Gina Torres shares the "roller coaster ride" for Tommy's health on 911: Lone Star
911: Lone Star just put Tommy through a huge ordeal, and Gina Torres talks about what it means!
Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for 911: Lone Star Season 5 Episode 8
911: Lone Star fans are still adjusting to how this will be the final season for the Fox rescue drama. It has had major turns like Grace departing on a missionary job, Judd returning to the station now as a probie, Paul being promoted to lieutenant, some marriage issues between TK and Carlos, and Owen handling helping his brother die with dignity.
The latest episode added more drama, like the return of TK’s stepfather Enzo, who gifted him with a car. That had Owen a bit jealous of TK liking Enzo more, not helped when he accidentally broke the guy’s wrist in an arm wrestling match, and an angry TK revealed it was Enzo who inspired him to be a firefighter. However, TK’s adulation was ruined when, in the middle of his birthday party, the FBI entered to arrest Enzo for various white-collar crimes.
But the major focus was on Tommy as the intrepid EMT was reeling from the news coming at the end of the last episode that she might have cancer. This confirmed that, yes, Tommy had breast cancer, with only Nancy knowing of it at first. While obviously scared, Tommy was determined to fight it.
Nancy was thrown that not only did Tommy not want anyone else to know about this, but she was planning to continue working despite her condition. However, when she collapsed at home and her own daughters had to revive her, Tommy’s condition was known.
Speaking to TV Line, Gina Torres shared her thoughts on the storyline and how it will affect her.
"Trust me, I did not want this. I felt like I had already done plenty in terms of sad, depressing storylines. But no, they wanted one more battle."
Torres added that the show is aware of how many people suffer from cancer and “We want to honor them, just as we try our best to honor our first responder. It’s a level of responsibility that we don’t take lightly.”
It’s going to be a huge story for Tommy and a big change for the station.
Who takes over for Tommy at the 126?
The episode ended with Nancy checking in on Tommy in her hospital bed, and Tommy promoted Nancy to acting paramedic captain to take her place while she undergoes treatment.
"It was quite reflective of how [actress Brianna Baker and I] feel about each other in real life. The writers were able to tap into that. There’s a great deal of love and respect between us. It’s super important to put this on screen for our fans to see, for the world to see. It’s important to see women supporting other women. It doesn’t have to be competitive. In fact, more often than not, it’s not competitive. We understand that the way to get things done is to do them together."
Torres promised a “roller-coaster” ride for fans as more of the team discover Tommy’s illness and will rally to support her. As for whether Tommy’s near fiancee Trevor might return, Torres was quiet on that, hinting that Trevor may not even hear she’s sick at all.
It’s going to be a major plotline to cast a shadow on 911: Lone Star’s final seasons. Fans are naturally hopeful Tommy will pull through this, but the odds can be tough when it comes to such fights. It’s also a bit jarring to have such a huge character turn in the final season. Yet it’s also the drama fans of 911: Lone Star love and should make for a powerful performance from Torres.
911: Lone Star airs Mondays at 8/7c on Fox.