At the end of 9-1-1: Lone Star Episode 6 we wondered if Owen had set himself up for failure. Episode 7 wasted no time in delivering us his future.

9-1-1: Lone Star has wasted no time on one particular storyline. At the end of Episode 6, we wondered whether Owen Strand had set himself up for failure. By the end of Episode 7, we had our answers about his future.

Caution: There are spoilers for 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 1, Episode 7 in this post.

With a 10-episode season, storylines need to remain short and sweet. However, they usually take three or four episodes before we get our answers. We just have to look at the questions surrounding Bobby, his alcoholism, and the story of his family in 9-1-1 to see how a storyline can take time to play out. The spin-off, Lone Star, has opted for a slightly different approach with Owen.

Now granted, there are other storylines at play. We have Owen’s cancer diagnosis and battle and Michelle’s investigation into her sister’s disappearance. Both of these storylines have been ongoing from the beginning and we likely won’t get answers about them until the end of the season. It’s clear that some storylines had to be cut short.

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Owen is still captain of the 126

At the end of Episode 6, Owen’s boss learned about Owen’s cancer diagnosis. Naturally, he was worried that Owen wasn’t fit to be in the field. Owen set himself up for failure by offering to do the recruit test in full gear.

During Episode 7, we watched Owen training for it. He was constantly too slow, often passing out along the way. It was clear that he wouldn’t be able to finish it and that would put the entire team in jeopardy.

However, the end of Episode 7 also delivered an Act of God. Well, that’s what Judd would tell you. He prayed for the 126, and Billy was hit by lightning while playing golf. Not sure we should be thanking God for injuring someone, but hey ho! God does work in mysterious ways.

Owen happened to be there and carried Billy back to the clubhouse in the pouring rain. It was enough for Owen’s bosses to know that Owen was fit for active duty. This act saved Owen’s job and quickly wrapped up this one storyline.

Should more shows do this?

I’m so used to these types of storylines going on for a couple of episodes that I was shocked to see it wrapped up quickly. And I was shocked in a pleasant way. These types of storylines are cliche and predictable. Even if Owen lost his position at first, it wouldn’t be long until he was the captain of the 126 again. After all, Rob Lowe is the lead male.

So, wrapping up this type of storyline quickly works well, especially for a 10-episode season. It would be worth other shows looking at doing this. Give us cliche storylines but surprise us with the quick wrap-ups.

However, what I’d also like to see is some more storylines focused on the other members of the 126. Give them something bigger to do, especially when (we know it’s a when) it comes to the second season.

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What did you think of 9-1-1: Lone Star wrapping up the Owen-Billy storyline quickly? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

9-1-1: Lone Star airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX.