Warning: SPOILERS for9-1-1: Lone Star.9-1-1: Lone Starwas a high-octane first responder drama with a devout following, but the five seasons of the Texas-based spinoff ranged in quality.9-1-1: Lone Starhad a respectable five-year run, but every season had strengths and weaknesses that compiled over each batch of episodes. While some seasons stood out for better and others for worse, the9-1-1: Lone Starcastnever faltered in their masterful portrayals of firefighters, police officers, and dispatch workers in Austin, Texas.
Unfortunately, not all seasons were created equal. Some had situational limitations, like9-1-1: Lone Star’s early cancelationor the COVID-19 pandemic. Others simply paled in comparison to the best, failing to reach new heights or find the most optimal path forward. Although9-1-1: Lone Star’s endingis bittersweet, the series as a whole is still great for a rewatch— but there are obviously some seasons that are more worthy of a second viewing. Whether it’s the storylines, the acting, or the underlying tone,9-1-1: Lone Starruns the gamut of great, good, and lacklusteracross its five seasons.
5Season 5
A Missing Main Character And Shortened Run Made For A Disappointing End
Sadly,9-1-1: Lone Starended on a sour note. Season 5 wasn’t originally the end, meaning most of the plots introduced likely would’ve been more drawn out and paced well if the series hadn’t been canceled. As a result, most of9-1-1: Lone Starseason 5 feels incomplete. Many of the biggest storylines felt rushed, like Mateo Chavez (Julian Works) facing deportation or Tommy Vega (Gina Torres) miraculously surviving her fatal breast cancer diagnosis. The plots themselves were fine, but they weren’t effectively conveyed.
Granted,9-1-1: Lone Starseason 5 only had 12 episodesto round out the entire series. The procedural was tasked with the impossible: it needed to conclude residual plot holes from the previous season while introducing new content, all the while knowing it had to wrap up in a satisfying ending. Though the9-1-1: Lone Starfinale included a bizarre time-jumpto give most of the main characters a happy ending, the conclusion ended up feeling less like a sendoff and more like a snub.
Why Sierra McClain’s Grace Left 9-1-1 Lone Star In Season 5
Original 9-1-1: Lone Star cast member Sierra McClain, who played Grace Ryder, exited the Fox procedural drama series ahead of season 5.
If season 5 had been given the green light for a full batch of episodes, it’s possible that the many subplots that feel haphazardly thrown in could’ve been substantial. As it stands, however,the final season of9-1-1: Lone Staris the weakest. From the palpable absence of Sierra McClain’s Grace Ryder to the claustrophobic number of crises, season 5 tries to up the ante but lacks the necessary spark.
4Season 1
The Early Days Were About Finding The Show’s Footing
While the final season was disappointing,9-1-1: Lone Star’s pilot season was simply unremarkable. The modern procedural was still figuring out its identity not only as a series but as a spinoff, and the uncertainty showed in the final product. Some characters were established in the first season that laid the foundation for the rest of the series, like Judson“Judd”Ryder’s permanent attachment to the deceased 126 crew. Others disappeared entirely, like Michelle Blake (Liv Tyler), who was given a substantial amount of screen time. Multipleactors have left the9-1-1franchise, but few have been such pivotal characters.
10 TV Shows To Watch After 9-1-1: Lone Star Ends
Although 9-1-1: Lone Star’s ending is sad, there are a lot of other amazing and exciting shows that can be watched after finishing the show.
9-1-1: Lone Starwas subject to radical change even after it first premiered, making the pilot season truly feel like a test run. With so many plots and character traits that were introduced and abandoned,9-1-1: Lone Starseason 1 seems inconsequentialin the grand scheme of things. Yes, the later seasons needed this starting point, but it finished serving its purpose as soon as it aired.
Granted,9-1-1: Lone Starseason 1 struggled with common obstacles for any pilot season, especially for a spinoff. Walking the line between being a franchise title and an original series is difficult, but the dramacreated by Ryan Murphyonly began to hit its stride after some serious restructuring. While there weren’t many uniquely negative aspects,9-1-1: Lone Starseason 1 feels mediocre compared to most of its successors.
3Season 4
A Few Great Episodes And A Lot Of Confusing Decisions
9-1-1: Lone Starseason 4 had highs and lows, making it the perfect midpoint in the ranking. In terms of standalone episodes, season 4 had some of the best, including Carlos Reyes (Rafael L Silva) being kidnapped by a serial killer, Marjan Marwani (Natacha Karam) fighting for her life while stranded in the woods, and the iconic alternate reality dream sequence to explain Mateo’s experience with his cousin, Marvin (also portrayed by Works). Yet,for every great episode,9-1-1: Lone Starseason 4 had a less-than-stellar entrythat balanced it out.
