9-1-1: Lone Star lost one of its main characters — Grace Ryder, played by Sierra McClain — ahead of the season 5 premiere, and even though the reasoning behind her exit was unconvincing at first, the show is set to recover from its mistake before the finale. McClain departed 9-1-1: Lone Star before season 5 (reportedly due to contract disputes). Sadly, that meant that the writers had to scramble to write Grace out of the Fox procedural drama series. While the circumstances surrounding her exit could have been a lot worse, they still weren't ideal.
McClain was an original member of the 9-1-1: Lone Star cast, so, her departure was devastating. Plus, her character, Grace, was beloved by many and was an integral part of the TV show. Nevertheless, writing Grace out of 9-1-1: Lone Star was unavoidable, and the audience learned why she would no longer be around during the season 5 premiere. Unfortunately, Grace's exit was controversial, and many thought it wasn't a believable excuse for her character.
Why Grace's 9-1-1: Lone Star Exit Was Controversial
Grace Joined Mercy Ships
During the 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5 premiere, Judd Ryder explained that his wife and the mother of his child had decided to volunteer for Mercy Ships, which is why she wasn't in Texas. Mercy Ships is a real faith-based charity that operates non-governmental hospital ships overseas, providing life-saving care and surgery to those who need help. According to Judd, Grace learned about the organization at church and felt a pull to join. So, she quit her job at the 9-1-1 call center, packed up her things, and left Judd and their young daughter, Charlie, to join Mercy Ships.
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While Grace wanting to help others is very on-brand for her character, leaving Judd and Charlie isn't, especially after Judd left Station 126 to care for his son, Wyatt, after his accident. Consequently, Grace's departure was controversial. Of course, Grace's exit is better than the alternate way of writing out McClain in 9-1-1: Lone Star — her death. But the reasoning behind Grace leaving is still flimsy and dissatisfying, resulting in disappointment among some viewers.
Jim Parrack Reveals Judd Will Feel Resentment Towards Grace In Season 5
Judd Has Been Supportive Of His Wife So Far
Following 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5, episode 3, Jim Parrack, who plays Judd, teased his character's next steps. Judd returned to Station 126 in episode 3, but not as a lieutenant. Instead, Judd will be starting from the bottom as a probie, which is what happens when a firefighter retires and then returns. Meanwhile, Judd will also be dealing with some new feelings concerning Grace's absence. During an interview with TVLine, Parrack explained that, while Judd has been supportive of his wife so far, tension is building inside, and it's only a matter of time before it explodes. Parrack said:
"If we're not actively looking to root it out, it doesn't take much for us to develop [resentment] within ourselves. And it seems like it does the most damage with the people that we love. Stay tuned, because Judd might have to face some of that coming up."
9-1-1: Lone Star is ending after season 5, but before it does, fans will see Judd feeling resentful towards his wife. Grace left him and Charlie in Texas to pursue a new mission. It's natural for Judd to feel a certain type of way about Grace's decision, no matter how much he wants to support her and be proud of her in the Fox procedural drama series.
Judd's Resentment Makes Grace's Exit More Realistic
Grace Essentially Abandoned Her Family In 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5
Three episodes into 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5, Judd has been supportive of Grace. Although she left him and Charlie, Judd was seemingly proud of Grace and her striving to help others. Of course, this shows how strong Judd and Grace's relationship is, but it's not realistic. No matter how much you love someone or how powerful your connection with them is, everyone is still at least a bit self-interested at the end of the day. So, it's understandable why Judd would be angry with his wife, and it would actually fix Grace's disappointing exit before the 9-1-1: Lone Star finale.
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 |
It wouldn't make sense if Judd was completely on board with Grace's decision to leave in season 5. As a result, his frustration makes Grace's exit more believable. Of course, just because Judd is resentful doesn't mean that he doesn't love Grace or wants a divorce. However, it adds substance behind Grace's departure in 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5 and will fix her controversial exit.
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16 8.8/10
9-1-1: Lone Star
TV-14
Action
Drama
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.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
*Availability in US
- Cast
- Rob Lowe , Liv Tyler , Ronen Rubinstein , Sierra McClain , Jim Parrack , Natacha Karam , Brian Michael Smith , Rafael L. Silva , Julian Works , Gina Torres
- Release Date
- January 19, 2020
- Network
- FOX
Source: TVLine
