9-1-1: Lone Star Showrunner Rashad Raisani defends Grace’s storyline from season 5 after Sierra McClain‘s exit from the series.
“The only reason we could think of to move Grace away from her family and her job was to have a higher calling,” Raisani said in an interview with TVLine published Monday, September 23. “And the only thing in Grace’s world that could answer that was God.”
During the show’s fifth season premiere on Monday, McClain’s character Grace Ryder was conspicuously absent. Her husband Judd Ryder eventually revealed that she had gone overseas to volunteer with Mercy Ships – an organization that performs operations around the world. Her sudden call left Judd at home with their two-year-old daughter and caring for his son Wyatt Harris, whom he had in a previous relationship, while he recovered from an accident that left him paralyzed.
Raisani – who said the decision to remove Grace from the show was “quickly scrapped” because he “felt it wasn’t the right thing for her to do” – noted that he is aware Grace’s decision could evoke mixed emotions.
“People are entitled to their feelings about it,” he said. “But we have done everything we can to protect her character. Without getting too churchy, the Bible is full of stories about characters who follow a call from God that is very uncomfortable for the people who love them most – and frankly to the detriment of those people.”
In June, it was announced that 30-year-old McClain would be leaving the show. Deadline The exit came after problems in renegotiating the cast. When McClain left the series, Raisani noted that at least four scripts had been written for the fifth season. Two months later, Fox announced that season 5 Lonely Star‘s last season.
Although the show is coming to an end, Raisani remains positive. “I have often found that out of great crises come great opportunities,” he said.
With Grace no longer on the show, Judd’s storyline has become more complex, Raisani added.
When it comes to firefighter TV series, fans have plenty to choose from – including Chicago Fire, Fire Country and 9-1-1. Dick Wolf’s Chicago Fire premiered in 2012 and brought the One Chicago universe to life with spin-offs Chicago PD and Chicago Med. “The challenge is always that we reflect and edify (…)
“Judd doesn’t have his job, he doesn’t have his son and now he doesn’t have his wife, so he becomes even more isolated,” Raisani said. “As the season goes on, you’ll see that this creates a lot of complexity for Judd. On the one hand, he admires and loves his wife, but he’s becoming increasingly frustrated and has some uncomfortable feelings that he doesn’t want to admit to himself and that are now coming to light.”
As for Wyatt, Raisani revealed that the original plan was for him to become “a sort of henchman” to Grace at the call center. “Sierra’s departure, however, accelerated that,” Raisani noted. Although Wyatt “has been taught by the best,” viewers will see him “falter under pressure — but never crumble” throughout the season.
9-1-1: Lone Star airs Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox.
