S03.E09: The Bird

[jewel21]

Quote

The members of the 126 spring into action when a surprise military homecoming erupts into chaos. Meanwhile, Owen is left responsible for taking care of a talkative pet, Paul faces a medical emergency and Tommy goes on her first date since Charles' passing.

Airdate: 03/07/2022

[Infie]

Nooooooo Ginsberg!

[possibilities]

The bird story made no sense. If Gwyn had the bird, why didn't she bring him with her when she moved in with Owen? And having it die all of a sudden was depressing.

Likewise, why didn't the woman with the dog tell the rescuers she was looking foir her dog when they first arrived and questioned her? THey said she was talking to them.

Also, they've painted themselves into a corner with Paul. Why would they give him soemthign that will end his career like that? He's a good character. I don't want them to either write him off, give him a desk job, or pull off some bizarre miracle where he somehow manages to recover and be a firefighter anyway even with the device.

Therefore, I hated this episode.

[EllaWycliffe]

44 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Also, they've painted themselves into a corner with Paul. Why would they give him soemthign that will end his career like that? He's a good character. I don't want them to either write him off, give him a desk job, or pull off some bizarre miracle where he somehow manages to recover and be a firefighter anyway even with the device.

Frankly I thought it was pretty impossible that Owen had stage 4 lung cancer and was undergoing chemo and was still medically fit for duty. So I am sure that Paul, despite any health issues concerning his heart, will be back to work soon. 

So, are Marjan and Paul going to couple up?

47 minutes ago, possibilities said:

The bird story made no sense. If Gwyn had the bird, why didn't she bring him with her when she moved in with Owen? And having it die all of a sudden was depressing.

I could believe, since she wasn't planning to live with Owen permanently that she might have had a temporary long term caretaker. But yeah, dumb, meant to suggest Gwyn "gave him the bird HAHAHAH" and then having the bird die for no apparent reason was dumb.

[Demian]

13 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Frankly I thought it was pretty impossible that Owen had stage 4 lung cancer and was undergoing chemo and was still medically fit for duty. So I am sure that Paul, despite any health issues concerning his heart, will be back to work soon. 

I thought it was pretty impossible that Chim, on the original 9-1-1, had a chunk of rebar through his head, and was still medically fit for duty in two weeks.  These shows are deliberately stupid.

My big question:  Why does Paul still have a both a turntable and a vinyl copy of Louis Prima's version of "Just a Gigolo"?  Completely nit-picky, I realize, over a show that has far more glaring plot holes, but vinyl?  Of Louis Prima?  Really?

[jewel21]

I'm so upset about the bird. I used to work in boarding at a veterinary hospital for birds and other exotic animals and this brought back memories. I thought the bird was the best part of the episode and then they killed it?! Damn you, show. Damn you. 

[Toothbrush]

21 minutes ago, Demian said:

My big question:  Why does Paul still have a both a turntable and a vinyl copy of Louis Prima's version of "Just a Gigolo"?  Completely nit-picky, I realize, over a show that has far more glaring plot holes, but vinyl?  Of Louis Prima?  Really?

This was the most believable part for me. My dad has been collecting vinyl all his life and has at least a few Louis Prima records. But my dad is turning 77 tomorrow & is from New Orleans like Prima. Not a 38 year-old from Chicago. I hope Paul is fine and in the 911 world I’m sure he’ll be moving store shelves with a single heave again soon. 
 

After hand waving where tf the bird was while Gwyn spent the pandemic in Austin, I enjoyed the storyline & the bird being a dick to Owen. I would have liked to see that continue, but I guess apologizing and getting closure with the bird was a parallel to apologizing to Gwyn. Real subtle show. 
 

And of course TK almost drowned at 5 y/o. TK Strand: cheating death for 25 years. 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Toothbrush

[eel21788]

1 hour ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Frankly I thought it was pretty impossible that Owen had stage 4 lung cancer and was undergoing chemo and was still medically fit for duty. So I am sure that Paul, despite any health issues concerning his heart, will be back to work soon. 

