The cast and crew of 9-1-1: Lone Star are “just letting things roll” as they film the fifth and final season — but will fans get the ending they want?
“We’re going to say beautiful goodbyes to each of these characters,” co-executive producer Rashad Raisani told TVLine on Monday, September 23, teasing, “But we’re also leaving the door open for stories.”
Raisani admitted that “It feels like there’s really more to explore in depth” despite season 5 being the final season of the Fox drama.
The EP explained that his team was aware going into the season that it would be “an uphill battle to get things past season 5.” The team knew that “there was a good chance that this was going to be the last season.”
Raisani realized that with “corporate factors at play,” the fate of 9-1-1: Lone Star was “out of our creative control.”
9-1-1: Lone Star, which starred Rob Lowe, Gina Torres, Jim Parrack, Ronen Rubinstein, and more, debuted in 2020. As season 5 approached, the network remained mum on whether it would renew for season 6. Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade told Deadline in May that the show’s fate depended on how season 5 played out. “We’ll see how things play out as usual, then make a decision on the future of the series,” he said.
A month later, Robyn Lively added fuel to the fire to dispel rumors in a since-deleted Instagram post. “So excited to be a part of the final season of @911lonestar!! What an amazing ride!” Lively, who plays recurring character Marlene Harris, wrote in June.
Rubinstein, who plays paramedic T.K. Strand, attempted to calm the speculation, noting that the stories circulating never “spelled out a definitive fate for our show.”
He wrote via his Instagram Story in June, “One thing I know for sure is that we will continue to pour our blood, sweat, and tears into these final episodes and bring you our most special season yet.”
Last month, Lowe, who plays Captain Owen Strand, hinted that the rumors might be true. “We all went into it with the idea that this was going to be the last season, so that influenced everything we did,” Lowe, 60, told Variety in an August 1 article. “We really wanted to show people what could still happen on network television if people were interested.”
News broke on September 5 that 9-1-1: Lone Star would not return for season 6 after months of cancellation speculation. (The cancellation came after Deadline reported in June that Sierra McClain would not return as Grace for season 5 following issues renegotiating her contract.) Still, the show’s end doesn’t mean the cast won’t go without a bang. “It’s really beautiful and grueling,” Torres, who plays the sheriff, said, “80 percent of what you see is real. The explosions are real.” “The fires are real,” Torres, 55, teased, confirming that the “toxicity” of the smoke on the show isn’t. “That train wreck is not a microcosm. That train wreck is real,” she added.
“If you’re a Tommy fan, we’re going through it this season,” the actress revealed, noting that it’s the “most challenging season” for her character.
Meanwhile, Raisani admitted that he’s not ready to say goodbye to 9-1-1: Lone Star. “I love this show. I love working with these actors,” he told TVLine. “I feel like we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what they can do and what we as a show can do.”
