Spoilers ahead for the January 24 episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star, called “Shock & Thaw.”
9-1-1: Lone Star returned from a brief break with an episode packed with some action for Owen and Marjan, while setting Grace and Billy up for what could be a wild ride in the next episode, but the storyline with the highest stakes belonged to none other than T.K. He didn’t miraculously recover from his hypothermia after the end of the previous episode, and spent “Shock & Thaw” somewhere between life and death while Carlos and his friends worried about him. And it was between life and death that Lisa Edelstein returned as Gwyn, but not quite the Gwyn of Season 2 who left after a big twist.
So, with T.K.’s fate uncertain for at least one more cliffhanger, let’s take a look at what brought Edelstein back and whether Lone Star will bring her back for more after “Shock & Thaw.”
How 9-1-1: Lone Star Brought Back Lisa Edelstein As Gwyn
Although T.K. being grievously injured was enough to draw her to Austin for the beginning of Season 2, Gwyn wasn’t actually back in the flesh in “Shock & Thaw.” The doctors were keeping T.K. sedated in the hospital to try and let his body heal rather than continue with the organ failure, and T.K. dreamed that he woke up perfectly fine to bake cookies with his mom.
This dream version of Gwyn dropped some clues that there was something happening other than a cookie recipe, and she tried to get T.K. to make a choice about what happens next, which is likely either choosing life or death. T.K. didn’t want his time with his mom in the dream to end, so he refused to choose, even though she said that it would be harder to get back if he spent too much time with her there.
The dream sequence probably couldn’t have worked with any character other than Gwyn, particularly since Lone Star presumably wants to hold off on any big scenes between T.K. and Carlos or T.K. and Owen. The future is not looking good for poor T.K. in his latest stay in the hospital (and showrunner Tim Minear has even weighed in on why this character keeps winding up in danger), but maybe he can keep enjoying his limbo with this version of his mom for a little while longer.
Whether Lisa Edelstein WIll Return Next Week And Beyond
T.K. was still sedated by the end of “Shock & Thaw” and there was no sign that he’d be waking up any time soon, so the stage is set for another round of conversation between him and his mom in his dream. The description for the next episode (via The Futon Critic), called “Push” (possibly tied to Grace going into labor as the latest of several crises she has faced), confirms that Lisa Edelstein will be back, so fans can look forward to seeing her again at least one more time in Season 3.
But will Gwyn only appear in T.K.’s limbo while he’s sedated, or can fans also hold out hope for another West WIng reunion between Edelstein and Rob Lowe? A lot may depend on how soon Owen can make his way all the way down the mountain and to his son’s side, and whether Gwyn will be the only one with T.K. in his mind. If a dream Owen joins dream Gwyn, then West Wing fans could quite literally have a dream reunion between the two former stars. If Owen and Gwyn reunite in the flesh over their son’s hospitalization, that would presumably mean that Gwyn arrives in Austin in person.
Only time will tell if Rob Lowe and Lisa Edelstein share a scene in Season 3 as Owen and Gwyn, but it’s clear that T.K. still has a struggle if he’s going to survive his severe hypothermia. The next new episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star airs on Monday, January 31 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, and be sure to swing by our 2022 TV schedule for more viewing options in the coming weeks. Lone Star’s parent series 9-1-1 won’t be back with new episodes until March, but the two shows are going strong this season. According to Fox’s President of Entertainment, the franchise could continue expanding if the stars align.
