9-1-1: Lone Star EP Defends Grace’s Season 5 Premiere Exit

9-1-1: Lone Star showrunner Rashad Raisani is defending Grace’s season 5 story line after Sierra McClain’s departure from the series.

“The only thing we could think of to justifiably pull Grace away from her family and job was an even greater calling,” Raisani said in an interview with TVLine published on Monday, September 23. “And the only thing in Grace’s world that could answer that was God.”

During the show’s season 5 premiere on Monday, McClain’s character, Grace Ryder, was noticeably absent. Her husband, Judd Ryder, eventually revealed that she went abroad to volunteer with Mercy Ships — an organization that provides global surgeries. Her sudden calling left Judd at home with their 2-year-old daughter and caring for his son, Wyatt Harris, whom he welcomed in a previous relationship, while he recovered from an accident that left him paralyzed.

Raisani — who said having Grace killed off the series was “quickly dismissed” because it “didn’t feel like it was the right thing to do by her” — noted that he’s aware there may be mixed feelings about Grace’s decision.

“People are allowed to feel the feelings they have about it,” he said. “But we did all we could do to protect her character. Without getting too churchy about it, the Bible is filled with stories about characters who follow a call from God at great inconvenience to — and frankly to the detriment of — the people they love the most.”

News broke in June that McClain, 30, was leaving the show, with Deadline reporting that the exit came after casting renegotiation issues. When McClain parted ways with the series, Raisani noted that at least four season five scripts had been written. Two months later, Fox announced season 5 would be Lonestar’s final season.

Despite the show coming to a close, Raisani still has a positive mindset. “I have often found that out of great crisis comes great opportunity,” he said.

Without Grace on the show, Raisani added that Judd’s storyline has become more complex.

“Judd doesn’t have his job, he doesn’t have his son and now he doesn’t have his wife, so it puts him into a deeper place of isolation,” Raisani said. “You’ll see as the season goes on that it creates this great complexity for Judd. On one hand, he admires and loves his wife, but there will be a growing sense of frustration and some uncomfortable feelings he has that he doesn’t want to admit to himself that start to come out.”

When it comes to Wyatt, Raisani revealed that the initial plan was for him to become “a bit of an acolyte” to Grace in the call center. However, “Sierra’s departure accelerated that,” Raisani noted. While Wyatt has “been taught by the best,” viewers will see him “waffle — but never crumble — under pressure” during the season.”

9-1-1: Lone Star airs on Fox Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.