The actress breaks down the episode-ending surprise in Monday's hour.
Spoiler alert! Do not proceed if you have not watched Monday's 9-1-1: Lone Star.
Well, this certainly ups the stakes for Owen and his ex-wife, Gwyneth, on 9-1-1: Lone Star.
After having a frank conversation about their very messy, very complicated "friends with benefits" situation, Owen (Rob Lowe) and Gwyneth (Lisa Edelstein) were faced with a major life-changing surprise at the end of Monday's episode: She's pregnant.
The reveal came after Owen and Gwyneth ("Gwyn" for short) aired out their dirty laundry, so to speak, after he proposed -- literally -- that they get back together following their months-long quarantine hookups amid the pandemic. A (second) marriage proposal wasn't exactly what she had in mind when she expressed her concern over the viability of their no-strings-attached situation. Plus, there was never going to be a "right" time to break her pregnancy news anyway.
With Gwyn's unexpected news and the challenges that lie ahead for the not-officially-a-couple couple, ET emailed a few of our burning questions over to Edelstein to answer, from her initial reaction to the pregnancy twist to her thoughts on why Owen and Gwyn can't seem to be on the same page... ever.
ET: Rob Lowe said when it came time to cast Gwyn, he thought of you for the role. How did 9-1-1: Lone Star make its way into your world?
Lisa Edelstein: They called me last winter, but the timing wasn’t right. Then they reached out again during the summer in the midst of an industry-wide shutdown. This time, not only were we all available, but we were chomping at the bit to get back to work. With all that extra time for story development, they came to me with a detailed storyline and a fabulous character. Plus, I really liked them. They seemed like fun to work with.
How did it feel reuniting with Rob since your time on The West Wing? Was it like no time had passed?
Well, our reunion was in bed with no clothes on, so for one’s own survival you sort of pretend no time has passed. We have very weird jobs! He was lovely and funny and welcoming and we caught up real fast, ha! After getting our love scene out of the way, we could slow-roll the rest of it and get to know each other all over again. It’s been fun. Rob is great.
Owen's ex and TK's mom had been mentioned off and on over the course of the first season. Did you feel any pressure stepping into her shoes? What did you connect with most with the character?
I didn’t feel pressure at all, actually, because [executive producer] Tim Minear and team made it clear how much they saw me in this role. It really helps when you know you have the full confidence of the showrunners. So, I slipped off my shoes (boots) and put on Gwyn’s (mostly flat sneakers) pretty seamlessly. I loved the banter they gave her and Owen; I felt like Rob and I could have a lot of fun with it and indeed we have.
Owen and Gwyn have had a very complicated "friends with benefits" situationship so far this season. Why do you think they're struggling to be on the same page with their relationship?
It’s got to be confusing to get back together with an ex! They divorced 16 years ago and she’s had a significant relationship during that break. So, there is not only a lot to relearn about each other, but there is a lot that has changed. I imagine it’s difficult to feel safe when you revisit a relationship that has already failed majorly once before and though communication is imperative, it’s a language you have to rewrite on your feet.
Owen even proposes to her again, but she shoots him down (for now). Is marriage something that's realistically in the cards for them?
I don’t think Gwyn needs to be married or cares about being married. Owen mistook her need for understanding as a need for a proposal. All she really wants is to understand just what she is in and to go from there.
At the end of Monday's episode, Gwyn reveals to Owen that she's pregnant. How did you initially react when you read that baby surprise?
I laughed and laughed and laughed. Then I researched, “How old was the oldest woman to get pregnant without medical assistance?” The answer is 57. So… okay!
How does this change their relationship now that a baby is coming?
It certainly ups the stakes of making things work. Although, I think they are still on the fence about whether the pregnancy is realistic at her age. There are still hurdles ahead.
There is certainly higher risk involved with babies born to older mothers. What challenges do you foresee Gwyn going through in the days, weeks, months ahead?
You’ll find out soon enough.
Is there an episode or scene you've filmed recently that you're excited for fans to see?
All my scenes with Rob are fun. There was an episode pitched to me that we never shot that I wish we would -- flashback to the disaster that shook their marriage to the core. But alas, as much as I was ready to crawl through rubble to tell that story, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Anyway, crawling through (fake) rubble is never as fun as you think it will be. I once had to get shot in an episode of a long-lost TV show and crawl through fake glass. Let me just say that shooting on cold cement, in the winter, at 5 a.m., with sticky fake blood on you that needs to be wet down every few minutes is not fun. So, there you go. Instead, I’ve traded that for banter with Rob Lowe. Not a bad exchange.
9-1-1: Lone Star airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. For more on the series, watch below.
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