Spoilers ahead for Episode 3 of 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 on Fox.
9-1-1: Lone Star gets off to a big start for its final season in the 2024 TV schedule, with a literal train crash. The heroes of the 126 also face a deadly cloud of chlorine gas that threatens one group or another depending on the wind. Luckily, despite some narrow escapes and a painfully injured Marjan, all the good guys survive the train crash, and the episode ends with Owen finally making a choice about a lieutenant… and an emotional and humbling moment for Marjan that executive producer Rashad Raisani explained to CinemaBlend, referencing an iconic TV scene.
When Owen was about to announce who he was picking as the next lieutenant for the 126, Marjan spoke up to take her name off the list so that Paul could get the job after he approached the train crash and saved a life that she missed. It was a lovely moment, and Owen never had to reveal who he was picking. He took a moment to step aside and whisper something in Marjan’s ear, and it was a moment so quick that I could easily imagine viewers missing it during Paul and Judd’s celebration of his newness as a lieutenant after his ordeal without Grace.
It was also a moment that caught my attention so much that I had to ask the executive producer about it. So, will we ever find out what Owen whispered to Marjan after she decided to support Paul for the lieutenant role? Here’s what Rashad Raisani had to say: We’ll never know, because I feel like it’s there. I think of two great moments in film and television history that have had a huge impact on me. There’s the end of Lost in Translation, when Bill Murray whispers something in Scarlett Johansson’s ear, and then there’s a similar moment that had an equal and maybe even more impact on me. It’s funny, it’s in The Office, when Steve Carell leaves the show and Pam catches [Michael] at the airport, and they both take off their mics, and he whispers one last thing to her, which still makes me choke up, just thinking about it.
Lost in Translation famously ends with Bill Murray’s character kissing Scarlett Johansson’s character, whispering something in her ear, and then walking away to go their separate ways. The film was ranked by CinemaBlend as one of the best movies of the 2000s for a reason, but it’s probably more related to 9-1-1: The Lone Star moment between Owen and Marjan is a moment from The Office.
When Michael left Scranton to make way for Steve Carrell to leave the series, The Office amplified the emotion by having Pam chase him to the airport so they could hug and say a few final words. While Jenna Fischer revealed some details about what she said to Carrell, the beloved comedy never revealed what Pam said to Michael.
