When news broke ahead of 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 that Sierra McClain walked away from the show, there were questions about how Grace would be written out.
As one of the FOX drama’s most popular characters, it was a tricky situation for the writers to navigate because there had to be a genuine reason for her to leave her husband, Judd (Jim Parrack), and her life in Texas behind.
The good news is that the show didn’t waste much time before giving viewers insight into what happened after the conclusion of 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 4.
Judd revealed that Grace is out of town because she’s volunteering for a Christian charity abroad, which got her attention after a presentation at her and Judd’s church.
“She knew it was inconvenient,” Judd said of Grace’s absence.
“She knew that it was terrible timing. But she felt the touch of God. I can still see her face that day,” he added.
“Her eyes were shining with tears. Not just tears — this fire, too, you know? And I never loved her more than I did in that moment.”
9-1-1: Lone Star did the best it could without Sierra McClain
It’s a decent way to explain why the character is gone because the alternative would have been for the writers to elect to kill off Grace, which would have felt cheap given that Sierra had already filmed her final scenes on the show.
When the idea of writing out Grace was conceived, the series was still in contention to return for a sixth season on FOX.
As we now know, the Rob Lowe-fronted first responder drama has been canceled, so it’s easier to explain why Grace is out of town and not at her job.
Perhaps the upcoming series finale will give Judd intel that his wife plans to return at some point, or maybe he’ll visit her with their daughter.
FOX’s decision to cancel 9-1-1: Lone Star came out of the left field because it was still a strong ratings performer in its fourth season.
9-1-1: Lone Star is set to end this year
Unfortunately, the show was placed on an 18-month hiatus, which we know will send the ratings in the wrong direction. It’s rare for broadcast shows to hold onto momentum with such lousy scheduling.
FOX previously canceled the original 9-1-1, which swiftly moved to the Disney-owned ABC, but recent reports indicate that 9-1-1: Lone Star may not be so lucky.
Disney and ABC are reportedly exploring avenues to expand the 9-1-1 franchise with a new Las Vegas-set spinoff.
As a result, there’s a genuine possibility that 9-1-1: Lone Star will wrap up for good later this year with the conclusion of its fifth season.
9-1-1: Lone Star airs Mondays at 9/8c on FOX. Stream Seasons 1-5 on Hulu.