A firefighter challenges Owen for captain of the 126. Meanwhile, Mateo studies for the fire fighter's exam.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- AB Negative: At the beginning of the episode, Tina, the driver and truck crash victim needs a blood transfusion, but the hospital can’t get to the accident site for at least an hour. Her passenger Taylor, who came out of the crash unscathed, tells Michelle that she is O- (a universal donor), and volunteers to use her blood in a field transfusion.
- Badass Boast: Owen to Billy after Billy tells him the new team won’t last after he get Owen’s job.Owen: You want my job? Come and take it.
- Bait-and-Switch: After a bit of insulting banter between Owen and Billy and then a bit of Reverse Psychology on Owen’s part, Owen beats Billy during a poker game. It looks like Billy is going absolutely blow up, but he instead laughs and lauds Owen’s gutsiness.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Billy Tyson pretends to be friendly with Owen, but as soon as he finds out that Owen has cancer, Billy turns around and tells the Deputy Fire Chief of his condition, intending to force Owen out of his position.
- Brainy Brunette: Marjan has the highest score on the firefighter written exam out of everyone in the 126.
- Cassandra Truth: Owen is warned about Billy twice throughout the episode, but chooses to ignore the advice he is given:
- Judd warns Owen that Billy hates the idea of him, as Billy wanted to rebuild the 126. Owen chooses to goad him in the poker match.
- Michelle warns Owen to keep an eye on Billy. Owen thinks that Michelle is just being a scorned ex, as Billy told him that they used to have a thing.
- The Captain: Billy Tyson is the Captain of Fire Station 121.
- Driver Faces Passenger: The accident at the start of the episode is the result of this. The driver turns and faces her passenger to grab her phone to charge it, taking her eyes off the road and straight into the back of the trailer of a truck.
- Food as Bribe: Owen makes Marjan a nutmeg-kiwi smoothie before asking her to help Mateo study for his firefighter written exam.
- Headphones Equal Isolation: The truck driver is not immediately aware that something crashed into the back of his rig, partially because he was listening to and loudly singing along to radio music.
- The Illegal: Mateo is a Dreamer
. He wasn’t born in the USA, and his parents brought him over the border when he was two. If Mateo fails to pass his written exam, he won’t just wash out, he will be deported. - Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: A farmer falls under his swather, and his legs get impaled by the blades.
- It's Personal: Billy’s hatred of Owen. When the 126 tragedy struck, Billy put his hat into the ring to rebuild the station but was passed over for Owen and transferred to Station 121.
- When Billy reveals that he went behind Owen’s back to inform Radford of his cancer, and that it was Nothing Personal, the latter fires this back.
- Jerkass: Mateo’s old captain is the one to read him his exam, and is surprised that he’s citing the Disability Act as a reason to redo the exam. Clearly, he doesn't believe that Mateo is actually dyslexic.
- "L" Is for "Dyslexia": Mateo is severely dyslexic, which is the reason as to why he keeps failing his written exams.
- Man Hug:
- Between Owen and Billy, before Owen gives Billy a tour of the new station.
- Between Owen and Mateo after he passes his exam.
- Nothing Personal: At the end, Billy tells Owen that telling Deputy Fire Chief Radford about his cancer was nothing personal, just an available opportunity that he took to return to the 126. Owen doesn’t believe it for a second.
- Poker: Judd holds a friendly game of Texas Hold ‘Em with other firefighters from around town.
- Pet the Dog: Before he backstabs Owen with this fact, Billy expresses genuine sympathy towards the man’s own cancer experience.
- Reverse Psychology: During the captains’ poker game, Owen is able to make it look like he’s faking anxiety over a bad hand, allowing him to get Billy to go all in and deal a royal flush. Owen then reveals his own flush and 8 hand, which wins him the rest of the poker chips.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Tim points out that it's against protocol to do a field transfusion, but Michelle says if they follow protocol, Tina won’t make it.
- ShoutOut:
- So Proud of You: Owen tells Mateo that he’s proud of him after Mateo passes his written exam.
- Timmy in a Well: The 126 is called in to assist with a dog that has cornered two young girls on the roof of a car. The dog is trying to get someone to follow him, as his owner has fallen and gotten stuck under the blades of his swather. Owen notices that the dog is covered in blood, before the dog runs off wanting the team to follow him.
- Training Montage: Mateo is seen in numerous scenes with headphones in, listening to the audio files of his team member reciting relevant textbook for his written exam.
