EP of 9-1-1: Lone Star Defends Grace’s Departure in Season 5 Premiere | Entertainment

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

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

During the present’s season 5 premiere on Monday, McClain’s character, Grace Ryder, was noticeably absent. Her husband, Judd Ryder, finally revealed that she went overseas to volunteer with Mercy Ships — a company that gives international surgical procedures. Her sudden calling left Judd at dwelling with their 2-year-old daughter and caring for his son, Wyatt Harris, whom he welcomed in a earlier relationship, whereas he recovered from an accident that left him paralyzed.

Raisani — who mentioned having Grace killed off the sequence was “quickly dismissed” as a result of it “didn’t feel like it was the right thing to do by her” — famous that he’s conscious there could also be blended emotions about Grace’s choice.

“People are allowed to feel the feelings they have about it,” he mentioned. “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 present, with Deadline reporting that the exit got here after casting renegotiation points. When McClain parted methods with the sequence, Raisani famous that no less than 4 season 5 scripts had been written. Two months later, Fox introduced season 5 could be Lonestar’s remaining season.

Despite the present coming to an in depth, Raisani nonetheless has a constructive mindset. “I have often found that out of great crisis comes great opportunity,” he mentioned.

Without Grace on the present, Raisani added that Judd’s storyline has turn into extra advanced.

“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 mentioned. “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 involves Wyatt, Raisani revealed that the preliminary plan was for him to turn into “a bit of an acolyte” to Grace in the decision middle. However, “Sierra’s departure accelerated that,” Raisani famous. While Wyatt has “been taught by the best,” viewers will see him “waffle — but never crumble — under pressure” through the season.”

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