Seeing Carlos look so at home at the 126 fire station makes me think that he never had this type of camaraderie before he met TK and the 126 firefam. From what we have seen on screen, Carlos is the consummate professional whenever he is in uniform, so to see him walk into the fire station which such familiarity speaks volumes about how he was able to be more of himself whenever TK is around. Would love to know your take on how Carlos is like in his workplace, since they never show him interacting with his colleagues at the police station (except with Detective Washington, but that is a more of a mentor-like professional relationship).
AHHH!!! NONNY I FOUND YOU AND YOUR QUESTION WAS DIFFERENT!
Also your question was way different than I'd interpreted it in a separate post so I'm so glad.
Carlos in his workplace probably has a few friends that he'll chat with, but I have a feeling he's a consumate professional.
We haven't seen the inside of Carlos's APD station very often. We've seen it four times: once with TK, twice with Detective Washington, and one episdoe with Carlos and his Dad. In with Detective Washington, though, when he's bringing in Michelle (his personal life) into his professional space, there's a very clear "don't embarras me" message. And yes, Detective Washington is his superior in some ways, but he's also very much holding a line here.
However, we DO see him interacting with other officers out and about. One of my favorite moments is in Saving Grace when Carlos and TK are unpacking food for the 126 and Judd. He's recognized by the other officers and straightens up almost immediately and his voice shifts as the on duty officers casually talk (horrifically) about being there to see a drunk driver who ran a couple off of a bridge last night. We could excuse the tension as a result of what they said, considering Judd and Grace ARE the couple that was run off the bridge. But it happens before that comes out.
We also see Carlos in the field as a consumate professional. Like, he flirts with TK all of once, and it's just him and the 126 in earshot in that shot in 2x01. Otherwise, they barely speak on calls, with their sweet head nods and those fraught looks in 3x11 (still murders me). And when he's out with others, there tends to be a very professional line he takes. Even in 3x05 when he sees Owen, there's the surprise and the "Captain Strand" and when Washington asks him about knowing the man, there's a little grimace as he owns that Owen is his father-in-law. He struggles, sometimes with that mixing of the personal and the professional. In 3x05, he doesn't relax with Detective Washington until after they finish the case and give Katie to her parents and Detective Washington calls him a pushy bastard suggests he'd make a great detective.
We even watch it happen in his house, in 3x11, when Grace makes it clear she's not there for a friendly visit, Carlos's demenor shifts immediately. Is some of that what happened on the SWATting call (probably) but also it's bringing a case into his house and the smile drops. Similiarly when he's focused on reviewing footage in the house in 3x05 and 3x12, he's very focused and methodical.
I also think the way he shows up to his job has a lot to do with his father. We know from Bad Call that Carlos feels like he has a lot to prove about his ability on the job. His captain and his dad have been friends for years is another detail we get from Carlos in Bad Call. He also alerts us that his dad thinks he's not cut out to be a cop, that he's maybe too soft, cares too much.
If you know your boss is a good friend of your dad's and you think your dad thinks you shouldn't be doing your job...well...you'll show up 200% percent every day. And yes, he's probably cordial and friendly and lovely at work, but I don't think he relaxes in the precinct.
Like, we've seen two very different turns in the 126 firehouse in season 3 with 3x07 vs 3x11. 3x07 he's "on shift" and he's there to share information to try and keep his personal life and his professional life from crashing in a terrible fashion. If you watch 3x07 vs 3x11, the greetings for TK are entirely different. In 3x07, TK's all soft and "Hi babe, you want next?" and Carlos's direct response is "No, I'm on shift." There's no physical contact, no softness there. He's there to try and stop an unstoppable force from hitting an immovable object (rafa for superman 2024). 3x11, Carlos is on a lunch break and he's joining his family for lunch. His entire demeanor is different, giving TK chest rubs and engaging in banter, and even if he's a little eyebrow raise with Mateo hugging him, it's not unwelcome. He sits down and doesn't blink as TK scratches his back as he leaves, clearly happy to continue his planned lunch break with the rest of their little fire family.
So, I think inside the precinct walls, that's ON SHIFT. You get 1000% professional Carlos. I really hope he has a few collegues he considers friends that he goes out with after work or for a lunch break where you would see the shift in his demeanor with them.
But also, I'm going to acknowledge that Carlos is an out queer Tejano cop, and that's going to requrie a lot of trust with people to let his guard down period. Owen built the 126 as part of a fedral diversity and inclusion mission and built it a certain way that is probably more comfortable than your average firehouse or precinct.