I'm new to the show, so I didn't know this about Owen. The real question is: how is he still alive? Did he have some experimental treatment that isn't available in the real world? I would think even so he would have decreased lung capacity that would put him out of a job. 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, eel21788 said:

I'm new to the show, so I didn't know this about Owen. The real question is: how is he still alive? Did he have some experimental treatment that isn't available in the real world? I would think even so he would have decreased lung capacity that would put him out of a job. 

I don't recall exactly the specifics of his treatment, but let's just chalk it up to handwavium.

[jcbrown]

That was a terrible terrible ending. Fuck you, Ryan Murphy, for killing Ginsburg. 

[NeenerNeener]

Killing the bird was totally unnecessary; he was much needed comic relief. I can't say I didn't see it coming when they walked in with multiple bags of bird supplies. That's just how tv writers roll.

Nice to see Amy Acker again, though.

 

[Jillybean]

The bird storyline made no sense to me, and it was obvious when Owen and his gf came in with all the stuff that the bird would be dead. My question is what happened to the dog that Owen took in? I'm thinking the dog may have had something to say about having that bird in the house.

Owen's tale of never having the chance to apologize to Gwyn made no sense, considering they spent lockdown together.

I was wondering if the showrunners have forgotten that Paul is trans, but apparently not. It did seem as though Paul touched on it indirectly. I knew he and Marjan were friends but didn't realize they are ride-or-dies (according to her). I was very surprised to see him get a defibrillator without consent, but I know nothing about this stuff. Paul has been my favorite character on this show and is woefully underutilized (what with each episode needing to be 80% Owen and 15% TK) so it's nice to see him get a storyline, even if I don't like it.

Edited March 8, 2022 by Jillybean

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Jillybean said:

The bird storyline made no sense to me, and it was obvious when Owen and his gf came in with all the stuff that the bird would be dead. My question is wat happened to the dog that Owen took in?

Maybe the dog is back at the cabin? I wonder if they considered having the final scene flash to the dog looking up with literal puppy dog eyes and a feather or two on him but decided since nearly everyone during the pandemic either became a dog owner or now has a dog next door, the ratings would not recover from such a stunt.
I have to admit to wanting to at least find out what happens in the next episode, regarding whether Owen is grief stricken over the bird, or if his nonchalance at the end is indicative of the writers dropping that odd bird story entirely.

 

1 hour ago, Jillybean said:

Paul has been my favorite character on this show and is woefully underutilized (what with each episode needing to be 80% Owen and 15% TK) so it's nice to see him get a storyline, even if I don't like it.

Fortunately for fans of Paul and other main character fans, on this show and its sister show, main characters don't die, they just go away.

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by shapeshifter

[Maverick]

 Where were Nancy and Carlos?   This is how rumors get started. 

[marceline]

This was a really off-balance episode. Paul is in life-threatening danger that can give us a chance to learn more about him as a character yet we spent half the episode with Owen and his parrot psychologist. The audience has no investment in the life of the Family Strand before the show so these memories that TK and Owen are sharing don't mean anything. It's just sucking up time that could've gone to Paul and Marjan.

That first accident in front of the church really got to me. Dude coming home for his daughter's christening and having her cry bring him back from the dead was corny but it worked.

[gonzosgirrl]

12 hours ago, possibilities said:

Also, they've painted themselves into a corner with Paul. Why would they give him soemthign that will end his career like that? He's a good character. I don't want them to either write him off, give him a desk job, or pull off some bizarre miracle where he somehow manages to recover and be a firefighter anyway even with the device.

They made a point of saying that people could adapt/train (or something like that) to resume a mostly normal life after this procedure but it was rare -- therefore, Paul will be back to active duty by the season's end, if not sooner.

7 hours ago, jcbrown said:

That was a terrible terrible ending. Fuck you, Ryan Murphy, for killing Ginsburg. 

The only real surprise was that they didn't have it try to kill TK first. And/or have it eaten by Buttercup.

[Jillybean]

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

 Where were Nancy and Carlos?   This is how rumors get started. 

For that matter, why was Marjan the only one from the 126 who seemed to be aware of Paul's hospitalization? Didn't anyone think to give Owen a call?

27 minutes ago, marceline said:

That first accident in front of the church really got to me. Dude coming home for his daughter's christening and having her cry bring him back from the dead was corny but it worked.

