Spoilers ahead for Season 3, Episode 3 of 9-1-1: Lone Star, “Shock & Thaw.”
The newest episode of Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star continued the ice storm saga, but it wasn’t without some major risks. Following T.K.’s fall in a frozen pond, the paramedic suffered severe hypothermia and ex-boyfriend Carlos stayed by his bedside. Fans were surprised to find out that the couple had broken up between Seasons 2 and 3, so when will we finally get the reason as to why it happened?
Ronen Rubinstein, who portrays T.K. Strand, discussed 9-1-1: Lone Star with TV Insider in a recent interview, including the future of “Tarlos.” Fans haven’t gotten an exact reason for the breakup in an episode so far, even after Nancy tried to bug it out of T.K.. Rubinstein previewed that fans will learn more about the big Tarlos breakup and get some clarity in an upcoming episode:
We’ll definitely learn why T.K. and Carlos [Rafael Silva] broke up. That’s a big part of it. We might get some more clarity about that in episode 4.
Episode 4 of 9-1-1: Lone Star will be the final episode in the ice storm saga, so fans can expect some storylines to be resolved, and according to Rubinstein, perhaps even the biggest one of all for Tarlos. Even though they are broken up, fans should not have to worry about T.K. and Carlos dating other people. The actor previewed what’s in store as the season goes on when asked if fans should be worried about them dating other people, and even echoed what showrunner Tim Minear previously said:
Oh no, I don’t think we’d ever do that to that relationship. I’m gonna echo what Tim said: He loves focusing on storylines where we’re bringing people back together. It’s why he broke us up offscreen, because he wanted to see the road back. I think the road back is sometimes more interesting than the initial breakup or the heartbreak. We get to watch the really difficult road for Tarlos and I’m optimistic that things are gonna work out, but it’s a question of how is it gonna happen, when is it gonna happen, and why did they break up? I’ve been seeing a lot of polls on Twitter and Instagram and like 98% of people think T.K. broke up with Carlos. We’ll see if they’re right or wrong in episode 4.
T.K. and Carlos had definitely been put through the wringer already for the first two seasons and it’s no different for Season 3. Ronen Rubinstein previously hyped “intense storylines” for the couple, and that's already true just a few episodes in! This upcoming episode will feature more of T.K. in his coma dream where he’s spending some much-needed mother/son time with Gwyn, played by Lisa Edelstein. In the real world, Carlos is just trying to get as much time with him as possible.
Perhaps this tragedy is just what the two of them need to realize that they still love each other? Since Carlos is very much worried about T.K., it’s clear that he still means a lot to him. Hopefully we don’t have to wait long to see why they broke up and when they will finally get back together.
And speaking of getting back together, Fox has announced that 9-1-1 will be returning on Monday, March 21, teaming up with 9-1-1: Lone Star once again! The parent series will reclaim its 8 p.m. EST slot, while Lone Star will shift back to the 9 p.m. EST slot.
In the meantime, catch 9-1-1: Lone Star on Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on Fox. Who knows? Maybe we'll get another series in the franchise in the future! Check out CinemaBlend's 2022 TV schedule to see what other shows to catch!
