Judd learns what physical recovery entails for an injured Wyatt, while Carlos and Gabriel start to mend fences before a sudden tragedy occurs.
Tropes:
- Accidental Kidnapping: A drugged man forcefully takes a woman’s car while not realizing her baby is in the backseat at first.
- Career-Ending Injury: Judd and Marlene learn that the accident Wyatt was in caused significant enough damage to his spine and limbs that the motor functions in his arms, while improving, still require intensive vocational therapy in order to be built back up. The same is true for his lumbar function, lest he remain paralyzed from the waist down.
- A Death in the Limelight: Gabriel, who is unceremoniously and unexpectedly shot in the heart when in the middle of showing Andrea his best man’s tuxedo.
- Follow in My Footsteps: When Gabriel visits the loft, he informs Carlos that one of the Rangers in their debrief meeting, Assistant Chief Bridges, is considering Carlos as a potential recruit in large part because of his involvement in dismantling the organ trafficking ring back in “Donors” (4.15). He even sells the idea of joining the Rangers as akin to TK’s own experiences following Owen into the NYFD and AFD.
- Hero of Another Story: During their lunch, Andrea tells Carlos that under Gabriel’s leadership, the Texas Rangers saw a dramatic increase in minority recruit acceptances, specially ones of Tejano/ Latine descent.
- Hope Spot: The Ryder-Harris family is all hopeful for Wyatt’s test results, with Wyatt even remarking that even with his weakened grip strength, he is getting itchy ankles… until one of the nurses who tested him informs Judd and Marlene about his prognosis.
- Sudden Downer Ending: Not long after they attend their son’s wedding rehearsal dinner, Andrea and Gabriel are interrupted by a delivery while Gabriel is trying on a tuxedo for the wedding. While Andrea takes a call from Carlos, Gabriel is fatally shot in the doorway, with Andrea noticing a second too late and Carlos hearing every moment of it over the phone.
