#ls speculation

[howtosingit]

Obviously taking this with a grain of salt for now, but we might be meeting Enzo in season 5? 👀

[ilyarozanovss]

I feel like they are setting up for the Owen retirement and then Judd taking over as captain and then they have a vacant spot and Wyatt will take over that spot. 

[tngrace]

RONEN IS A TEASE AND I'M FULLY PREPARED TO DIE TOMORROW NIGHT NOW

[howtosingit]

One thing that is starting to feel inevitable is that the only way Fox will probably be able to make a deal for a 6th season is for the show to undergo more principal cast changes. I think Fox wants to keep LS and I think Rob Lowe wants to stay at Fox (he's their golden boy after all), so if Fox can lock in a deal, season 6 will definitely include Rob Lowe, but who else would be asked to stay? The departure of Sierra makes it pretty clear that Fox (and 20th Century) considers everyone else expendable to an extent and would be fine to continue the show without them. Fox has even talked for years about running this show with ever-changing casts, but which cast members would Fox fight to keep for longer outside of Lowe, and which ones would even be willing to return... and what kind of contract will they be willing to accept for it?

[howtosingit]

so I personally thought that the voice on the phone at the very beginning of the episode sounded like Detective McGregor so I was keyed into him the whole episode and he was definitely a little suspicious

but I also think Ranger Chief Bridges was equally suspicious

so I think it's one of them or both of them but I definitely don't think it's campbell

but I love this DRAMA and I cannot wait to watch Carlos spiral and Rafa KILL. IT.

[howtosingit]

The silver lining to all the fandom bullshit, for me, is that I came out of 4x03 loving both TK and Carlos a whole helluva lot more than I ever have... and also seeing the ways, across 4x01 to 4x03, that they love so fiercely - both each other and others - with their whole fucking hearts... and knowing that loving that hard, that intensely, means that it’s never perfect because it’s so easy for emotions to make things messy and complicated when it consumes you like that... but I’ve always said that I could go through any angst with these two as long as the love is still there... and oh boy is it still there. 

I just really fucking love them both, warts and all.

[More under the cut because I have too many thoughts:]

I've analyzed both of their behaviors and I fully get them and appreciate them. I think what it boils down to is that they just have different priorities in 4x03 that aren't fully working in tandem at the moment and it's causing some tension... but it's actually really good tension because what couple has the same exact priorities every damn moment of their lives?? What are they, clones??

And if I'm thinking of only TK's emotions then I'm upset by Carlos's distance for sure... but I also think TK is a lot more than just upset. He's also feeling guilty (and he was before Carlos even knew about the visit, so that guilt was all his, Carlos did not put that on him initially) and concerned for Carlos because he's seeing Carlos behave erratically and that's new for him. Like, TK sees this change in Carlos and he is scared of it because he knows how far Carlos is willing to go for the people he loves, he’s seen Carlos do that for him before. He knows. So, I am reading TK's reactions as a lot more nuanced than just sad/upset - the man is feeling a lot... GIVE HIM A HUG PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

And as far as Carlos... our tragic, compartmentalizing Carlos... when Iris goes missing he pushes so much down just to focus on her - on finding her, on protecting her, on supporting her. He and TK have one argument and he does his best to not lash out... he buries it and shifts his focus. Full-on focus on finding Iris, finding answers. He gets right to work, he’s in detective/cop mode, just like Ronen said. And we know he has his own guilt driving him towards that, especially since he thinks that maybe coming back into her life like this, with the divorce and with TK, has fucked up her stability. He remains super focused on the s*x doll call because when he comes into the call it is literally in response to the missing person alert - unlike the 126, this call is tied to Iris from minute one for him... and then when he has Iris back he's still just focused on her because she is not doing well. But he's not ignoring TK completely this entire episode as I've seen so many people claim... he literally calls TK to give an update about Iris... he's concerned about Iris and he chooses to talk to TK about it... about whether or not he can believe her like he wants to when all the evidence says he shouldn't. It's the trusting his gut thing all over again... but this time it's trusting his gut to trust Iris... but he still calls TK to talk through that. And it’s not so that he can further blame TK for it either - that blame and guilt is still very much coming from TK himself, and if Carlos is doing anything wrong here it’s that he’s not reassuring TK that he’s blameless... and, like, I get that? Because Carlos also isn’t feeling blameless so maybe he’s thinking it’s both of their faults, that they did this to her. (Not correct, not rational, but understandable, at least to me.)

And then the final call that he makes... I love that the scene starts with his attention on the house... he clearly wants to go right in and get to work... but he pauses and calls TK... and sure he lies to him but that's because he's doing something he knows he shouldn't and he doesn't want to be convinced not to... which is understandable, too, I think. He would’ve lied to anyone in that moment. But he also doesn't want TK to worry when he doesn't come home so he calls and at least gives him a little bit of relief... and yes it's a lie but like... we knew Carlos was gonna be irrational this episode... he doesn't ALWAYS do the right thing. So it's a lie but it at least it gives him time to do what he wants to do AND it - in his mind, though he is wrong - will help settle TK worries.

I don't know... I'm just not mad about all of this. I actually think 4x03 was an incredibly strong episode (the Carlos plot only though). I mean those scenes with Iris... y'all I'm still losing my mind over them. Their friendship is so beautiful and you can clearly see how they were each other’s whole world at one point in time. I love seeing a Carlos that breaks the rules and does the wrong thing because my god I don't know a single person who doesn't fuck up every once in awhile... but he does it out of LOVE, he does it out of his NEED to help, to protect, to be there for the people he loves. Like, how the fuck am I supposed to hate him for that? (Spoiler alert: I’m not gonna and you can’t make me.)

I think if you’re THAT mad at Carlos, it’s because you’re not even trying to understand him in all of this... you’re seeing the POV that the show is giving us (which for the Tarlos of all of this is clearly TK, that’s why we got the talk with Tommy) and you’re not even trying to analyze the rest of the story. And, like, I’m not here to tell you you have to, but I think you’d find this a lot more enjoyable if you at least tried to see where all the characters are coming from. And you might still be frustrated with Carlos - he’s frustrating, hallelujah! - but you’d also realize he’s not the fucking devil. He’s just an imperfect man with a too-big heart stuck between a rock (tunnel) and a hard place (a shovel). And I’m so excited to see the LOVE that he and TK have for each other SAVE him (and them). IT’S. STILL. ALL. ABOUT. THEIR. LOVE.

Anyway... bring on 4x04, I’m so fucking READY.

[howtosingit]

Just thinking about the possibility of Owen “this wedding is going to be out of control” Strand pushing TK and Carlos to their limit (“My father’s gone insane”) so they decide to bring in a ringer [Andrea] for an intervention-type moment to try to get him in-line but then it completely backfires when Andrea decides she’s going to match Owen’s insanity (“What just happened?” “Our worst nightmare”) and how they’ll have to cling to each other to stay sane because at the end of the day they’re a great team and they can get through anything together

[howtosingit]

I mean, if wedding planning with the in-laws is happening in 4x08 “Control Freaks” (and it seems like that’s a guarantee now) and they’re already at the point of fittings and details and such, I think it’s totally probable that the wedding is our big 4x12 or 4x13 Tarlos episode. 

(They really do like to give them the 4th, the 8th, and then the 12th/13th episodes each season, it’s nice to have a pattern established for the most part.) 

Which I absolutely love because it means we get 5 or so episodes of honeymoon period with the newlyweds 🥹🥹🥹