Writing Grace Ryder out of Grace's exit in the 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5 premiere. Unfortunately, their best was disappointing and didn't do Grace any justice.
During 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5, episode 1, many changes came to the 126 and beyond. Aside from Grace's departure, Carlos Reyes is now a Texas Ranger and is desperately trying to solve his father's murder. Meanwhile, Owen Strand struggles with his brother's death and having to pick Judd Ryder's replacement, and Judd's son, Wyatt Harris, has taken over for Grace at the 9-1-1 dispatch center. The finale was effective for most characters, but unfortunately, the show failed to give Grace a proper ending before her earlier exit.
Grace's Abrupt 911 Lone Star Exit Explained
Grace Left Texas To Volunteer With Mercy Ships
During the 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5 premiere, Judd has to explain why his wife is nowhere to be seen since Sierra McClain wasn't available to reprise her role in the episode. Judd reveals that Grace previously left Texas to volunteer with Mercy Ships. Mercy Ships is an international Christian organization that operates non-governmental hospital ships, providing life-saving care and surgery to those in need. Grace heard about the charity at her church and was inspired to the cause, which is how 9-1-1: Lone Star cast member McClain was written out of the show.
9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Cast |
Role |
|---|---|
Rob Lowe |
Owen Marshal Strand |
Ronen Rubinstein |
Tyler Kennedy "TK" Strand |
Jim Parrack |
Judson "Judd" Ryder |
Natacha Karam |
Marjan Marwani |
Brian Michael Smith |
Paul Strickland |
Rafael L. Silva |
Carlos Tomas Reyes |
Julian Works |
Mateo Chavez |
Gina Torres |
Tommy Vega |
Brianna Baker |
Nancy Gillian |
Kelsey Yates |
Isabella "Izzy" Vega |
Skyler Yates |
Evie Vega |
Jackson Pace |
Wyatt Harris |
So, 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5 addresses Grace's absence not by killing her off or her and Judd getting a divorce, but by leaving her family behind to volunteer abroad. It's unclear how long Grace planned to be gone. Nevertheless, Grace's reason for leaving still felt abrupt and slightly unbelievable regarding her character.
911 Lone Star's Final Fate For Grace Ruins The Character
It Doesn't Make Sense Why Grace Would Leave Her Family
Although Grace's wanting to help others in need is entirely believable and understandable in 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5, it's difficult to get past the fact that she would ever leave her husband and two-year-old daughter for an extended period of time to do so. Grace loves Judd and Charlie more than anything, and it doesn't make sense why she would leave them behind. Plus, Judd is going through a lot right now with Wyatt's accident and his leaving the 126. Now, Judd has to raise Charlie by himself while dealing with everything else going on in his life.
Ultimately, the writers had little to work with when constructing Grace's exit without killing her or breaking her and Judd up. There was only so much they could do to satisfy viewers and give Grace a worthy sendoff. Despite this, Grace's departure still felt sudden and confusing. While fans can be grateful that Grace didn't die or divorce Judd, it's valid to be upset about the reason behind her departure. Perhaps this was a lose-lose situation, but it was a disappointing way to kick off the final season of 9-1-1: Lone Star.
Why 911 Lone Star Had To Write Out Grace Before The Finale
Sierra McClain Left The Series Before Season 5
The writers were forced into scripting Grace's absence because Sierra McClain departed 9-1-1: Lone Star before the season 5 premiere. McClain has not revealed the reason behind her decision to leave. However, reports concerning the cast's attempts to negotiate their contracts ahead of filming season 5 probably played a factor in McClain's exit.
With 9-1-1: Lone Star ending after season 5, Grace's absence is quite disappointing but was inevitable given what was happening behind the scenes.
9-1-1: Lone Star's cancelation was reportedly due to its expensive budget, which included the salaries of the cast and crew. So, it's more than likely that pay was behind McClain leaving the show. Unfortunately, that meant that the writers and producers had to scramble to figure out a way to write Grace out of the series weeks before production started on season 5. The behind-the-scenes issues forced the final season to make some disappointing compromises.
911 Lone Star Didn't Bring Back Grace For The Finale
Sierra McClain's Last Appearance Was In Season 4
The fans of the show were further disappointed when it was confirmed Sierra McClain would not appear as Grace in the 9-1-1: Lone Star series finale. The audience had officially seen the last of Grace after the season 4 finale. When asked about McClain's possible return during the last episode, the Fox procedural drama's co-showrunner Rashad Raisani told Variety:
"Unfortunately, we've already shot it. I held out hope until the last minute, I'll put it that way. I do think that, without seeing her on screen, how satisfying could anything be? But short of that, I'm just immensely proud of where the show goes. I just believe in the way the show ends so deeply that I think people are gonna feel like, wow, it couldn't have ended in any other way."
As a result, there was no way for McClain to be a part of her character's official ending or 9-1-1: Lone Star's conclusion. However, Grace still had an impact on the final season and her presence was at least felt at times. With Judd struggling with a lot leading up to Grace leaving on her mission, her absence in season 5 fills him with sadness and loneliness. He sends Charlie to stay with Grace's parents and his drinking problems continue. However, Judd gets some solace when, after being unable to communicate with Grace, she calls him and cheers him up.
The 911 Lone Star Showrunner Opened Up About Sierra McClain's Exit
Grace Was Originally Mentioned In The Series Finale
While there was mention of Grace throughout the final season, her absence was felt even more in the 9-1-1: Lone Star series finale. Judd gets to come full circle in his arc on the show which began in the pilot as he is named the new captain of the 126. However, Grace not being there for the ceremony on such a big day made their relationship feel even more strained and left the character with an even more disted ending. Interestingly, there was a plan to address this as 9-1-1: Lone Star showrunner Rashad Raisani revealed:
We actually had a line in there that I cut from the final cut of the show, which was that she was going to be back next month because that's what I always wanted. That she's coming back seriously, but it just felt like a tease to the audience to say, "Oh, you just missed her. She would've been here if you'd been here 20 minutes later."
It is true that the line might have felt like a tease to audiences, but more importantly, it would have at least offered a little closure to Judd and Grace's relationship. After being such a heartwarming couple on the show for so long, fans needed some reassurance about the state of their relationship, especially given them being apart for the final season. For 9-1-1: Lone Star's finale to leave Grace out of such a pivotal moment in Judd's life with no mention of her left a sense of things being unresolved.
9-1-1: Lone Star
- Release Date
- 2020 - 2024
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Tim Minear
WHERE TO WATCH
A spin-off series of 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star is an action-drama series created for Fox. The series follows Rob Lowe as Owen Strand, a firefighter from New York City who, after having rebuilt a team in the aftermath of September 11th's attacks, is brought in to form a new one in Austin, Texas.
Source: Variety
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