9-1-1 Lone Star Season 5 Is Already a Disaster, Months Before Premiere
9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 is shaping up to be a mess months before it airs. The future of the 9-1-1 spinoff was already in doubt when the main series moved to ABC. By the time 9-1-1: Lone Star was renewed for season 5, Fox was invested in the future of the Rob Lowe-starring drama. However, things appear to have changed behind the scenes, as there are now conflicting reports about the show’s fate. 9-1-1: Lone Star’s season 4 finale set up a great season ahead, so it would be a shame to end it without a conclusion.
9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 is expected to air in the fall of 2024, with a 17-month hiatus between seasons due to last year’s Hollywood labor strike. With no answers yet on the spinoff’s future, it’s hard to imagine 9-1-1: Lone Star staying on the air much longer. Fox canceled 9-1-1 due to budget concerns, which could be true for 9-1-1: Lone Star after a major departure.
The show isn’t just losing Grace; it’s losing the dynamic between her and her husband that has elevated 9-1-1: Lone Star through some of its most tumultuous times.
Sierra McClain’s departure from 9-1-1: Lone Star is a huge blow to the spinoff’s upcoming season. As a 9-1-1 call handler, Grace has had a front-row seat at crime scenes and assisted those in danger. Over the course of four seasons, her storyline has developed significantly. Her relationship with Judd (Jim Parrack) was also a strong point, so it’s hard to see why a beloved actor like McClain would leave before 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5. Grace has a pleasant personality and a great rapport with most of the other characters, so explaining her departure would be difficult since she and Judd had such a great chemistry.
The show isn’t just losing Grace; it’s losing the dynamic between her and her husband, which has helped 9-1-1: Lone Star get through some of its most tumultuous times. It would be easier to explain Grace’s departure if Parrack were to leave as well. So the only likely scenario here is that Grace takes some time off work or a family emergency forces her out of town. While Grace and Judd are one of the best couples on the 9-1-1 series, their story will feel incomplete since they won’t have an on-screen goodbye.
The uncertain future of 9-1-1: Lone Star means there will likely be some cliffhangers for the season 5 finale. 20th Television, the show’s production company, is not interested in negotiating casting deals after the upcoming season. Without a casting deal, 9-1-1: Lone Star cannot continue unless it’s a full reboot with a different cast. Reports suggest that much of the show’s cast is looking for new jobs when production wraps in July. A five-season TV show should be celebrated, but the show’s legacy will be forever tarnished if it ends on cliffhangers.
With the cast’s options expiring and no indication that new deals are being discussed, it’s hard to imagine that 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5 will be a satisfying finale. With production wrapping before the first season premiere, it’s possible that the creators could have crafted two endings to give the show some form of closure if it weren’t for the last-minute delays. However, Fox and 20th Television may not want to film any more scenes on the show and could make a final decision later.
It would be difficult to reassemble the cast if the decision to renew was made after their options expired. The cast is vital to the continued success of 9-1-1: Lone Star, and without most of them, the show would feel like a different show. The tricky part is that the options expire before 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5 premieres, meaning Fox could cancel it before a single episode airs. Despite the hurdles, one of the best ways to make a case for renewal is to get good ratings.
9-1-1: Lone Star season 4’s viewership is much higher than Fox’s current shows, but it would be a miracle if viewership didn’t suffer due to the long break between seasons. It’s possible that season 5 will have some great storylines that bring all the emotional layers to a satisfying conclusion, but with so many characters and so little screen time, that’s unlikely to happen. Another possibility is that one or two characters could move to 9-1-1 at the end of 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5. Either way, it’s going to be a tough few months for the show.
