Warning: This post contains spoilers from Season 5, Episode 3 of 9-1-1: Lone Star.
Judd Ryder is finally back on 126, though not everyone—including the actor who plays him, Jim Parrack—could have predicted it.
9-1-1: Lone Star wrapped up its three-part premiere event on Monday by revealing Paul as the new lieutenant, while also welcoming Judd back to the team… as a rookie.
“I thought it was cool that they told me this was their idea,” Parrack told TVLine, adding that it played out exactly as it does in real life. “I looked it up. If you move in from somewhere else and you’re not retired, you keep your status. But if you retire and come back, you have to start from the bottom. Most of all, I love how real firefighters have to deal with things
But while Parrack appreciated the twist, he assured us that “no one loved it more than Julian Works,” who plays former firefighter Mateo.
Now, we’re less excited about Season 5’s twist: Parrack said it’s “hard to argue” with Sierra McClain’s decision not to return as Grace after contract negotiations fell through. “I love and respect her so much,” he told us. “She’s a good, upstanding human being. I said, ‘Hey, trust yourself and do whatever you think is best.’ There’s no part of me, on a human level or a friend level, that could have talked her out of such an important decision.”
On the other hand, “Of course I was like, ‘Damn, she’s one of the best co-stars I’ve ever had, and now I’m not going to have her,'” Parrack admitted.
Judd has nothing but supportive words for Grace’s decision to leave her family behind and board the Mercy Ship, but it certainly seems like there’s tension simmering beneath the surface… and about to come to a head.
Explaining that resentment is a natural human response, Parrack noted that “if we don’t actively work to get rid of it, it’s easy to develop [resentment] within ourselves. And it seems like it does the most damage to the people we love.” He told us, “Stay tuned, because Judd might be facing some of that coming up.”
As 9-1-1: Lone Star wraps production on its final season, we’re also curious about what souvenirs the cast chose to bring back from the set. Parrack wouldn’t give a detailed list of his memorabilia, but he divided it into two distinct categories.
“There are things that I was given, like the 126 helmet, which is in my office here, and some things that I brought with me, like the toy fire truck from the Ryders—it was on their bookshelf, and now it’s on my bookshelf,” Parrack said. “There may have been some sticky fingers from the cast at the end, because we all loved the show so much and wanted to keep a piece of it.”
At the conclusion of the final season of 9-1-1: Lone Star, Tommy agreed to be interviewed by Trevor’s ex-wife (after her own near-death experience escaping the “toxic cloud of death”), Marjan supported Paul as the new lieutenant of the 126, and Owen continued to grieve the loss of his brother.
What do you think of Judd’s new position on the team? His growing resentment towards Grace? Check out Part 3 of the first part of Season 5 below, then leave a comment with your full review.
