9-1-1: Lone Star Finally Brought T.K.’s Arc Full Circle

Few shows are as riveting as Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star. The heart-pounding procedural debuted in 2020 and has only risen since its mid-winter premiere. Unlike its preceding sister series, 9-1-1, Lone Star follows the Austin Fire Department’s Station 126. Left in shambles after the tragic deaths of most of its members, the 126 is revived by September 11 veteran Owen Strand (Rob Lowe), who brings his own oddball crew to repopulate the near-empty firehouse. Owen’s son, Tyler Kennedy “T.K.” Strand (Ronen Rubinstein), is just one member of the transplant crew. However, as the captain’s son, he holds an understandably massive place in the show’s narrative.

Throughout his years with the 126, TK has served dutifully as both a firefighter and a paramedic. Like the rest of Strand’s firefighting family, TK is an inseparable part of 9-1-1: Lone Star. Despite the show’s consistent emphasis on hope and joy, every family has its battles. The 126 is plagued with personal drama and tragedy. Notably, Judd Ryder (Jim Parrack) has lost his coworkers in Station 126’s downfall. Even the bubbly “probie,” Mateo Chavez (Jules Works) hides a criminally mischievous childhood. These heart-wrenching stories give Lone Star its character and appeal, adding layers to otherwise flat television personalities.

T.K.’s Addiction Is a Recurring Storyline

• Before moving to the 126, T.K. was a member of NYC’s Station 252.
• Owen and T.K. are the only characters with appearances in every episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star.
• Ronen Rubinstein’s tattoos are not covered when he plays T.K.

It’s not a surprise that T.K. has his own demons. Before his transfer, T.K. was a self-admitted drug addict. Unable to cope with the stress of his daily job, he turned to opiates for relief. His addiction ultimately culminated in a near-fatal overdose, though he is proudly sober when he debuts as one of Station 126’s new firefighters. Still, as in real life, addiction rears its head constantly throughout the show.

By Season 2, T.K. has made the jump to 126’s paramedic team. Despite a rocky start, he ultimately grows to see his new superior, Captain Tommy Vega (Gina Torres) as a maternal influence. He also expands his social circle by adding the medical team, including coworker Nancy Gilligan (Brianna Baker), to the Lone Star primary crew.

The first two seasons of Lone Star only build T.K.’s character, while the third season tears it down. The spiral begins when T.K.’s mother, Gwyneth Morgan (Lisa Edelstein), ends her serendipitous revived relationship with Owen. She returns to New York, leaving behind a shattered T.K., and things worsen after she is killed in a traffic accident in “Red vs. Blue.” Still, despite his emotional turmoil, T.K. remains sober.

That comes crashing down in “Negative Space,” when his father’s stalker, Sadie Becker (Julia Benz), drugs T.K.’s food, resetting his sobriety counter. However, T.K.’s bullheaded determination keeps him and his record clean. By the beginning of Season 4, T.K.’s addiction has fallen by the wayside while another thread, which began in the show’s first season, flourishes.

Carlos and T.K. Enjoy a Touching Relationship

• Fans affectionately refer to T.K.’s relationship as “Tarlos,” a mash-up of both parties’ names.
• Both Rubinstein and Sylvia admitted they shed tears of pride and joy during rehearsals for the long-awaited “Tarlos” wedding.
• Carlos and T.K.’s marriage coincided with 9-1-1’s Evan Buckley’s (Oliver Stark) crowd-pleasing coming-out arc.

Despite his addiction struggles, T.K. may be best remembered for his unabashedly adorable relationship with Austin Police Department’s Carlos Reyes (Rafael L. Silva). The pair first meet at the scene of a devastating car crash. Their friendship evolves quickly, and they’re happily hooking up by the second episode of Lone Star’s premiere season.

Of course, the writers of 9-1-1: Lone Star rarely give away happiness for free. While Owen and the 126 are all in on the relationship, Carlos fears his father, Texas Ranger Gabriel Reyes (Benito Martinez), won’t approve. Fortunately, those fears are unfounded, as proven by Gabriel’s joyful blessings in “Slow Burn.”

