have known that.

This episode prompted me to move my second extinguisher from my bathroom to the bedroom. Though as sensitive as my smoke detector is, I'll be able to put out any fires with the bedside glass of water before they can spread. (Tonight it went off the instant frozen stir fry vegetables touched the heated pan on my stove, and the oil wasn't smoking at all beforehand. Apparently one puff of steam is all it takes.)

[CatLady]

Didn't see this whole episode but was glad Owen was setting a trap for the arsonist.  Was very, very happy Billy was not the arsonist.  I find him a compelling actor and want to enjoy him on Lone Star.  For better or worse I love Rob Lowe too.  I think even though the show is centered on the Owen character that the other stories are interesting and I like just about all the other characters.

I just know Gina is going to bring it concerning Tommy and Charles.  Tears are probably going to flow(says the person who can cry watching a commercial) LOL.  But as others have said Charles' condition was a shock and surprise.  If there was a warning, I missed it.

Edited May 13, 2021 by CatLady

[SoCal Mema]

On 5/12/2021 at 6:29 PM, Bruinsfan said:

I think we're never going to get away from Owen-centric as long as Rob Lowe is on the show. Other shows he's been on have been warped into constantly blowing smoke up his character's ass despite him not being the lead, and I'm not aware of any of his relatives working on them.

I don’t disagree with you.  All I was saying is that relative to this show, it could be a factor.

[anna0852]

On 5/12/2021 at 3:26 AM, Bruinsfan said:

When Tommy came in to the hubby sitting quietly in the corner and wasn't getting any answers to her patter, it gave me strong deja vu to the Buffy episode where she found her mother dead. Ow, that still hurts after 20 years.

I Immediately flashed back to The Body!

[JH Lipton]

On 5/12/2021 at 7:42 PM, shapeshifter said:

When we saw the fire ignite under the stairs just after TK and Carlos passed that step I was thinking they had to be smelling the smoke, but then I remembered that I didn't get my Spidey Sense of Smell until after my first baby was born, so I handwaved them not smelling the smoke earlier, but it was hard --and took a lot of hand waving.

So that's what made the fire spread!

[Ailianna]

On 5/12/2021 at 11:03 PM, Bruinsfan said:

I wondered in that bedroom scene why TK didn't haul the mattress to the window after Carlos broke it. Throwing that out first and jumping to land on it would make the fall a lot less likely to be lethal, and he should have known that.

The window was shown to be pretty narrow; far too narrow to get the mattress through. And not tall enough to try to lever out sideways. And even trying would have taken a lot longer than they had. Twenty feet isn't a fatal fall, unless you really land wrong and better a broken arm or leg than burned to death.