9-1-1: Lone Star (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Bum Steer - full transcript

I've got convertibles,
I've got roadsters,

I've got pickups, sedans,
minivans,

and everything in between.

You want whitewalls?
I got 'em.

You want Bonnie and Clyde's
getaway car?

I got it.

The only thing I don't got

is a talent for negotiation.

So make me an offer.

I promise you're gonna get
the best of me.

Remember, my motto is



"Happy Stan's--
all deals and no bull!"

You ready?

I'm gonna ask you
one last time, okay?

Let's keep him in the trailer.

Let--let people peek in
from the sides.

This isn't a damn zoo.

Malachi's a star.

They don't see him,

they're gonna think
I'm full of crap.

The worst thing
for a used-car salesman

is if his customers think
he's full of crap.

(bull groans)

MAN:
Whoa!

(country music)



♪ ♪

FRANKLIN: All right.
Whoa, whoa.

All right, everybody,
now keep your distance.

This here's Malachi.

He's a world-class
bucking bull,

almost 2,000 pounds.

Said to be the most dangerous
bull in the rodeo today,

seeing how he's bucked off
more people than Bodacious.

So just got your license,
eh, son?

This morning.

Well, you got one heck of a pop

to be buying you a car
right away.

Hop in.

Start her up.
Let's see how she drives.

♪

♪

All right.
Turn her over.

(engine turns over, revs)

♪ ♪

(bull grunts loudly)

Holy hell.

(The Clash's
"I Fought the Law")

(woman screams)

SINGER: ♪ Breaking rocks
in the hot sun ♪

♪ I fought the law,
and the law won ♪

♪ I needed money
'cause I had none ♪

♪ I fought the law,
and the law won

♪ I fought the law,
and the law won ♪

♪ I left my baby,
and it feels so bad ♪

♪ I fought the law and... ♪

♪ ♪

Okay, ma'am.
Try to stay calm for me.

What's your location?

WOMAN:
Happy Stan's.

Happy Stan's Rodeo?

WOMAN:
Happy Stan's Used Car Lot.

(sirens and horns blaring)

(dramatic music)

(truck doors closing)

♪ ♪

I don't see a bull.

JUDD: Oh, that can't be
a good thing.

All right, move the wounded
to safety.

Watch your backs.
This bull's still on the loose.

TK.
Why don't you call dispatch?

See if anybody has eyes on him.

Let's grab some axes,
just in case.

JUDD: Oh, yeah, that's gonna do
a lot of good

against a 3,000-pound
charging beast.

What kind of reckless idiot
brings a rodeo bull

into a car lot
in the first place?

Happy Stan.

That's Happy Stan?

I recognize him
from the commercials.

Yeah, well, he don't look
too happy now.

Dispatch can't get us a 20
on the bull,

but they're urging us
to use extreme caution.

Excellent.

I need you to move your hands
so I can pack this wound

and we can get you
to the hospital, okay?

It hurts.

See a bull run by?

Follow the trail.

Good idea.

♪ ♪

(bull groans in distance)

Axes up.

(bull groans)

♪ ♪

(bull lows)

TK, call Animal Control.
Give 'em our location.

Poor thing.

APB,
we're at Stan's Used Car Lot.

We got a...

we got a bull in a car.

(bull groans)

♪ ♪

OFFICER: With all the blood
he's lost,

that should hit him
pretty quick,

but y'all be careful.

An injured animal spooks easy,
even with the tranquilizer.

Believe me, nobody wants that.

Oh, we believe you.

All right,
so no sudden movements,

keep our voices down.

Let's do this as quickly
and quietly as we can.

No saws.

I don't want anything
that could put a spark

into our friend here.

TK, Marjan, you're
on the battery-operated jaws,

and somebody make sure
medical's standing by.

-For the bull?
-For us.

(bull groaning)

♪ ♪

Hey, Malachi.
How you doing?

I've rescued cats from trees
and dogs from storm drains,

but this is a first.

(bull lowing)

Yeah, there's no two ways
about it.

This sucks, but I promise you,

we're gonna get you out,
all right?

So I would appreciate

if you didn't kill
any of my team.

-Good?
-(bull lows)

TK, Marjan.

