Tommy Vega (Gina Torres) is a crucial part of 9-1-1: Lone Star, but the synopsis of the penultimate episode jeopardizes her chance at a happy ending. Though Torres was not a part of the 9-1-1: Lone Star pilot cast, her arrival in the season 2 premiere breathed new life into the spinoff procedural. Tommy made for a complex character who proved her paramedic prowess in an instantly captivating debut. She’s been present for some of 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s most intense rescues, which she fearlessly navigates. Since her premiere, however, 9-1-1: Lone Star has also given Tommy many heartbreaking storylines.
Tommy initially joined 9-1-1: Lone Star with her twin daughters and husband, Charles (Derek Webster). They are a happy family until Charles unexpectedly dies of a sudden aneurysm in season 2, episode 13. Tommy finds new love in 9-1-1: Lone Star season 4 with Trevor Parks (D.B. Woodside), but they break up after Trevor’s daughter chooses to move back to Kansas. Just when it felt like she could finally take a breath, Tommy was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5. With only two episodes left to resolve her storyline, Tommy’s future is uncertain.
9-1-1: Lone Star Penultimate Episode Teases Devastating News For Tommy
The Description Is Intentionally Vague
With the series finale in sight, any new information could be a vital clue in piecing together the ending fates of 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s main characters. The procedural has already outright confirmed that the final episodes will center on the impending threat of an asteroid, a dramatic finish that requires the 126 to work together to save not only their people but potentially the world. Aside from 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s final tragedy, the spinoff has teased upcoming character-centric moments.
In the synopsis for 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5, episode 11, it’s revealed that TK Strand (Ronen Rubinstein) and Carlos Reyes (Rafael Silva) will begin their custody battle, Mateo Chavez (Julian Works) will run into immigration trouble, and Tommy will receive “devastating news” about… something (via Showbiz Junkies). Compared to the other snippets, Tommy’s is so general that it could apply to anything. It’d be easy to assume that this is related to her ongoing battle with breast cancer, but there are many other options that 9-1-1: Lone Star could turn to for a final shocking twist before the finale.
Why 9-1-1: Lone Star’s Update About Tommy Is Likely A Red Herring To Her Cancer Plot
Tommy’s Death Would Be Too Predictable
When Tommy’s breast cancer storyline was introduced in season 5, it rang alarm bells since 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s cancelation meant there was very little time to resolve such a serious plot. Consequently, every time Tommy is in a scene, it feels monumental, as if her character is always on the precipice of something drastic. However, it seems impossible for 9-1-1: Lone Star to kill Tommy off and have it feel earned or necessary. Life doesn’t have to end for her after the series finale, as she’s a front contender for characters to join 9-1-1 after 9-1-1: Lone Star ends.
In fact, Gina Torres has a secret cameo in 9-1-1 season 8 that proves she’s a favorite of the entire franchise. It simply wouldn’t make sense for 9-1-1: Lone Star to let Tommy die. The act would leave too many loose ends, creating questions regarding who would care for her twin daughters after she passes. Judson “Judd” Ryder (Jim Parrack) and Grace (Sierra McClain) are their godparents, but with Judd’s alcoholism resurfacing in season 5 and Grace halfway across the world, they’re no longer a feasible option. Tommy isn’t just wanted post-finale; she’s still needed.
What Tommy’s Devastating News May Actually Be
The Update Could Involve One Of Her Loved Ones
Tommy has been deeply ingrained in the plot of 9-1-1: Lone Star since her arrival, meaning that her loved ones are many. Anything that harms someone close to Tommy would devastate her all the same, calling into question whether the “devastating news” involves Tommy directly at all. Viewers have hoped the 9-1-1: Lone Star finale would fix Grace’s disappointing exit, but it’s possible Grace won’t return, and she tells her best friend first. Alternatively, something could have happened to Trevor and his daughter back in Kansas, or her own daughters could even be caught in a medical emergency.
Granted, the simplest answer could be the right one: Tommy is not responding well to her cancer treatment or, despite her therapy, her cancer may have progressed to stage 3 or beyond. That would allow 9-1-1: Lone Star to follow through with a death in the family to close out the show, but it leaves the door open for Tommy to make a recovery from more of an underdog position. Regardless of what the news truly is, Tommy deserves a happy ending, and the 9-1-1: Lone Star finale owes it to her.
