Gina Torres Has Beef With Tommy’s ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Season 5 Arc: “I Felt Like I Had Already Done Plenty”
Gina Torres Has Beef With Tommy’s ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Season 5 Arc: “I Felt Like I Had Already Done Plenty”
For 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s character, trauma is not a matter of if, but when. Each character has gone through numerous struggles, some mortal, but they’ve survived. Tommy Vega is the latest one to be going through it, as she learned she had cancer. Gina Torres talked to TV Line about this arc and said, “Trust me, I did not want this.” The storyline is pretty depressing as one of the most vibrant characters of the show shrinks into herself, something Torres highlights, saying,
“I felt like I had already done plenty in terms of sad, depressing storylines. But no, they wanted one more battle.”
Indeed, 9-1-1: Lone Star has done a lot of sad throughout the years. For Tommy, returning home and finding her husband had died is one of the most heartbreaking moments in the entire series. And even with cancer, the show has done it once before with Owen. Cancer storylines are never easy. However, they are “challenging but also gratifying,” according to Torres. “It’s a level of responsibility that we don’t take lightly,” added the actress.
Why ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Is Doing a Cancer Storyline In Season 5
Tommy’s cancer is the second time the show is doing this arc. Owen’s cancer eventually went into remission, and the arc was left behind. However, it left something to be desired and production again teamed up with Stand Up to Cancer to tackle this story. In 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5, Episode 8, “The Quiet Ones,” the show dives into the capitalistic aspect of the health care system as an insurance company makes it hard for Tommy to get treated. This leads Owen to take action, as teased in the logline below.
“A gang killing leads Carlos to new information on his father’s murder. TK contemplates a major life decision as Owen is determined to get Austin’s first responders’ health care coverages increased.”
Showrunner Rashad Raisani talked to Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming episode, which finds the effects of Tommy’s cancer hitting everyone. “For about three seasons, we’ve been wanting to do a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington episode where Owen has to stand up against some sort of injustice. So we’re going to have the whole house stand up for Tommy coming down the pike in episode 8. Her cancer battle will affect everybody,” he teased.
