It is a common occurrence these days for procedurals to inspire spin-offs. Networks are often eager to capitalize on the success of an original show, and this exact scenario played out once FOX realized that 9-1-1 was a bona fide hit. The original first responder drama premiered in 2018, with an all-star cast that includes Oscar nominee Angela Bassett and Emmy nominee Peter Krause. With seven seasons in the can, 9-1-1 continues to captivate viewers with its high-octane rescues and action-packed episodes. FOX quickly jumped on 9-1-1’s success and greenlit a spin-off called 9-1-1: Lone Star, which debuted in January 2020.
Both series were created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear, and follow similar structures of procedurals with a bustling firehouse at its center. Lone Star landed its own top-notch cast with Rob Lowe as Captain Owen Strand and Gina Torres as Tommy Vega, who helped to steer the 126 Firehouse. As with 9-1-1, the series follows the firefighters, as well as paramedics and the members of the police department who respond to harrowing emergency calls. Many episodes contain big natural disasters (Lone Star features crises relevant to Texas, such as tornadoes, snowstorms, and wildfires), and each main character has found themselves in mortal danger at least once. Lone Star has now aired four seasons, and Season 5 just began filming (with a likely premiere date of Fall 2024). But many fans are wondering whether both series still need to exist. There have been major programming changes to the franchise, which leads to the question: should the shows somehow combine forces?
Is ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Headed for Cancellation?
The first major change to the world of 9-1-1 occurred when the original drama switched networks, from FOX to ABC for its seventh season in March of this year. This created a lot of confusion with the franchise, making it more difficult for viewers to remember which show was airing on which network. This change also made it nearly impossible for the shows to have any brand synergy. There was a crossover episode of Lone Star that aired in February 2021, where first responders from 9-1-1 showed up in Texas to help fight a dangerous wildfire. But with the flagship series moving over to ABC, any chance of a crossover happening again would be extremely unlikely.
There has also been tons of chatter that Lone Star isn’t going to be renewed past Season 5. One of its leads, Sierra McClain, who plays 9-1-1 dispatcher, Grace Ryder, just announced that she would not be returning with the rest of the cast this season. There had been rumors swirling that indicated that FOX wasn’t confident they’d be renewing the series for additional seasons. Most actors only had their contracts with the show through Season 5. This has already led to some cast members looking elsewhere for future roles. Robyn Lively, who plays Marlene Harris, even posted on social media about Season 5 being the show’s final one (she very quickly deleted the post though). At this point, there has been no final decision about what will happen with the series after Season 5 airs. But all of the speculation (and the fact that Lone Star’s ratings have been dropping) just furthers the belief that its days are numbered.
Some ‘Lone Star’ Characters Should Move to ‘9-1-1’
Lone Star, in its current iteration, isn’t super likely to move forward, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still some elements of it that are worth saving. There are many likable characters that could make great additions to the 9-1-1 cast and could be organically incorporated into the mix. T.K. Strand (Ronen Rubinstein) could easily become another paramedic who helps support the team, which means his husband, Carlos Reyes (Rafael L. Silva) would also relocate and could join the LAPD. Marjan Marwani (Natacha Karam) and Paul Strickland (Brian Michael Smith) and their powerful friendship could help add some diversity and uniqueness to the 118 Firehouse as fellow firefighters.
It would be a little more challenging to incorporate Lowe and Torres’ characters, as they are already leaders at the 126. However, Tommy, in particular, could pop up as a captain with another crew in different episodes. Each character’s dedication and commitment to saving lives would allow them to fit in nicely with the rest of the team. The biggest obstacle for the 9-1-1 writers would be figuring out how to explain why all of the Texan characters have suddenly moved to Los Angeles. This isn’t an insurmountable problem, though; perhaps there’s a shortage of first responders in California, and Los Angeles offers a big relocation bonus. Or Marjan decides to capitalize on her social media fame to somehow make it in the entertainment business. There could be several unique ways to assimilate these characters, so that they can continue to live on in the 9-1-1 universe.
Not every single character from Lone Star could (or should) make the move to the original series though. Since McClain has already exited the show, her character wouldn’t need to be included. Her husband, Judd Ryder (Jim Parrack), seems like a pretty hardcore Texan who would probably never move out of state. While Mateo Chavez (Julian Works) is a fun character, he merely serves as a probie on the show, and wouldn’t necessarily fit in easily with the 118. The same goes for his girlfriend, Nancy Gillian (Brianna Baker), who hasn’t had too much else to do on the show besides being a supporting character to the other members of the crew. By not moving the entire cast over, 9-1-1 could still absorb the most interesting characters from Lone Star with relative ease.
It’s always a sad thing when fans realize a favorite show is on its way out the door. But the fate of Lone Star doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Viewers can still follow along with many of these characters’ journeys if they shift them over to 9-1-1. These characters don’t even need to be in every single episode. They can still be a part of the 9-1-1 world, they can pop in and out when the writers have specific, engaging storylines for them to take part in. This would be the best possible solution to a series that is already losing network support and seems to be headed for cancelation. The creative teams tried expanding the 9-1-1 universe, but at this point, having both shows on the air feels almost superfluous. It would be more successful to narrow things down to one series (on one network), which would allow all of its very most compelling characters to be featured in one cohesive setting. With all of the earthquakes and tsunamis happening, the 118 could definitely use the extra manpower.
