A used-car retailer involves a bull in a publicity stunt with predictable results. Owen tries to prove he is qualified to do his job by running an endurance course; this leads to everyone finding out about his illness. Michelle continues to look for her sister.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Owen gets Billy a gift-wrapped poker instruction book and gives it to him in hospital, calling back to their first Hold’ Em game. When the latter unwraps it, he appreciates the humor.
- Bolt of Divine Retribution: Judd calls Billy getting struck by lightning “an act of God.”
- Brutish Bulls: A rodeo bull named Malachi is brought into Happy Stan's Used Car Lot as an attraction for sales. When a teenage accidentally scares him by backing into a picnic table, the bull starts wildly charging at the crowd, even goring Happy Stan. The team then finds the bull stuck in a van and free him after tranquilizing him, using the jaws of life on low power to cut through the metal, and Owen calming him down.
- Deus ex Machina: Owen's stubborn pride results in not only his team and superiors learning about his cancer, but also a virtually Unwinnable Training Simulation that would worsen his physical health and cost him his position as Fire Captain. Then Billy, while gloating about what he’d do in that position, gets struck by lighting while playing golf with only Owen’s immediacy saving his life. This convinces Deputy Chief Radford that he is fit to lead the 126 (though it could’ve been helped with Billy giving Radford his own testimony).
- Eye Scream: An oxy addict tries to break into Michelle's van for pills. She sprays mace in his eyes, making him run away.
- Downplayed with Billy’s right cataract, which he sustained from the lightning strike.
- Follow the Chaos: The 126 follow a trail of battered cars left by Malachi to find him stuck headfirst in the side rear of a van.
- Hero Does Public Service: Michelle volunteers at a homeless shelter called Sanctuary Hearts in her free time to help locals who camp out under a bridge.
- Internal Reveal:
- Paul, Marjan, and Mateo find out about Owen’s lung cancer.
- Over drinks, Billy tells Judd that running the firefighter qualifying physical endurance course was Owen’s idea.
- Lethally Stupid: Happy Stan, a well-known used car lot owner, wants to boost income at his mass car sale it by bringing in a special guest: a championship rodeo bull, Malachi. He is warned that taking the bull out of its trailer is a bad idea, but insists that the public must see the bull up close or they will go home disappointed. Rodeo bulls are not known for their calm demeanor and the noise and bustle of the crowded car lot make the bull extremely antsy— as noted when a test drive results in the bull goes on a rampage overturning cars and charging blindly, resulting in multiple people sustaining life-threatening gore injuries.
- Man Hug: Between Owen and TK, after Owen reveals that he’s still going to be captain of the 126.
- Mighty Whitey: Discussed between Paul, Marjan, and Judd about Billy possibly splitting everyone up because of racial biases.
- Nervous Tics: Michelle taps her feet on the floor with anxiety while waiting for Detective Washington to let her and Carlos in.
- Never Tell Me the Odds!: Owen tells Judd this after Judd asks what the odds are of him passing the CPAT test.
- Parrot Exposition: Judd repeats everything Owen says to him about practicing for his CPAT test so he can process it for himself.
- Playing Nice for Now: Though she complains about Detective Sarina Washington being “mean” to her, Michelle reluctantly promises Carlos that she’ll be civil since the former’s been working on Iris’ case for the last three years.
- Product Placement: The poker instruction book Owen gives to Billy at the hospital is from the For Dummies
series. - Required Spinoff Crossover: Pepper, a character from episode "Christmas Spirit" (3.10) of 9-1-1, has moved to Austin after being released from jail, and completing a court-mandated training for anger management as a result of her previous actions.
- Self-Defenseless: Michelle pepper-sprays sprays a man that was trying to break into her volunteer van. The man is able to run away without much trouble.
- Shock and Awe: Averted. Pepper initially thinks that her handyman was electrocuted, but Michelle’s team, Paul and Judd figure out that he’d actually suffered an epileptic seizure.
- Shout-Out:
- Judd misinterprets Owen quoting Indiana Jones when he says to never tell him the odds, Owen corrects him saying that it was actually Han Solo.
- Social Media Before Reason: While the rodeo bull goes on his rampage, a lot of bystanders are seen still hanging around and filming the event, not caring for their own safety.
- Story Arc: Michelle, with Carlos’ help, finds out the owner of the blue truck that Iris was last seen in and what Iris was doing the night before she disappeared.
- Tempting Fate: While playing golf, it starts to rain, Owen attempts to move his conversation with Billy indoors, Billy asks him if he's afraid of a little weather. Billy ends up getting struck by lightning.
- Too Dumb to Live: While trying to prove that he is still fit to be a firefighter, Owen offers to run the firefighter qualifying physical endurance course (CPAT for short). He ignores the fact that this is a test that is very hard to pass for a 20 year old in top physical shape, he is much older than 20 years old, he has lung cancer and is suffering from the effects of chemotherapy. When he tries to do a practice run, he passes out 2/3 of the way through the course. It’s later subverted when he performs an extremely physically taxing rescue to save Billy’s life; when Radford learns of this, he takes it as sufficient proof that Owen is still physically fit enough to do the job.
- Training Montage: Owen, working with TK, trains to run the firefighter qualifying physical endurance course. Owen ends up collapsing right at the end, unable to complete the training under the time limit.
- Wham Shot: The episode ends with Michelle crying and Carlos looking on as the truck that Iris was last seen in is pulled out from the ravine where it crashed.
- What the Hell, Hero?: After learning from Billy that Owen self-instated his CPAT, Judd confronts Owen in anger, disbelief and worry for not only his captain, but the entire rest of the 126. Judd then calls out his captain’s pride and interjects that only an act from God could change things, and everyone should start praying.
- Worthy Opponent: Billy wants to put Owen out of the 126 fire house to "save" it. He even smirks that as soon as Owen quits, he'll fire the entire station personnel. When he's hit by a lightning bolt, Billy is saved by Owen which proves he's fit for duty. Coming to see Billy in the hospital, Owen doesn't gloat but instead offers Billy to keep at work as he likes someone who's willing to challenge him. Realizing he owes Owen his life, Billy accepts the offer, now clearly respecting Owen more.