♪ ♪

(jaws whirring)

(metal groaning)

-(bull cries)
-OWEN: There we go.

Shh, it's okay.

You're doing so good.

(bull lows)

-(bull cries)
-PAUL: You good, Cap?

OWEN: Just be easy.

(bull cries)

All right, everybody calm.
Don't move.

(bull snorts)

Shh.
I know.

I know how it feels

to feel like everything's
out of control

and spinning around

and you don't know
how you got yourself

into this situation
in the first place.

I've been there.

There right now, actually.

(bull snorts)

Keep going.

-Dad, you sure?
-I'm sure.

Yeah, I'm sure.
Keep going.

(bull snorts)

(bull groaning)

(bull cries)

(bull lows)

♪ ♪

(bull snorts)

All right, Judd.

♪ ♪

(bull moans)

♪ ♪

OWEN: There, I told you
we'd get you out of there.

Hey, Malachi, next time,
do me a favor.

Pick a convertible.

That was a nice little speech
you had back there.

Yeah.

Well, I think he was pretty
zonked out on meds.

Nah.

No, he knew
it was from the heart.

(Judd chuckling)

(country cover
of "Eye of the Tiger")

♪ ♪

It's not too heavy?

I'm getting a hernia
just looking at you.

No, I'm good.
Come on, let's go.

Okay, so on the day,

Austin FD gives us 10 minutes
and 20 seconds

to run the course.

I'll do it in 9.
Set the timer.

All right, just don't kill
yourself, all right?

Three, two, one.

SINGER:
♪ Rising up ♪

♪ Back on the street ♪

♪ Did my time,
I took my chances

♪ I went the distance,
now I'm back on my feet ♪

Dad, you got this.
Come on.

SINGER: ♪ Just a man
and his will to survive ♪

♪ So many times ♪

♪ It happens too fast ♪

Here we go, Dad.
Come on.

SINGER: ♪ You trade
your passion for glory ♪

♪ Don't lose your grip
on the dreams of the past ♪

-(breathing heavily)
-All right, that's 12 flights.

-All right.
-Next station, come on.

SINGER: ♪ It's the eye
of the tiger ♪

Yeah!

SINGER: ♪ Rising up

♪ To the challenge
of our rival ♪

-(coughs)
-You good?

SINGER: ♪ And the last
known survivor ♪

♪ Stalks his prey
in the night ♪

-(grunts)
-See you on the other side.

SINGER: ♪ And he's watching
us all with the eye ♪

♪ Of the tiger ♪

There we go, there we go,
there we go.

(grunting)

♪ ♪

SINGER: ♪ It's the eye
of the tiger ♪

♪ It's the thrill
of the fight ♪

-All right, Dad.
-(breathing heavily)

Come on, Dad.
Last step.

SINGER: ♪ And the last
known survivor ♪

♪ Stalks his prey in
the night ♪

TK:
There we go.

Come on, Dad.

There it is.

SINGER:
♪ Of the tiger ♪

♪ Oh, oh ♪

Dad?
Dad?

Hey.
Hey, hey.

Hey, hey.
Dad, you okay?

-Was I on pace?
-What?

Was I on pace for under 10?

You were at 13:22
when you passed out.

(pants)
That is less than ideal.

We're gonna get my time
under 10 minutes

with slightly less passing out.

Maybe I should get off
of my chemo just--

No, no.
Absolutely not.

If I do not crush this test
and show the department

that the cancer's
not slowing me down,

they will hand the 126

off to that smug bastard
Billy Tyson.

Yeah, thanks to Judd.

It's not Judd's fault.

I know, I'm just pissed

that he introduced you
to that guy.

Billy would've been coming
for me anyway.

You just had to play golf
with him, didn't you?

-Well, you don't play with me.
-Yeah, but I can learn.

Look...

I promise you
no matter what happens,

even if I lose the house,

I'm not gonna uproot you again.

Dad, it's not about me.

Well, it is
a little bit, but...

it's because I'm on your crew.

And that's all I care about.

I mean, even this test,
it's as much for them

as it is for the department.

They need to have confidence

that their captain's
up to the job.

(exhales sharply)
Now that they know everything.