Both he and his wife seemed to think it was a great idea to be video chatting while she drove with her baby in the back seat, so they would have made good Darwin Award winners.

[EllaWycliffe]

2 hours ago, Jillybean said:

I was very surprised to see him get a defibrillator without consent, but I know nothing about this stuff. Paul has been my favorite character on this show and is woefully underutilized (what with each episode needing to be 80% Owen and 15% TK) so it's nice to see him get a storyline, even if I don't like it.

If he didn't regain consciousness, the doctors aren't going to let him die because they don't know what his wishes are. He's a relatively young man, their assumption would be that he preferred being alive. . I doubt Marjan, who wanted him to live, was shouting "wait! he hates the idea of life with a defibrillator! stop!" during this. 

32 minutes ago, Jillybean said:

For that matter, why was Marjan the only one from the 126 who seemed to be aware of Paul's hospitalization? Didn't anyone think to give Owen a call?

Didn't happen at work, Paul is already a bit private about the possible heart condition and honestly not many workplaces allow all the employees to sit vigil outside a hospital room.

Paul being trans never even came up did it? Don't get me wrong - I know Austin is liberal, but can't imagine its that liberal that Paul has no problems with doctors and nurses being shitty about things. 

[shapeshifter]

Just now, EllaWycliffe said:

Paul being trans never even came up did it? Don't get me wrong - I know Austin is liberal, but can't imagine its that liberal that Paul has no problems with doctors and nurses being shitty about things. 

I was thinking the same the whole time about how unrealistic it was for the doctor to not even mention Paul being trans, even if it was a well-meaning but still potentially offensive comment about the condition not being related to being trans. 
But the whole show exists in a world in which individuals of vastly different racial and religious backgrounds are working together in perfect harmony. 
I try to give it a pass because I think it's good for viewers to see.
But, in this episode's case, I also wondered if the writers deliberately left Paul's trans status out of the dialogue so viewers who just dropped in wouldn't have to think about that aspect--which is a bit troubling, if I'm right, even if it was a choice based on story cohesiveness in a 42 minute telling that included other stories, rather than a temporary coverup of his gender status.

[EllaWycliffe]

5 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

But, in this episode's case, I also wondered if the writers deliberately left Paul's trans status out of the dialogue so viewers who just dropped in wouldn't have to think about that aspect--which is a bit troubling, if I'm right, even if it was a choice based on story cohesiveness in a 42 minute telling that included other stories, rather than a temporary coverup of his gender status.

Oh I don't think the writers really care about making sure to mention Paul's trans status. It only comes up when they want to show how open minded they are or if there's a specific trans storyline. Now don't get me wrong, if I was a trans man who looked like Paul, I would be keeping my mouth shut as well as people can become incredibly hostile if they somehow think they're being "tricked" by Paul into accepting him as a man but the show rarely touches on that. Likewise they never touch on the realities of 24 hour shifts at the fire house.  I'd even like some acknowledgement that Paul just might have some health concerns depending on his level of transition - does he still have female organs producing estrogen? Is he taking testosterone? I assume so but you have to be careful. 

Marjan and his friendship is interesting but she's another one whose storylines have dropped. 

[Jillybean]

29 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Didn't happen at work, Paul is already a bit private about the possible heart condition and honestly not many workplaces allow all the employees to sit vigil outside a hospital room.

Generally, one's boss needs to know when one will be missing work, though.

[Jillybean]

Based on the interview I posted upthread, it sounds as though Paul's arc is going to explore his gender identity as he works through the health issue and recovery.

[possibilities]

Maybe Paul didn't report his heart condition, because he didn't want to be put on desk duty. Maybe he was supposed to report it, and his failure to do so will be part of the arc? Marjan keeping his confidence should be more of a plot point, though. I would think she wouldn't be willing. But it happened pretty fast. His collapse was off-duty and I assume they resuscitated him right away and he was only in the hospital less than 24 hours. I mean, they work days on/days off. So if it all happened within 24 to 36 hours, maybe Owen was too busy dating and stuff, to check his messages. And he also had a bird to argue with! He can't be thinking about work!