Certain storylines could have been interesting but ended up feeling unnecessary (like the paramedics feuding with the private healthcare sector) or needlessly convoluted (like the entire saga following Michaela McManus as Kendra Harrington). Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) may have had a cursed dating history in9-1-1: Lone Star, but his journey with Kendra was absurd. Romancing, jilting, and acquitting Kendra of murder all in one season was just too much, and it ended up distracting from the much more interesting plots that were sidelined.
8 Biggest Unanswered Questions After 9-1-1: Lone Star’s Ending
The 9-1-1: Lone Star finale wraps up most characters’ storylines, but a few lingering issues remain unaddressed while also raising new ones.
Sadly,some of9-1-1: Lone Starseason 4’s plots never got closure. Paul Strickland (Brian Michael Smith) finally had a love interest in season 4, only for her to never appear or even be mentioned in the final season. Iris Blake (Lyndsy Fonseca) re-entered the picture, just to disappear again after Carlos and TK’s (Ronen Rubinstein) wedding in the9-1-1: Lone Starseason 4 finale. Even Kendra unceremoniously left between seasons. All in all, it could’ve been better, but it could’ve been worse.
2Season 3
Some Of The Most Exciting Moments In All Of 9-1-1: Lone Star
Season 4 had some amazing episodes, but9-1-1: Lone Starseason 3 worked comprehensivelyas a season. Rather than coming across like an anthology or a careless string of storylines, season 3 logically progressed with overarching themes and character development. Though they didn’t get married until season 4,Carlos and TK’s relationship in9-1-1: Lone Starseason 3 was much more interesting. The procedural not only jeopardized its main couple, but it explained why without it feeling cumbersome. As a result, TK’s touching proposal in9-1-1: Lone Starseason 3, episode 18, feels earned.
Lone Star Is Already Sabotaging 9-1-1’s 2nd Spinoff Before It Even Premieres
9-1-1: Lone Star may have ended, but the next title in the Ryan Murphy first responder franchise is in danger of being overshadowed anyway.
Some of9-1-1: Lone Star’s most intense rescueshappened in season 3, from the ice storm to Owen and TK helping an injured woman on an airplane. Yet, the character moments stand out the most. Jackson Pace joined the cast, with his character Wyatt taking over the9-1-1: Lone Stardispatcher role for the final season. Paul’s emergency surgery and the tense fallout between him and Marjan offered a simple but effective conflict. Even storylines that only lasted an episode, like Carlos and Grace teaming up to hunt a criminal, left a lasting impression.
Overall,9-1-1: Lone Starseason 3 was a strong net-positive. The twists and turns made sense, the problems all had understandable solutions, and the procedural took big risks that garnered big rewards. It wasn’t without flaws, butseason 3 is one of the most coherent entries in9-1-1: Lone Star. That alone is praiseworthy.
1Season 2
From A New Paramedic Captain To Character-Driven Storylines, The Sophomore Season Struck Gold
In stark contrast to the pilot season’s shaky sense of self,9-1-1: Lone Starseason 2 had a clear identity. Gina Torres taking over the paramedic captain role was the best thing to happen to the series, as she breathed new life into9-1-1: Lone Starand helped establish the spinoff’s original presence. While many series failed to incorporate a diegetic purpose for COVID-19,9-1-1: Lone Starseason 2 used the pandemic as a narrative tool to set up new storylines and conflicts. Even after the masks went away, season 2 knew how to add impact.
9-1-1: Lone Starseason 2 subverted expectationswithout the twists feeling random. Though Tommy and her husband seemed poised to become one of thebest couples in the9-1-1franchise, Derek Webster’s Charles instead dies suddenly, leaving Tommy with a complex storyline about how to manage her grief while also managing her daughters’ feelings about losing their father.9-1-1: Lone Starnearly kills Judd and Grace in a car accident that segues into a poignant exploration of Judd’s traumatic past and how Grace became his anchor. Even the arsonist arc, though a bit heavy-handed, was interesting.
10 Lessons 9-1-1 Can Learn From Lone Star
With 9-1-1 season 8’s midseason premiere nearing, the ABC procedural has a few notes it can take from its sister series, 9-1-1: Lone Star.
There were more fleeting moments that made9-1-1: Lone Starseason 2 a standout, like the crossover episode with the original9-1-1that remains just as iconic as the day it first aired.9-1-1: Lone Starseason 2 was when the show realized not only what it was but what it could be. For better or worse, season 2 was the springboard that allowed the procedural to swing for the fences more often. Not every season of9-1-1: Lone Starhandled its dramatic choices with the same ease, but the impact season 2 had on the series was immeasurable.