But they don't know everything.

You--you told them
about the cancer,

you told them about Billy,
but they didn't know

that this stupid test
was your idea.

Yeah, I'm not sure
how much confidence

that would've instilled.

Yeah, tell me about it.

Come on.
Let's go again.

Grab my helmet.

Listen, I feel for the guy.
I do.

I mean, what do you even say
to someone who got cancer

from being at Ground Zero
on September 11th?

"Thank you"?

Well, yes, of course.

I just wish he would've told us
sooner is all.

He told us when he was ready.

Okay, then I wish he was ready
before he had hired us.

Well, in fairness,
I think that he found out

about the diagnosis just
right before he left New York,

so he was still
coming to terms.

And how would you know that?

'Cause he told me.

Oh, Great.

So he tells the one guy
who didn't have to relocate

his entire life down to Austin.

Look, we're here now.

Let's just focus
on the positive

and help Cap in any way we can.

Hey, I am all for supporting
the captain, all right?

It's not about the cancer.

It's about this test that he
is never gonna be able to pass,

and if this Billy bud
gets the keys to the kingdom,

you know he's gonna
clean house.

Whoa, hang on a minute.
Man, you don't know that.

Look, he and the captain don't
approach things the same way,

but Billy ain't a bad guy.

He ain't gonna come
through here with a scythe

just 'cause we ain't
his people.

What?

"We"?

I mean, man, you ain't just
his people.

You are his peoplepeople.

What does that mean?

It just means
that you're in the club.

-I'm in the club?
-PAUL: Yeah, man.

The good old boys club,
all right?

You look like Billy.
You talk like Billy.

You're gonna be fine
like Billy.

So, I mean, yeah,
we're both Texans,

but I don't really think
it matters what I look like.

Tell that to the probie.
He's as Texas as you are and--

Ain't nobody gonna be mistaking
you two for brothers.

Yeah, well,
then they would be mistaken,

because we are brothers

because we got the same number
on our badge.

Ain't that right, kid?

I don't want Captain to die!

Hey.

Hey, Cap's gonna be all right.

Texas has the best
cancer doctors in the country.

(bell ringing)

(dramatic music)

♪ ♪

(van door closes)

(person coughs)

Michelle.

There you are.

Hey.

Aw, I thought you two
might've left

and gone to the VA program.

Ah, well, I'm almost ready.

I really am this time.

We stopped by
and checked it out.

-They gave me this.
-Did they?

You better take good care
of him

like your daddy takes care
of you.

PATRICK:
You know I tried.

I didn't lose her insulin
on purpose.

That's all the more reason why
you need to be in the shelter.

I can't stay there at night.
I just--

I close my eyes, and everything
starts to close in.

-(cries)
-I get it.

♪ ♪

You remember this?

Just a little pinch.

♪ ♪

Okay.
Thank you.

Hurts a lot less
when Dad does it, huh?

♪ ♪

Done?

Done.

♪ ♪

(sighs)
Okay.

Here, this is for you.

If there's ever an emergency,

you call me,
day or night, okay?

Thank you, Michelle.

You have enough Sertraline?

Actually, I gave away
all my meds

to my friend Sad Eyes.

She needs it more than I do.

Maybe I can check
your friend out.

Is she around?

Uh, she's in the purple tent.

You take care.

Bye, Emily.

(crashing and clattering)

Hey!

What are you doing?

Where's the Oxy?

We don't carry medication
like that on the van.

I see you people
handing out freebies

to everyone else on the block.

Listen, listen, I'm just here
to help, okay?

There's--there's children
over there.

(yells)
Open the door, bitch!

Or I'll take the keys myself.

Fine, fine.

You want the keys?
Here.

Aah!

Now there's your freebie!
Get out of here!

-Damn it.
-(siren blares)

(truck door closes)

(laughs)
Impeccable timing as always.

You just missed him.
He's... somewhere.

Are you actually insane?

You're gonna get yourself
killed coming down here alone.

It's reckless.

No, I never come down here
alone, I swear.

There was this little girl, and
she needed some insulin, and--

She's eight, Carlos.

How'd you find me anyway?
This isn't exactly your zone.