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by possibilities

[iMonrey]

I hope the parrot being dead at the end wasn't supposed to be funny. I spent the entire episode feeling so sorry for the bird. First of all, you cannot keep parrots cooped up in a cage all day long. They are extremely social animals and need constant stimulation. Which is why it was even worse there were no toys whatsoever in his cage. That's something else they need when they are caged to keep them busy. Otherwise they get bored and start plucking out their feathers until they have none left. 

Owen's new GF was right, the bird was undoubtably suffering from grief after its owner died and must have been confused as hell. I also wondered how they got it from NYC all the way to Austin. What exactly did it die of so suddenly? Bird trivia for those not familiar: a Macaw has the intelligence equivalent to a four-year old human child. 

Finally, did anyone else thing it kept saying "fuckface?" I couldn't believe it until I turned on closed-captioning to see it was "buttface." 

I'm really pissed at this show right now. They can torture and maim TK all they want but don't go hurting innocent animals.

[EllaWycliffe]

55 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Finally, did anyone else thing it kept saying "fuckface?" I couldn't believe it until I turned on closed-captioning to see it was "buttface." 

I had this thought as well.

Also, Owen, a grown man, was in the midst of marital issues with Gwin and PTSD from 9/11, was calling the bird "buttface" and NOT "fuckface"? Really?

I don't think the bird being dead was meant to be funny. I think it was just meant to get rid of the bird since no one was depicted as willing to take it from Owen. Look at it this way. Owen is finally able to apoligize to the bird, and to his dead ex, about how he was not such a great guy. Ginsberg, knowing his work on helping Owen to the path of enlightenment is done, chooses to die and be with his beloved owner Gwin. 

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

Maybe Paul didn't report his heart condition, because he didn't want to be put on desk duty. Maybe he was supposed to report it, and his failure to do so will be part of the arc?

I kind of hope so but I also cringe a little because "firefighter ignoring and failing to report health issues" until he almost dies feels repetative. It also really has implications - is Paul really doing the right thing by lying when he can have a heart attack while doing his job of *rescuing people from danger*? Isn't that endangering their lives?

Edited March 8, 2022 by EllaWycliffe

[Msample]

Add me to the list of those wishing the bird had stuck around. Why not bring it to the firehouse ? There are always people there. Is Buttercup the firehouse dog, or Owen's  ? 

 

The old lady tearing up the pet store was hilarious. 

[CoderLady]

1 hour ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I kind of hope so but I also cringe a little because "firefighter ignoring and failing to report health issues" until he almost dies feels repetative. It also really has implications - is Paul really doing the right thing by lying when he can have a heart attack while doing his job of *rescuing people from danger*? Isn't that endangering their lives?

This trope makes me absolutely stabby. Some egotistic fool with life-threatening health issues or an injury that requires convalescence refuses to tell anyone how bad it is or outright lies about it because "people need me" or "I have to do this." As if dropping dead unexpectedly in the middle of something important isn't going to be a problem for anyone else. 

[Aliconehead]

I was actually concerned that they were going to make Pauls issues related to the hormones he has to take.  That they were going to say he needed to stop them, still could happen, but that would be devastating to some one trans. 

[eel21788]

5 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

They made a point of saying that people could adapt/train (or something like that) to resume a mostly normal life after this procedure but it was rare -- therefore, Paul will be back to active duty by the season's end, if not sooner.

However, a firefighter with a defibrillator is considered to be unfit for duty. He can't simply "adapt" to still do his job.

[eel21788]

5 hours ago, Jillybean said:

Both he and his wife seemed to think it was a great idea to be video chatting while she drove with her baby in the back seat, so they would have made good Darwin Award winners.

Also, that baby was way too young to be in a forward-facing car seat.

[eel21788]

5 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

If he didn't regain consciousness, the doctors aren't going to let him die because they don't know what his wishes are. He's a relatively young man, their assumption would be that he preferred being alive. . I doubt Marjan, who wanted him to live, was shouting "wait! he hates the idea of life with a defibrillator! stop!" during this.

He would have been maintained on an external pacemaker until he regained consciousness and could sign a consent form for the implanted pacemaker. They wouldn't have accepted verbal consent from his ride-or-die who was not his actual next of kin unless he had an advanced directed that specified that she could make medical decisions for him.

