Jim Parrack Reacts to Sierra McClain’s Departure from ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’
The final season of 9-1-1: Lone Star looks a little different without Sierra McClain, and her on-screen husband Jim Parrack reacted to the unexpected departure. It was announced over the summer that the actress would not be returning for Season 5 as 9-1-1 dispatcher Grace Ryder after her contract with Fox was not renewed. The departure was sudden and shocking, as Grace was undoubtedly a fan favorite for a number of reasons.
While the departure was heartbreaking, Parrack told TVLine that it was “hard to argue” with McClain’s decision. “I love and respect her so much,” he shared. “She’s a good, upstanding human being. I said, ‘Hey, trust yourself and do whatever you think is best.’ There was no part of me, on a human level or a friend level, that could have talked her out of such an important decision. 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.'” As for Lone Star’s explanation for Grace’s absence, Judd revealed in the Season 5 premiere that his wife is helping out on a Relief Ship. It’ll be interesting to see how Judd is coping without Grace, being a single dad and trying to stay busy. But Judd supports her decision, just as Parrack supports McClain’s. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like she’ll be back before the series ends, even if it’s just for a short time. How the series continues without her remains to be seen.
Since this is the final season, there’s no telling what will happen. Filming on Season 5 wrapped over the summer, but it was only announced last month that it would be the final season. While this came as a surprise, it was previously reported that Lone Star might be canceled. The show won’t be moving to ABC like the original 9-1-1 series, but there is a spinoff in the works from Ryan Murphy and Tim Minear. It’s unclear whether any of the characters from Lone Star will appear in the new series or the original series, but anything is possible.
It’s sad to see 9-1-1: Lone Star without Sierra McClain, but at least fans can always go back and watch the first four seasons on Hulu if they miss Grace Ryder. And if they don’t mind, new episodes of Lone Star will air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox’s fall 2024 schedule.