There's actually something
I need to tell you.

What?

That blue truck
your sister got into

the night she disappeared?

-Yeah?
-We got a hit.

What?

We ID'd the owner.

Oh.

(dramatic music)

♪ ♪

Michelle, for the love of God,
would you please stop?

What?

The bouncy-foot thing you do
when you're stressed.

I don't do a bouncy-foot thing
when I'm stressed.

You do,
and it's making me tense.

Just--I don't understand
why we're even here,

when we should just be talking
to the truck woman ourselves.

No, we should not.

You're a paramedic.

I'm a patrol officer,
not an investigator.

It's literally
Detective Washington's job

to handle this.

It's been her job
for three years.

And she's mean to me.

Promise me you'll play nice
in there.

Okay, I promise.

Good.

Ms. Blake.

Nice to see you at the station
not in handcuffs for a change.

Please, come on back.

♪ ♪

SARINA: So, Officer Reyes,
you said

you had some new information
about Iris Blake?

CARLOS:
Yes, ma'am. We do.

Michelle, you should--
you should--

Um, yeah.

Uh, so this all started after
I spoke to Dustin's neighbor

about the night
my sister went missing.

Dustin Shepherd,

Who has a restraining order
against you?

Yeah, um...

we're mostly cool now.

So he said--
the neighbor, I mean--

that he saw Iris get
into a blue truck that night,

and then I found this
in some of her stuff.

Definitely a truck,
also blue.

Dustin doesn't know
who any of those people are,

but he said
that she'd started hanging out

with some shady people.

Dustin told us
all about the mystery people

she supposedly started
hanging out with.

The trouble was
nobody could ever find proof

any of them actually existed.

Well, maybe now we can.

I was able to get a plate
on the truck.

I hope you didn't run a plate
on my case

without notifying me.

I didn't want to bother you
until we had something real.

-Heaven forbid.
-But we got a hit, Detective.

The truck owner's name
is Arlene Hicks.

I don't see Arlene in the gang.

That's because she reported
the truck stolen.

Literally a week
before Iris went missing.

Whoever took it could've picked
my sister up that night.

Assuming
that's the same blue truck

that your neighbor saw.

This all you got,
Officer Reyes?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.
I'll look into it.

Thank you, ma'am.

Now, if you guys
will excuse me.

So you're just
gonna blow this off?

I said I was going
to look into it.

I know what that means
coming from you.

Michelle, you promised.

♪ ♪

Thank you for your time.

Detective, I, um...

I just want you to know
that the effort you put in

on my sister's behalf
is truly remarkable.

♪ ♪

What happened
to playing nice?

I said "thank you."

You should've seen how they
were trying to tag-team me,

saying that I was
the only person

who didn't have anything
to worry about

'cause Billy was my people.

Right.
Well, yes.

What does that mean--
"well, yes"?

Judd, you and Billy
have known each other

for how long, 20 years?

Mm-hmm.

You two have literally been
through the fires together.

Marjan and Paul don't know him
from a can of paint.

And he doesn't know them.

So, honestly, I would be
a little worried, too, Judd.

Yeah, you're right.
I just--I--

This whole beef between Billy
and the Cap just sucks.

I don't know why I introduced
those two in the first place.

Yeah, I still don't know

what you were thinking
on that one.

I mean, can you not
just call Billy

and try to walk this thing back
from the edge?

No, I ain't trying
to get in between

those two old roosters.

(chuckles)
Well, you said the captain

is not passing
this test, right?

Yeah, that's right.

If it wasn't for that man
sending you to therapy,

I don't know
where you'd be, Judd.

I don't know
where we would be.

So, if there's anything
you can do to return the favor,

you damn well better do it.

I'll call Billy tomorrow.

Why do grown men have to act
like little babies?

(scoffs) I ask myself that
every day, my love.

-(both laughing)
-No, you don't.

(upbeat country music)

♪

♪
Chad?

Have everything you need?

Uh, yep.

I can't get you a coffee,
fizzy water, adult beverage?

Uh, water would be great,
ma'am.

-Thank you.
-"Ma'am."

God, I love that.

Do you know, in LA, some people
might find that insulting?

But here, I just...