5 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Paul being trans never even came up did it? Don't get me wrong - I know Austin is liberal, but can't imagine its that liberal that Paul has no problems with doctors and nurses being shitty about things. 

The last time I was admitted to the hospital (ironically, for pacemaker issues), I was asked at least three times if I was straight, gay, cis, trans or answered to "he" "she" or "it." (okay, I made up the one about "it").

I think it was the hospital staff trying to prove how "woke" they were. Even telling them I'm a straight female wasn't good enough. Then I was asked, "were you born female?" That's what the doctor told my mother in the delivery room, and we've always assumed he was correct.

[jcbrown]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I hope the parrot being dead at the end wasn't supposed to be funny. I spent the entire episode feeling so sorry for the bird. First of all, you cannot keep parrots cooped up in a cage all day long. They are extremely social animals and need constant stimulation. Which is why it was even worse there were no toys whatsoever in his cage. That's something else they need when they are caged to keep them busy. Otherwise they get bored and start plucking out their feathers until they have none left. 

...

I'm really pissed at this show right now. They can torture and maim TK all they want but don't go hurting innocent animals.

Could not agree more. This storyline sucked.

[eel21788]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I hope the parrot being dead at the end wasn't supposed to be funny. 

It was supposed to be symbolic of closure and moving on.

 

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

 you cannot keep parrots cooped up in a cage all day long. They are extremely social animals and need constant stimulation. Which is why it was even worse there were no toys whatsoever in his cage. That's something else they need when they are caged to keep them busy. Otherwise they get bored and start plucking out their feathers until they have none left.

I worked at an assisted living facility where one woman had a pet parrot. To amuse himself when she wasn't in her room, he would get down off his perch, go over to her bed and press the call light, then go back to his perch. When we went into her room to answer the call light, he would just sit on his perch and try to look innocent. 

[EllaWycliffe]

3 hours ago, Msample said:

The old lady tearing up the pet store was hilarious. 

I'm just going to be honest, I deal with too many elderly people who act like this without a convenient medical excuse to really find it funny that a nasty bitch was calling customer service workers every name in the book because they didn't immediately drop what they were doing to service her. If she was middle aged or young, she'd be a Karen. She got pissed and threw a tantrum that almost got people killed - people not associated with her actual servicing issue.

Yes yes, she was supposedly sick from toxoplasmosis. I'm just saying elderly people often are just people who were rude as hell when they were young and now get to play the elderly card if they get called on their behavior. 

[shapeshifter]

1 minute ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I'm just going to be honest, I deal with too many elderly people who act like this without a convenient medical excuse to really find it funny that a nasty bitch was calling customer service workers every name in the book because they didn't immediately drop what they were doing to service her. If she was middle aged or young, she'd be a Karen. She got pissed and threw a tantrum that almost got people killed - people not associated with her actual servicing issue.

Yes yes, she was supposedly sick from toxoplasmosis. I'm just saying elderly people often are just people who were rude as hell when they were young and now get to play the elderly card if they get called on their behavior. 

Dementia and Alzheimer's can also effect behavior.

[EllaWycliffe]

45 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Dementia and Alzheimer's can also effect behavior.

It can but I could tell you story after story of customers playing the elderly card who were way too sharp to be claiming dementia. You can usually tell when its genuine and when its a put on.

Like I said, I didn't see the humor in this because it really was just some Karen blowing a gasket and making everyone suffer. The toxoplasmosis was added to make it somewhat sympathetic but I have witnessed too many customer explosions to think its all called by medical issues. 

Edited March 8, 2022 by EllaWycliffe

[possibilities]

6 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

is Paul really doing the right thing by lying when he can have a heart attack while doing his job of *rescuing people from danger*? Isn't that endangering their lives?

It absolutely is not the right thing and it absolutely does endanger other people. I want it to be a plot point for this reason. But the show doesn't seem to care about this kind of thing, so my optimism that it will be handled this way is probably unfounded. Marjan, too, would be somewhat accountable for risking lives while keeping his secret. Maybe they will both be suspended. They don't seem to want to use them on rescue stories anyway, so....

