'9-1-1 Lone Star' Episode 1 introduces Rob Lowe as a dedicated firefighter and a father looking to save his son
This story contains major spoilers for the premiere episode of '9-1-1 Lone Star' on Fox
Rob Lowe's Owen Strand is the lone surviving firefighter from 9/11. Strand's entire team perished in the terrorist attacks, following which, as much as it hurt him, he built a new firehouse from scratch.
There has been an unfortunate fire accident in Austin, Texas, which resulted in the death of the entire crew save for one, Judd Ryder (Jim Parrack). Strand is asked to move from Manhattan to Austin to recruit firefighters and build the team from scratch. At first, Strand declines the offer for he has built and lived his entire life in Manhattan. But in order to save his only son TK (Ronen Rubinstein), a recovering addict, he decides to move cities.
Early on in the episode, TK attempts to commit suicide after his marriage proposal goes wrong. While Strand manages to get just in time to save his son from dying, he realizes that the only way he can ensure TK lives is if they move from Manhattan. That is where the story starts for the procedural.
Obviously, for Strand, things are not easy in Austin. He may have started scouting for the appropriate people to recruit, but it is not going to be an easy journey. With a diverse, inclusive team of Natacha Karam as Marjan Marwani, Brian Michael Smith as Paul Strickland, Rafael Silva as Carlos Reyes, and Julian Works as Mateo Chavez, Strand tries to gain a footing in the city, which by the end of the episode, seems fully possible.
Lowe as Owen Strand is just the perfect casting for the character. A dedicated, determined firefighter, in Strand, is a man of strong beliefs and ethics. There are moments where we are provided with a glimpse of the amusing persona the actor played on NBC's 'Parks and Recreation'. In particular, a noteworthy discussion he has in the washroom about male skincare routine. There was an earnestness in the scene akin to that of Chris Traeger (his character on the NBC sitcom).
A lot of the procedural is about relationships - keeping old ones intact and forging new ones. As Strand continues to support and push TK to a sober and honest life, he must also work on keeping the station together. At the same time, Liv Tyler's Michelle Blake seems to us to be Strand's potential love interest.
So it is safe to say that '9-1-1 Lone Star' proves its mettle as an entertaining show. It remains to be seen just how much it focuses on its plotline for such procedurals are dime a dozen, but one packed with thrill, suspense, slice of life, humor and wit, are merely a handful. We would love to see Lowe's '9-1-1 Lone Star' join the ranks. There are friendships to be made, love to be found and relationships to be built and with that promise, we sincerely hope the show continues with its run.
'9-1-1 Lone Star' will return with its second episode on January 20 at 8-9 pm ET/PT on Fox.