(clears throat)
Find it chivalrous.

Well, I guess you're bringing
a little bit of LA to Texas

with this meditation room,
though, right?

I don't know about that.

See, my husband--
my ex-husband--

he always had his man cave.

So now that I'm single,

I just want something
of my own.

So you're not missing
California, then?

I mean, everyone talks

about how great
the weather is out there.

Oh, well, I mean,
the weather is great.

It's just the people that suck.
(chuckles)

I mean, not all of them...

but most of them.

It sounds like you couldn't
wait to get out of there.

Yeah, once my divorce
was finalized

and I completed
my court-mandated training.

Training?

For anger management.

It's, um--
it's not a big deal.

Bad divorce, huh?

Yeah, I've been there.

-You're still divorced?
-Yeah.

That's been working out
pretty well.

It has.
(chuckles)

That's funny.

I'm--I'm gonna go
get that water.

Don't go anywhere.

♪ ♪

(knob squeaks, water running)

♪ ♪

(softly)
Get it together.

Did you want a sandwich?

'Cause I-I could make you one,

or we could order takeout.

-(grunting)
-Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

Chad!
Chad, are you--

(yelps)

(grunting)

What do I do?
What do I--

(indistinct babbling)

Okay.
Let it go.

Let it go.

Drop it!

Just drop it!
Chad!

Let it go!

Please!
Please!

Don't you die on me, damn it!

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

Okay, try to stay calm
for me, ma'am.

Should I start mouth-to-mouth?

-Is he breathing?
-Um, Yes.

Then probably not.

Oh.
Right, no.

Of course.

(sirens blaring)

♪ ♪

PEPPER:
Hi!

He's here.
He's here.

He must've cut a wire
or something.

-Right this way.
-(truck door closes)

I did my best to clear it
off him, but--

His name is--is Chad.

♪ ♪

TK, you check his ABCs
till medical gets here.

Everybody, be careful
of all this exposed wiring,

and Marjan, Mateo, why don't
you find the breaker box.

Kill all the power.

-Copy that.
-Yes, sir.

All right, airways are open.

-Respiration's okay.
-What do we have?

Adult male. Witness says
he was electrocuted.

BP's 125 over 80.

Pulse is steady at 70.

70 BPM after an electrocution?

-No arrhythmia or tapychnea?
-TK: No.

I can't see any head injuries.

Is he gonna be okay?

He's in
the best possible hands.

We got a laceration
on the right arm.

He's got a possible lower
posterior rib fracture.

Let's get his shirt off

and get him hooked
up to the monitor.

♪ ♪

Abrasions
on the lower left quadrant.

Did somebody hit this guy?

I mean, I had to.

He was--he was clutching on--
on to the wire,

and there was nothing else
that I could do.

Wait, if he was holding on
to a live wire,

how come his hands
aren't burned?

-Which wire?
-It was that one.

♪ ♪

This one that ain't connected
to nothing?

Look, he was literally
vibrating.

MICHELLE:
Captain Strand.

He's got a medical alert
medallion.

-He has epilepsy.
-He wasn't electrocuted.

He's postictal.

Let's get him on a backboard.

Give him D-50
to get him hydrated.

He was having a seizure?

Sure seems that way.

Oh, my God,
I beat--I beat an epileptic.

With a 2x4.

-Chad, I am so sorry.
-(Chad groaning)

I did not beat you
out of anger,

and I really need you
to know that.

Well, that's one way
to hit on a guy.

(laughs)

All right, so this one
right here's the showstopper.

I had to order it special
from a distillery

on the Bourbon Trail.

Careful.
It's a little spicy.

(faint folk rock ballad
playing)

♪ ♪

(coughs)

Good lord, Ryder.

That is not spicy.

That is a flamethrower.
(chuckles)

Ain't it great?

Want another?

Why not? As long as
you're giving it away.

Um...

hey, you reckon about now
we're lubricated enough

for you to tell me
what's on your mind?

All right.
Uh...

Why are you coming after Owen
so hard?

I thought you liked the guy.

I do like him.

What's that got to do
with anything?

Aw, come on, Billy.

You snitched him out
to the Deputy Chief

about his cancer.

Damn right I did.

