911: Lone Star season 5, episode 5 recap and review: "Thunderstruck"

There are a lot of debates over whether animals have feelings or not. All you have to do is really look at animals to know that they do, and 911: Lone Star season 5, episode 5 gives us a look at that.

Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for 911: Lone Star season 5, episode 5.

This episode has a few ongoing threads happening. Owen’s focus is on the guilt he feels for “giving up” on his brother. Just because the horse Thunder suffers from illnesses and is a bit of a mad one, he doesn’t want to see it put down. So, he focuses on finding a new home.

There are times that the best thing for an animal is to euthanize it. However, I don’t think it was time for Thunder. When he went off with his rider on his back, it wasn’t to cause havoc. It was to get his rider the medical help needed, but he didn’t know how to explain that. There’s a beautiful moment as he says goodbye to his rider, and yes, animals do understand death and loss. They do grieve.

The ending was perfect. I do think we’ve got a hint of Owen and Marlene. They were both clearly flirting with each other, but for Marlene, I think that’s just her personality. However, the more time they spend together, the more I think they’ll start to find things they like about each other. Poor Judd, though! That’s going to be awkward!

T.K. and Carlos go to marriage counselling in 911: Lone Star season 5, episode 5

Some of the episode was spent on T.K. and Carlos. We opened the episode with them in therapy, and if I hear “sexy time” one more time, it’s going to be far too soon. It was hilarious, but it certainly puts a dampener on things.

T.K. had a lot of good points, though. Carlos has become obsessed, and that obsession makes sense. Wouldn’t you want to find your father’s killer? Of course you would, but Carlos can’t keep bringing work home. And with their one-year anniversary around the corner, he needs to put effort back into his relationship.

I love that Carlos took the constructive criticism to heart. T.K. isn’t perfect by any means, but at this point, Carlos knows that he needs to put his relationship first. Thank God he didn’t listen to Sam’s advice on gifts. No, man, your wife doesn’t understand; the bar is just so low that she’s come to not expect anything from you anymore. It would have been different if that specific bouquet meant something important, but it’s clear this marriage isn’t as happy as Sam thinks it is.

Carlos’s gift ended up being so thoughtful. Sure, it was “nothing,” but it showed that he had listened and that he wanted to make the most of his relationship. He doesn’t want to fake his love, and so, he promises to put all his work stuff in the box every night. Time at home is about the two of them.

T.K. also showed that he listened, and some of that came from some advice from Tommy. Her opening up to T.K. about problems in her marriage with Charles was beautifully done. She is like a mother figure to T.K., and it showed in this moment. I also think a part of her needed to talk about Charles. I love that Gina Torres made her eyes light up when talking about Charles in this episode, because that sort of love doesn’t just disappear because one spouse is no longer alive.

I was grateful to see more of Carlos at work in 911: Lone Star season 5, episode 5. There was the call out to the bus where everyone started seizing, and it turned out to be some sort of drug trafficking ring. Carlos and Sam were able to get to work to figure out where the drugs were being transported to, and we got this great moment of Sam showing us why he makes a great Texas Ranger—even if he’s not the greatest husband. I would love to see more of this throughout the rest of the series, and yes, I'm here for a spin-off.

911: Lone Star airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX. Catch up the following day on Hulu.

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