Summary

• Season 4 of 9-1-1: Lone Star had intense character drama that made for compelling TV, with T.K. and Carlos taking the spotlight in the finale.
• Carlos uncovers his father Gabriel's secret life and sets out to find his killer, leading to a dark path of revenge.
• The finale emphasizes the theme of acceptance, with characters learning to accept loss and embrace the positive path to the future, seen through T.K. and Carlos's wedding.

The 9-1-1: Lone Star season 4 finale offered a mix of tragedy and triumph as characters dealt with heartbreaking losses while simultaneously celebrating a beautiful marriage. Premiering in 2020 as a spinoff of the titular 9-1-1, Lone Star follows big-city firefighter Owen as he brings his modern philosophies down to Texas while still being haunted by a tragedy from two decades earlier. Part procedural, and part character-driven drama, Lone Star is noted for its heart and exciting storytelling, and it is yet another hit from the creative team of Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy.

While season 4 of 9-1-1: Lone Star had the over-the-top emergencies, it was also a season of intense character drama that made for compelling TV. T.K (Ronen Rubinstein) and Carlos (Rafael Silva) took center stage, and their relationship was ultimately the focus of the finale. Additionally, Owen (Rob Lowe) grew as a character as well, coming to face death in his personal life once again which led him closer to closure for his dark past. While Lone Star season 4 spun its wheels a bit, the finale more than made up for its faults by weaving a tale that was emotionally satisfying while still moving the plot forward.

Rafael Silva's Reaction To Gabriel's Death

The penultimate episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star season 4 concluded with the sudden and shocking murder of Carlos' father Gabriel (Benito Martinez). The noted Texas Ranger met his demise just days before his own son's wedding, and his death would be the shadow that hung over the entirety of the finale, even as a joyous moment was expected. Throughout the second-to-last episode, Carlos and Gabriel fought over the history of the dark and discriminatory history of the Rangers after Gabriel offered his son a spot on the force. Fortunately, the characters were able to make up before Gabriel was sadly gunned down.

Carlos actor Rafael Silva was not only affected in the storyline by the death of Gabriel, but in real life he lamented the fact that he would no longer get to work with his co-star Benito Martinez. When speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Silva said "it wasn't just only a heartbreak for the character, it was also a heartbreak for me. I was really bummed out about the possibility with working with Benito... that it wouldn't be as constant anymore". Silva did offer a tease about the future when speculating that he was "pretty sure this is not the last that we will see Benito".

T.K. And Carlos Postpone The Wedding

While the 9-1-1: Lone Star season finale seemingly promised a storybook wedding between T.K. and Carlos, "Tarlos" fans were given a shock when a distraught Carlos asked to postpone the wedding. With only a few days until their nuptials, Carlos was not in a good place, and his obsession with finding his father's killer was overshadowing his life. T.K. sensed that Carlos was hurting and was ive of the decision, though it caused him a lot of stress. Things would only get worse for the 9-1-1: Lone Star couple though, as Carlos' obsession got worse once he began digging into his father's recent past.

Carlos Uncovers Gabriel’s Secrets

While digging through Gabriel's office in search of his will, Carlos stumbled across a secret compartment in the late Texas Ranger's desk which seemed to speak to a double life. Videotapes, files, and a burner phone were all uncovered which only reignited Carlos' quest to bring his father's killer to justice. On the tape, Carlos found a message from his father that was recorded in 2003 which revealed that Gabriel was working on a big case that involved corruption within the Rangers. The tape warned that if anything happened to him, it would likely be as a result of his secret investigation.

The tape also featured a small moment between a young Carlos and his father, which was a tear-jerking moment that also inspired the grieving son to continue his search for answers. On the burner phone, Carlos found recent threatening messages from a known cartel member named Pablo Martinez (Jamie Paul Gomez), who warned Gabriel not to testify. Considering the evidence, Carlos believes he has found his father's murderer and sets about locating Martinez. Most importantly, Carlos takes his father's warnings seriously and doesn't notify anyone in the Texas Rangers about his findings.