Strand thinks he's Superman.

That means he's reckless.

No, he ain't reckless.

He is flashy,

but his heart's
in the right place,

but now, because of you,

he's got to run the CPAT
in full gear,

which is damn near
mission impossible.

Oh.

Is that what he told you?

-Mm-hmm.
-And they're making him do it?

Hmm.
CPAT was your cap's idea.

That's crazy.

Don't believe me?
Go ahead, ask him.

Why would he suggest something
as stupid as that?

Because like I told you,
he's reckless.

And he don't bluff too good

when he's not holding
the best hand.

(dramatic music)

♪ ♪

Thanks for coming by tonight,
Ms. Blake.

Two meetings in a week.

This is a new record for us,
Detective.

I know what you think...

Iris is just another face
on my wall.

Why wouldn't she be?

She's not your family.
You didn't know her.

No, but I do know
she loves Lana Del Rey,

Jack Russells,
and organic chemistry.

I know her hero
was her big sister

who she thought
was a wild child and a badass.

She said that?

To pretty much every one
of her friends

that I interviewed.

She idolized you.

You want to know a secret?

There is no "just another face
on my wall."

I take each of them
everywhere I go.

They are not my family,
but they sit right next to mine

at the dinner table
every night.

Please don't ever mistake
not hearing from me

for not caring.

I appreciate you
telling me that.

It is nice to hear from you,
even if it's just for this.

I spoke to Arlene,
the owner of that blue truck.

She says she knows
exactly who stole it--

the man
she'd been living with.

You recognize him?

♪ ♪

No.

Wade Caldwell.

Did three years in Huntsville
on an assault and battery,

a year for possession
with intent,

armed robbery, and so on.

-Did you talk to him?
-I have not.

Because no one's seen him
since April 19, 2017.

The day Iris went missing.

I mean, that can't be
a coincidence.

It could, but I doubt it,

especially since the last time
someone saw Wade,

they called 9-1-1 on him
to report a bar fight.

He was in an altercation

with a pretty,
20-something brunette.

Iris.

What bar?

(motorcycle engine revving)

(rock music)

♪ ♪

SARINA:
Now, remember our deal.

I do all the talking.

You do the
"keeping your mouth shut."

-I can do that.
-Can you?

♪ ♪

-April 19th...
-(glasses clink)

2017.

♪ ♪

Give me a minute.

-Was that a Monday?
-Wednesday.

Wednesday.
Oh, you know what? Sure.

Yeah, I remember that night.

Man, people got sauced,

puked on themselves,
and forgot the tip.

Oh, you know what, though?
Wait.

That could've been April 18th

Or literally any day since.

-That supposed to be funny?
-I'm just saying.

Either of y'all remember
what happened to you

some random night
three years ago?

Yeah.

You recognize this man?

Uh, maybe.
It's possible

SARINA:
His name is Wade Caldwell.

You called 9-1-1 that night

saying he was fighting
in your bar.

I've called about a lot of guys
fighting in my bar, Detective.

And what about her?

Oh.

Okay.
Yeah.

Now, that chick
I definitely remember.

She was a fireball.

It's coming back to me.

They--they came in here
with some people,

and then those two,
they really got into it.

-You saw him hit her?
-Oh, no.

-Mostly it was her hitting him.
-What?

Any idea
what they were fighting about?

Nah, he just said
that she was out of control

and they needed to go,

and to be honest with you,
he was right.

Bitch was wild.

And what happened next?

I threw 'em out,

and I waited 45 minutes
for the cops to show up.

You, sir, need another?

(sniffles, sighs)

SARINA: You okay?

She called me three times
that night...

and I...

I just assumed
she was with Dustin.

But she was here in this place
with him.

And where was I?

What was I doing
that was so important

that I couldn't take her calls?

You know where I was?

I was about to sing
some Emmylou Harris cover

at some open-mic thing

in front of about nine people.

You know how many times
I duck calls

from my mother in a week?

It's a lot

It's life.

It's what we do.

What happened to your sister
almost certainly happens

whether or not you pick up.

Maybe.

Or maybe if I had been there
for her,

she wouldn't have just fallen
off the face of the earth.