[possibilities]

2 hours ago, eel21788 said:

I think it was the hospital staff trying to prove how "woke" they were.

I think it's them trying to provide the best, most appropriate care possible. They need to make sure they have all the info and that the patient is not taking a shortcut with their answers because they don't understand and/or they are afraid of the repercussions of being honest.

[EllaWycliffe]

14 minutes ago, possibilities said:

It absolutely is not the right thing and it absolutely does endanger other people. I want it to be a plot point for this reason. But the show doesn't seem to care about this kind of thing, so my optimism that it will be handled this way is probably unfounded

I just don't understand the mentality. I get loving the job but realistically not everyone can physically last a 40 year career in firefighting. They did this plot on the original 911 with Buckley's leg being crushed. 

[gonzosgirrl]

3 hours ago, eel21788 said:

However, a firefighter with a defibrillator is considered to be unfit for duty. He can't simply "adapt" to still do his job.

Have you seen this show? LOL!

[Ailianna]

12 hours ago, Jillybean said:

 

Both he and his wife seemed to think it was a great idea to be video chatting while she drove with her baby in the back seat, so they would have made good Darwin Award winners.

I kept yelling at her to get her damn eyes back on the road, but she completely ignored me while she was ignoring safety and common sense. 

[Bulldog]

Was the old lady from the pet store the church secretary from Young Sheldon? 

[anna0852]

8 hours ago, Bulldog said:

Was the old lady from the pet store the church secretary from Young Sheldon? 

Yes she is. Nancy Linhan Charles 

[iMonrey]

Quote

I kept yelling at her to get her damn eyes back on the road, but she completely ignored me while she was ignoring safety and common sense. 

Me too. It was an accident waiting to happen. If she hadn't run her husband over it would eventually have been someone else. 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Me too. It was an accident waiting to happen. If she hadn't run her husband over it would eventually have been someone else. 

Maybe not. It was a very distracting situation. If he had just waited to surprise her when she got there instead of calling her on video when she was driving, she might have never run over anyone. I guess it depends upon if she would have accepted a video call while driving from anyone other than her husband who was stationed overseas. Perhaps not?

[mojito]

I admit it. The thought occurred to me that the bird would die after the references to how long it's been around and will be around. And I chuckled when it did. Because this is fiction.

[eel21788]

22 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

Have you seen this show? LOL!

I'm only on my 7th episode; however, I do catch on pretty quick. Does anyone want to take a bet as to whether he gets a heart transplant that allows him to continue to be a firefighter (also highly unlikely in real life)?

[eel21788]

On 3/8/2022 at 4:27 PM, possibilities said:

I think it's them trying to provide the best, most appropriate care possible. They need to make sure they have all the info and that the patient is not taking a shortcut with their answers because they don't understand and/or they are afraid of the repercussions of being honest.

I'm not buying this. After being examined and listing all my previous surgeries that don't include anything that could possibly considered "reassignment" and current meds that don't include any hormone replacement, I would expect a healthcare professional to have the assessment skills to figure out that there is no way I wasn't born female.

[possibilities]

I think they just use a standard question set with all people.

It's why when I went to the ER for an xray for a possibly broken finger, they asked me about domestic violence even though I lived alone and had already described in detail what happened.

It's also why they ask you if you could be pregnant before an XRay, even when you've already documented your most recent menstrual period or if you're way too old for that to be a thing.

If they always ask the same things, there's no chance anyone gets distracted and misses something or gets offended because you did or didn't ask something based on a possible assumption about the patient.

It's also why they ask you the same thing over and over again despite having your chart and having answered the same stuff already twice when you go for an MRI or CT scan-- they want to be triple and quadruple certain you aren't wearing metal in the MRI and be sure that they're not missing anything important and scanning the wrong person or part.

I've been through all of these things and I don't take offense. It's just routine procedure, and not trying to make any political or cultural point with any of that. I think the same is the case when doing intake that asks about gender.

[bilgistic]

Thank you. I've been asked approximately 1000 times what my method of birth control is and if I could be pregnant, but I had a tubal ligation in 2004. It's in my chart. They still ask.