Carlos Confronts Martinez

Though Carlos is one of 9-1-1: Lone Star's more likable characters, his path in the season 4 finale was one of darkness and revenge which saw him go to places he had never gone before. Learning of Pablo Martinez's whereabouts, Carlos confronted the cartel member and not only got violent but pulled out his gun in order to show that he meant business. Fortunately, at the behest of T.K., other officers arrived to calm the situation down which gave Martinez time to explain himself.

It was revealed that Martinez was actually an undercover operative within the cartel who left the voice mail on Gabriel's phone as a warning that the gang had put a hit out on him for testifying. In his haste and anger, Carlos nearly got himself in a bad situation, and nearly blew the cover of an operative doing good work behind the scenes. Taking on the fatherly role once again, Owen spoke to Carlos and warned him that hatred would do nothing but blind him and that he must forgive first before he can truly heal.

T.K. And Carlos Finally Get Married

After coming to his senses, Carlos finally saw the error of his ways and asked T.K. for his forgiveness. Being the loving fiance, T.K. accepted the apology and was even shocked to find Carlos proposing to him once again. Finally ready to move on, the 9-1-1: Lone Star season 4 finale became the amazing wedding episode it promised to be, and the "Tarlos" reception was back on track. While the ceremony was a run-of-the-mill affair, the reception gave Carlos a chance to catch up with his mother Andrea (Roxana Brusso). The pair shared a touching moment and Carlos made it clear he was ready to move on.

The Significance Of The Wedding Song

After "Tarlos" was made official, the wedding attendees were treated to a tune from Tommy (Gina Torres) that had much more symbolic value than being just an entertaining number. Tommy, as a tribute to T.K.'s mom Gwyn (Lisa Edelstein), sings the Stephen Sondheim classic "Being Alive" from the 1970 musical Company. Not the usual song heard at a wedding, the Broadway standard is all about opening up to life both good and bad, and is from the point of view of the musical's protagonist Bobby, who finally decides to allow life in, instead of pushing it away.

The theme of the song matches perfectly with what the characters are going through, which makes it even more emotionally effective when it continues over a montage of other events to close out the episode. Characters like Owen and Carlos spent all seasons trying to avoid the pain that comes along with life, but they also avoided the joy in the process. "Being Alive" was a fitting fulfillment of those themes, as the "Tarlos" wedding finally allowed many of the 9-1-1: Lone Star regulars to simply live.

Robert Says Goodbye

Sibling duos in TV and film aren't that unusual, but 9-1-1: Lone Star marked the first time that Rob and Chad Lowe actually worked together on screen. Chad Lowe appeared as the character of Robert, Owen's brother, who was diagnosed with Huntington's disease earlier in the season. At the beginning of the 9-1-1: Lone Star season 4 finale, Robert makes a difficult request of Owen when he asks him to be there at the end of his life. Knowing full well that the disease would slowly consume his life, and his family's as well, Robert sought alternatives to simply wasting away. Owen agreed, albeit reluctantly.

As Tommy continued her rendition of "Being Alive" the episode flashed forward to Robert's final goodbye as he chose to die with dignity instead of allowing the disease to take him. The moment is contextualized through Owen, who holds up his end of the bargain by being there for his brother's last moments on Earth. While it is a heartbreaking ending, it also shows that Owen has finally come to accept that death is a part of life, something he had been avoiding since that fateful day back in 2001.

The Real Meaning Of 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 4's Ending

Acceptance is the key to understanding the 9-1-1: Lone Star season 4 finale, and several key characters go on a journey of loss in order to reach that final goal. Carlos learns to accept his father's death, and Owen learns to accept that he can't control everything. As first responders, the characters of the 9-1-1 franchise are confronted with impossible odds on a near-daily basis, but the same reason they chose to pursue the profession is the same reason they can't accept loss. T.K. and Carlos's wedding was a rejuvenation of sorts, an event that allowed the characters to see a positive path to the future, despite their pain.