(somber music)

(upbeat country music)

(keys clacking)

Hey, Cap.
A word?

Sure.

So this, uh--this test that
you're gonna take next week,

the CPAT,

what do you figure the odds are
of you passing?

Never tell me the odds.

Yeah, but you ain't
Indiana Jones.

Actually, it was Han Solo.

Look, the odds are steep.

I, uh, fully admit it.

But doable.
I've been training.

-Oh, you've been training?
-Yep.

What's your best time so far?

Uh, I'd estimate...

14 minutes?

You'd estimate?

Based on the amount of time
that had elapsed

before I passed out.

You passed out.

Are you just gonna repeat back
to me everything I say to you?

Well, I kind of have to hear it
all twice just to believe it.

It's kind of curious, ain't it?

What is?

Well, that the brass would go
all the way to New York City

to bring you down here,

you know, beg you,
I'm guessing,

and now here they are,

and they're forcing you
to take a test

that in all likelihood
you're gonna fail.

That don't track, does it?

Well, uh, Judd,

I was not transparent with them
about the cancer.

You was not transparent
about the cancer.

Stop doing that.

All right.
I'll tell you what.

Get on the horn right now
with your union rep,

get him down here, because
they can't make you do it.

I already agreed to it.

Unless, of course, it ain't
them that's making you do it

and the whole idiotic
enterprise is your idea.

(sighs)
You spoke to Billy?

Yeah.

I spoke to Billy.

Damn it, Owen.

I sat there,
and I watched you

sit across from the man
at my poker table

and take all of his money.

So how'd you let this happen?

I don't know.
I let my guard down.

And I didn't think
we were still playing a game.

Billy's always playing a game.

And I liked him.

I liked having a peer,
someone my age,

someone
I didn't have to captain

or parent.

Liked having a friend.

-Billy ain't your friend.
-Thanks, Judd.

I'm starting to get that.

No, what you liked was having
somebody to show off to,

and that's exactly what you did
when you brought him down here

and you bragged
about your shiny new firehouse.

Right, then you rubbed
your juice bar

all up in his face.

Of course he's gonna want to
take this place from you.

That is never gonna happen.

Really?

'Cause from where I'm sitting,

it would take nothing short
of an act of God

to get you through that test
next week.

So I'm gonna do something

that my wife hasn't been able
to get me to do for a while.

I'ma pray.

Thank you.
I appreciate that.

No, I ain't praying for you.

I'm praying for the crew,

because if you lose the 126,
so do they.

And you and I know it.

(dramatic music)

♪ ♪

(thunder rumbles)

I appreciate you
taking the time to talk.

Parlez
on the fairway.

I love it.

Look, you and I both know
cancer sucks,

and it makes
passing the CPAT--

A virtual impossibility.

Not impossible,

especially for somebody
as stubborn as I am,

but that said,

living with the uncertainty
is not fair to my crew

when they're out there

putting their lives
on the line every day.

I agree with you there.

You want to take this
into the clubhouse?

Why, are you afraid
of a little weather, New York?

(thunder rumbles)

Dulcius ex asperis.

Adversity makes victory
all the sweeter.

That it does.

And that's what I'm here
to ask you...

to accept victory...

with some grace.

(thunder rumbles)

MAN:
Hurry, inside.

The clubhouse
is just over that hill.

(indistinct chatter)

All right, look,
here's my offer.

I tender my resignation today
with Austin FD.

But I want your word

that my people get to stay
at the 126.

♪ ♪

It takes a real man
to fall on his sword.

♪ ♪

I give you props for that.

But?

But you can't fold now
after going all-in.

That's not how the game
is played.

This isn't a game.

I'm talking about actual people
here, Billy, good people,

people who gave up their lives
in other places

to come down here
and rebuild the 126.

Yeah,
for huge salary increases.

That's real altruistic.

Especially Strickland
and Marwani--

hope I'm saying that right--

and your probie, Chavez.

It took him five tries
to pass his written exam.

See, I think we can be
better than that.

Now, your son seems to have
his head on his shoulders.

Well, now anyway.

Heard he had a little trouble
back in New York.

I reckon it'd just be weird

keeping him around
after you're gone.

