With just seven episodes left, 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5, episode 5, “Thunderstruck,” brings back a character who, in retrospect, might have been perfect for Owen. The Fox procedural drama created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear follows the personal and professional lives of first responders in Austin, Texas. More specifically, 9-1-1: Lone Star centers on Station 126, a fire station run by Rob Lowe’s Owen, a fire captain. Owen moves from New York City to Austin with his son, TK, when 9-1-1: Lone Star begins. While Owen is a great captain, friend, and father, he has also been unlucky in love for most of the series. His relationship with Gwyn Morgan has been on and off for years, even before the show began, and when she passes away, Owen is devastated. All of his other relationships or potential relationships have also failed. So with 9-1-1: Lone Star ending after season 5, Owen doesn’t have much time left to meet a worthy match (if he still has feelings).
Robyn Lively reprises her role as Marlene Harris in the cast of 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5. Marlene was first introduced at the beginning of season 3 when her son, Wyatt Harris, Judd Ryder at Station 126 claimed that Judd was his father. Decades ago, Judd and Marlene had a one-night stand, and Marlene gave birth to Wyatt. Since then, Judd has learned about his son, and Lively has appeared in a few other episodes. Now, the actress has a recurring role in season 5, and her next storyline involves Owen.
In 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5, episode 5, Owen takes care of a ferocious horse, Thunder, who he comes across during a call. Judd brings Owen to Marlene at the end of the hour so she can help him tame the animal. In the brief exchange between Owen and Marlene, it seems like they’re flirting, and their chemistry is undeniable. Yes, Marlene may have had a fiancé in previous episodes (played by Lively’s real-life husband, Bart Johnson). However, her situation may have changed, and Marlene is still single and available to date.
Thanks to Fox canceling the 9-1-1 spinoff series, a lot needs to happen before 9-1-1: Lone Star ends, including a happy ending for Owen. Rob Lowe’s character doesn’t need to have a love interest to have a satisfying conclusion to his story. Still, it would be nice to see Owen end up with someone who’s perfect for him, and that person could easily be Marlene.
As seen in the trailer for 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5, episode 6, Marlene not only helps Owen tame Thunder, but also helps him deal with his demons (i.e., the death of his brother). If Marlene is the one to finally get Owen to open up, then she’s his perfect match. As for the possibility of Owen and Marlene actually getting romantically involved, 9-1-1: Lone Star cast member Ronen Rubinstein told TVLine, “Owen’s definitely hitting a, like, zero to seven right now with relationships. He could definitely take a few notes from his son’s playbook on how to keep a relationship going. You’d have to ask Rob [Lowe] about that.”
