Why Was 9-1-1: Lone Star Canceled?

Set in Austin, Texas, FOX’s 9-1-1: Lone Star follows the firefighters and paramedics at Firehouse 126, led by Fire Captain Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) and Paramedic Captain Tommy Vega (Gina Torres). Strand relocated from New York City to Austin after the 126 experienced a terrible tragedy, losing all of their men except one — Judd Ryder (Jim Parrack), who is married to former 9-1-1 dispatcher Grace Ryder (Sierra McClain). Strand also brought his son, T.K. Strand (Ronen Rubenstein), to Austin, and he joined the 126 first as a firefighter and then as a paramedic. Other members of the 126 include paramedic Nancy Gillian (Brianna Baker) and firefighters Mateo Chavez (Julian Works), Paul Strickland (Brian Michael Smith), and Marjan Marwani (Natacha Karam). Rounding out the main characters is Carlos Reyes (Rafael L. Silva), an Austin police officer turned Texas Ranger who is married to T.K. Strand.

9-1-1: Lone Star debuted in January 2020 and began airing its fifth season on September 23, 2024. With just three episodes remaining, the show had been wrapping up important storylines so that it can set its characters up for a future viewers can imagine them in. When 9-1-1: Lone Star’s fifth season began, it had jumped forward nine months — also about the same amount of time it was off the air due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and FOX delaying the show’s return to Fall 2024 — so that some of its storylines could move into new stages. The first nine episodes of the season have been some of the shows best, making it even more disappointing for viewers that Season 5 will be the show’s last.

9-1-1: Lone Star’s Cancelation Was Unexpected

When FOX decided to delay 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s return after the strikes to the Fall, fans were disappointed but not concerned. The show returned to filming around the same time as other network television shows, so fans knew they had something to look forward to. Unfortunately, the closer the premiere date became, the more things changed. When the news broke that fan favorite Sierra McClain wouldn’t be returning for the fifth season, rumors began to swirl about what that would mean for the fate of the show.

The more information that came out about McClain’s departure, the more it became clear that the show would have trouble returning without her. McClain’s Grace Ryder is a staple character on the show, and a divorce from Judd or her untimely death wouldn’t do justice to the character, so they had to figure out a different way to write her out. In Season 5, Episode 1, “Both Sides, Now,” viewers learned that Grace had begun volunteer work with Mercy Ships, a real organization that sends hospital ships all over the world to help people in need. It wasn’t the perfect send-off for the character, but it stayed as true to who Grace was as the show was capable of without her physically present.

Two months after McClain’s departure was announced, FOX officially canceled the show, citing “the changing economics of the TV business” as the reason, though McClain’s departure was likely the final nail in the proverbial coffin. 9-1-1: Lone Star was the final remaining drama on FOX from their days partnered with 20th Television, which was sold to Disney in 2019, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to folks on the show, though they had been holding on to hope for a sixth season. It also became clear pretty quickly that 9-1-1: Lone Star would not be picked up by ABC or any other network, to the disappointment of fans and cast members alike.

What Has Happened in Season 5 of 9-1-1: Lone Star So Far?

For the characters of 9-1-1: Lone Star, Season 5 has been about healing and redemption. Owen, for example, spent the first several episodes coming to terms with his role in the death of his half-brother — Robert (played by Chad Lowe), who was suffering from Huntington’s Disease and wanted to die on his own terms and he made Owen promise that he would help him die by suicide — which happened in Season 4, Episode 18, “In Sickness and in Health.” Owen even took on a horse that could use some healing of his own and worked with Marlene Harris — the mother of Judd’s first son, Wyatt Harris — to learn how to support the horse by being more vulnerable.

Speaking of, the nine-month time jump was perfect for continuing Wyatt’s story. After being hit by a vehicle while on his bicycle in Season 4, Episode 16, “A House Divided,” Wyatt learned that he would likely never be able to walk again, ending his future career as a firefighter. Knowing his son would need additional care and rehab, Judd retired from firefighting in “In Sickness and in Health” so that he could help Wyatt, and by the time “Both Sides, Now” came around, Wyatt was mobile from the waist up. Though he can no longer be a firefighter, Wyatt is still a first responder as he now works dispatch, taking on the role that the character of Grace Ryder left open.

At Firehouse 126 this season, the team is adjusting to a new lieutenant, Paul Strickland, which only got more complicated when Judd decided to return to firefighting in Season 5, Episode 3, “C12.” Ultimately, Judd had to go back to being a probie since he’d already retired, but he took it in stride, helping Paul lead the team to accept him in his new role. Plus, Nancy and T. K. are supporting Tommy through breast cancer treatments, and T. K. spent the first nine episodes of the season trying to protect his marriage from Carlos’s obsession with his father’s murder — a storyline that finally got some closure in Season 5, Episode 9, “Fall from Grace.”

9-1-1: Lone Star Will End with a Big Disaster

Just like its counterpart, 9-1-1, one of the things that 9-1-1: Lone Star excels at is big disasters. Showrunner Rashad Raisani has referred to the ending of 9-1-1: Lone Star as “The Last of Us with a little Chernobyl,” and previews for the show’s final three episodes indicate that, at minimum, the characters will be dealing with an asteroid headed straight for Austin. Fans of Lone Star know that it’s never just one disaster, so there are likely some pretty unexpected moments to come.

The show will also be dealing with the remaining storylines. Owen discovered in “Fall from Grace” that Judd had been turning to alcohol in his off hours in an attempt to distract himself from Grace’s absence, and it had begun to impact his work. Owen assured Judd that he would be there for him and told him they would be going to “a meeting” — television code for Alcoholics Anonymous — in the final minutes of “Fall from Grace.” Judd’s drinking has likely already impacted his young daughter, Charlie, and will affect Wyatt as well.

Another storyline still to be wrapped is that of Carlos and T.K., who will be adopting Jonah, T.K.’s younger half-brother. Enzo, Jonah’s father, and T.K.’s stepfather was arrested for fraud at the end of Season 5, Episode 7, “Kiddos,” and T.K. made it clear to Carlos that he wasn’t going to let Enzo send Jonah to boarding school. Fans are hopeful that they’ll see a little of Carlos and T.K. — or “Tarlos,” as the fans call them — as fathers to the boy as the show wraps up.

Though there are just three episodes remaining, 9-1-1: Lone Star is likely to have plenty of surprises left for the fans as the show comes to an end. Though its cancelation is disappointing, the showrunner operated as if Season 5 would be the final season before they knew anything for sure, which means that everyone’s favorite character is likely to get a good ending. Maybe not a happy one, but, at the very least, a satisfying one.