You are
some piece of work, Billy.

-So I've been told.
-(thunder booms)

Billy!

Billy!
Billy!

♪ ♪

Someone call 9-1-1!

(grunts)

(indistinct chatter)

♪ ♪

(grunting)

I can't believe
he's still alive.

-I mean, what are the odds?
-Pretty good, actually.

About 90% of people who get
struck by lightning live.

How do you know that?

I'm from Florida--

lightning strike capital
of the world.

And an inordinate amount
of them

happen on the golf course.

Yeah, that's why
I'm gonna stick to bowling.

-Hey, TK.
-Mm.

What do you see in there?

He's still in there.

Yeah, I know he's still
in there, TK,

'cause he ain't come out yet.

-Who's doing the talking?
-The Deputy Chief.

(no audible dialogue)

Oh.

He's getting up.

-Both of 'em?
-Yeah.

Missed a spot.

(coffee maker hissing,
bubbling)

Well?

Well what?

Everyone can relax.

When he's this glib,
it's--it's always good news.

No, come on, Cap.
What did the man say?

He still gonna make you
take that test?

-Turns out I already did.
-When?

When I carried a grown man

from the 12th hole
to the clubhouse

in under 4 minutes.

-In the rain.
-In the rain.

You saved a man's life.

Yeah, broke a couple
of his ribs in the process.

Nice one, Cap.

About saving
a man's life I mean.

Turns out the deputy chief says

that's more than enough
demonstration

of my fitness in the field.

Alhamdulillah.

"Thank God," more or less.

Well, it also don't hurt that
he's, uh, down a captain now.

Yeah, Billy has a long

and painful recovery
ahead of him.

Well, I, for one, am glad
that's settled.

Congratulations, Cap.

Now all that's left to tackle
is the cancer.

Anything you need, Cap.

-That's right.
-We're here for you, Cap.

Thank you.

All right, listen, you fakers,

why don't you go and actually
clean that rig for real?

'Cause this is just
getting sad.

(laughter)

(heartfelt music)

♪ ♪

What?

I called it, didn't I?

I said only an act of God.

Yes, well, I thought maybe

you would've preferred
having Billy run things.

You know, he is your friend.

Yeah, Billy's
my friend, but...

you're my captain.

♪ ♪

(phone rings)

This is Captain Blake.

SARINA: Michelle,
it's Detective Washington.

-I have news.
-What kind of news?

SARINA: I was looking
at traffic accident reports

from the area around the bar

where your sister
was last seen.

Was anything reported
the night she disappeared?

SARINA: Nothing reported, no,
but on a hunch,

I pulled satellite photos
of the surrounding area.

Michelle, I think
we may have found something.

(monitor beeping)

(inhales deeply)

Oh, great.

It's you.

How you doing, Billy?

Well, let's see...

Ruptured eardrum,
tinnitus, uh...

cataract.

You probably think
I had it coming.

It was your idea to play
through a little weather.

Mm, yeah, I do remember
saying those words.

(inhales deeply)
So you here to gloat...

about getting the big W?

I heard, uh, AFD's
not gonna make you run

the CPAT anymore.

Gloating's for people

who aren't used to getting
the big W.

I'm here with a peace offering.

Why in the hell
would you do that...

after I tried to run you
out of town?

Because you almost succeeded.

I think you can agree
that as enemies,

we make each other
a little bit reckless.

We almost blew our lives up
going at each other.

Look at you.

These fists still work,
New York.

Yeah, but as friends...

we make each other better,
stronger.

Iron sharpens iron...

like it says
in the Good Book.

Like it says in the Good Book.

Look, I just think
Austin'll be better off

if its two best fire captains

are watching each other's backs
from now on

instead of stabbing 'em.

And also, I really enjoy
taking your money in poker.

(laughs weakly)

Well...

I suppose I really do enjoy
kicking your ass at golf.

Friends?

Yes, sir.
Friends.

All right.

I'll let you get some sleep.

Hey, New York.

For the record,

I had three strokes on you

before the lightning struck.

You really did
get your brain fried.

Feel better, Texas.

♪ ♪

(laughs wheezily, coughs)

♪ ♪

Son of a bitch.

♪ ♪