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'9-1-1 Lone Star' Episode 2: Owen Strand comes to terms with his cancer as he lets go of his vanity

Rob Lowe's Strand invests a lot of time, money and energy behind his hair and his skin. Which explains his night terror from later in the episode when he is told that he will have to stop his hair treatments because it will affect his cancer treatment

This story contains major spoilers for '9-1-1 Lone Star' episode 2 titled 'Yee-Haw'

In the first episode of '9-1-1 Lone Star', which aired on Fox on January 20, we learned that Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) has lung cancer. If that wasn't reason enough to get out of Manhattan, his son TK (Ronen Rubenstein) attempts to end his life after a failed marriage proposal. So the father-son duo leaves the city for a change. 

Strand is a dedicated firefighter. He is also very, very careful about his looks, in particular, his skin and his hair which he maintains in top quality. In the first episode, he has an in-depth discussion with Paul Strickland (Brian Michael Smith) about his skin routine. In the second episode, he has a full-fledged monologue about the different kinds of treatments he undergoes in order to promote hair growth and keep his mane intact. Noting his obsession with his hair, fans say: "OWEN BEING OBSESSED WITH HIS HAIR I LOVE HIM PLS". Strand thinks of himself as the "guy with the hair".  

Lowe's Strand invests a lot of time, money and energy into taking care of his hair and his skin. Which explains his night terror from later in the episode when he is told that he will have to stop his hair treatments because it will affect his cancer treatment. In the nightmare, he imagines himself bald and sees that people around him are mocking him for his baldness. 

Strand derives his vanity from his hair and skin, explaining why and how he invests in it. And while it may seem a little irrational to value a mane over life itself, he must come to terms with the reality of his situation - only then can he accept what is in store for him in the future. 

Judd Ryder (Jim Parrack) walks him through to this realization when he takes him away from the station on a horse ride through a beautiful valley, where he tells him that Strand must do whatever it is to survive. And not get caught up in empty vanity. It prompts Strand to do some thinking and by the end of the episode, he throws away the medication he uses for his hair. If nothing else, here we see the formation of a budding friendship. 

'9-1-1 Lone Star' will return on Monday, January 27, 2020, at 8-9 pm ET/ PT on FOX.