Spoiler alert! This story contains big spoilers for the April 4 episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star’s Season 4 episode “Double Trouble.” Consider yourself warned!
Early in Season 4 of 9-1-1: Lone Star, creator Tim Minear promised some “cross-pollination” between the Austin, Texas, series and its West Coast flagship, if not a giant crossover. Fans got that in “Double Trouble,” as Julian Works pulled double duty as both Mateo and his “twin cousin” Marvin. The episode ended in tragedy, though, with Marvin losing his life in a wreck after stealing another car, and a huge secret about Mateo's past was brought to light. The trauma isn’t over yet, either, as Works teased more rough times to come in the 126 firehouse.
“Double Trouble” kicked off with Mateo getting a FaceTime call from his cousin Marvin, who was asking for bail money after being arrested again for grand theft auto. While Owen (Rob Lowe) cautioned Mateo against enabling his cousin’s life of crime, Nancy (Brianna Baker) was quick to Venmo her boyfriend upwards of $24K (because, sure, we’ve all got that cash lying around). However, only hours after Mateo sent the money, he received a call informing him that Marvin had been killed in a wreck.
It was a tragic way for 9-1-1: Lone Star to tie up that loose end. Julian Works had portrayed Marvin on 9-1-1 in a Season 2 episode before being cast as Mateo in the spinoff. While fans had hoped to see the two worlds collide again — after the 118 helped their Texas counterparts with a raging wildfire in Season 2, and 9-1-1’s Athena (Angela Bassett) was involved in a mini-crossover last season — this was likely not the crossover they were hoping for.
Only after Marvin’s death did we learn exactly why Mateo felt so indebted to his cousin, as the show used a Patty Duke-esque sitcom format to relay the transformative event that had shaped both cousins’ lives when they were 13. It turns out Mateo had snuck out one night and burned down his middle school. To keep Mateo from getting deported, his identical cousin Marvin took the fall and was sent to juvenile detention. That led to a life of crime that ultimately resulted in his early demise.
Owen helped Mateo see that his actions as a firefighter proved Marvin’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain, and from what Julian Works told TV Insider, his character is not going to be able to dwell on the past for too long. Speaking to what’s still to come for the 126, the actor revealed:
As a family, as a unit, we move forward in dealing with what’s to come for someone else. There’s going to be a traumatic experience for someone else. And I think at this point, Mateo’s just got to be there and be strong for his family.
The crew has already been through so much this season, with Carlos (Rafael Silva) being held hostage by a serial killer, Owen getting involved with a domestic terrorism case and Marjan (Natacha Karam) being saved from a murderer by a hallucination of her younger self. One can only imagine what traumatic events are yet to come for the Austin first responders. And God help them if they mess with that Tarlos wedding we’re all waiting for!
9-1-1: Lone Star will return at 8 p.m. ET next Tuesday, April 11, on Fox, and in the meantime, check out what other shows are premiering with our 2023 TV schedule.