Their relationship only blossoms from there, albeit with a few hurdles. The pair briefly splits between the second and third seasons, when Gabriel Reyes incorrectly accuses Owen of being a serial arsonist. However, the split is mercifully short. After T.K.’s nearly fatal fall into a frozen lake and ensuing coma, the pair quickly rekindle their romance.

By Season 4, they’re ready for a formal marriage. Of course, there’s a tragic twist — this is 9-1-1: Lone Star, after all. Gabriel Reyes is shot and killed by an unknown assailant as he tries on suits for his son’s wedding. After his funeral, shown in “Best Of Men,” Carlos discovers documents covering his father’s ongoing investigation of a mole within the Texas Rangers.

In the ensuing chaos, the couple ultimately decides to proceed with the wedding. The tearful celebration, though marred by tragedy, marks the seemingly triumphant end to 9-1-1: Lone Star’s most celebrated character arc. However, the writers had one final twist.

Lone Star Brings the Plot Full Circle

• The departure of Grace Ryder (Sierra McClain) has been cited as an early indicator of the show’s eminent cancellation.
• The showrunners of 9-1-1: Lone Star suspected the show would be canceled when negotiations began lagging after the writer’s strike.
• While 9-1-1: Lone Star is being canceled, the original 9-1-1 has been transferred to ABC.

As the show enters its fifth and final season, 9-1-1: Lone Star is diligently tidying up its loose ends. While Fox’s contractual meddling has axed the possibility of Judd’s wife, Grace, earning a much-deserved spot in the finale, T.K. and Carlos’ relationship will go the distance. However, the heartwarming romance had one final bow before the show’s conclusion.

Following his father’s death, Carlos Reyes is promoted to the coveted rank of Texas Ranger. He successfully solves a case and begins doggedly pursuing others, often drowning himself in his job. Though their relationship is still strong, a tiny rift forms between Carlos and T.K. In “Thunderstruck,” the pair is introduced in a relationship counselor’s office. There, T.K. argues that Carlos is too busy to care about the relationship. As they near their first anniversary, both worry that the romance is little more than a passionate fling.

A particular sore spot is Gabriel Reyes’ unsolved mole case, which Carlos maintains is the prime reason for his horrific assassination. The younger Reyes is understandably consumed with the decades-old evidence and spends most of his free time combing through the old files. While T.K. is supportive of the efforts, even his patience for Carlos’ workaholic attitude begins to wear thin.

As he reaches his breaking point, T.K. turns to his boss, Tommy Vega, for answers. She listens to his concerns and concurs with his assessment that Carlos’ job has become his addiction. Then, in typical Tommy fashion, she counsels him. She tells him how her late husband gently encouraged her to seek help for her past alcoholism and loved her wholeheartedly.

Taking the advice to heart, T.K. does what his friends have done since the beginning of 9-1-1: Lone Star. He respects Carlos’ decisions while encouraging him to seek help as needed. He listens to Carlos’ concerns and plans a grand romantic gesture by purchasing guitars and lessons for them.

At the same time, Carlos faces his own version of T.K.’s comatose revelations. An unusual mass poisoning on a bus, later revealed to be attempted drug smuggling, puts Carlos face-to-face with a grieving older sister. The woman bemoans how her constant devotion to her job made her ignore her younger sister’s pleas for help, ultimately ending with her death. The tearful confession stirs Carlos to action, and he vows to put his relationship above his work.

The heartfelt conclusion, albeit truncated thanks to the show’s cancellation, comes as a welcome capstone to T.K. and Carlos’ relationship. After five seasons of romantic hijinks and drama, the pair have finally settled into a comfortable place, and their potentially final confrontation is the perfect mirror of T.K.’s earliest battles. Likewise, T.K. has returned the affectionate devotion Carlos showed him in the show’s earliest episodes, bringing a longstanding arc to a sweet end.