9-1-1: Lone Star was gearing up for the fifth season when production learned that Sierra McClain wouldn’t return. They could never have anticipated it, and it was quite unnerving because Grace is the fabric that holds everything together. Showrunner Rashad Raisani spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how this unforeseen exit affected the show. “The first thing I would say is we all adore Sierra McClain. If not for her, we wouldn’t be talking right now.”Raisani explains. “She’s a central piece to the show. She’s the voice on the phone of the title, you know what I mean?” Raisani continues, appreciating the star who had given the show its identity. He talked about how the exit affected the stories they told in the upcoming season, saying,
“And we didn’t know [she was leaving], so we had stories [for her]. Then when this stuff happened, we had to go back to the drawing board in some storylines. You have no choice but to find silver linings, let me put it that way. If Sierra was willing to come back…. As I told her, ‘Any time I’m here, there’ll always be a place for you.’ I would love it, I’d beg her. But [her departure] did force us to do some unexpected things that led to some beautiful storylines.”
Wyatt Is the New Dispatcher In ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Season 5
Going back to the drawing board, the writers pivoted to other characters. Following his accident that paralyzed him, Wyatt (Jackson Pace) was set to appear in several episodes of the final season, but he was given a bigger arc. The original plan was to have him mentored by Grace at the call center, but when that possibility died, they made him the new dispatcher. “We wanted to show that no matter what your physical situation is, you have so much to offer,” previewed the showrunner about the impact they were aiming for. He continued, saying,
“I’m proud that we’re able to tell that story for a lot of people who may have something that makes them feel like they have struggles, but to see that there’s always ways that you can do something great. So [McClain’s departure,] I think, ended up being a fortuitous thing in allowing us to go bigger with that storyline.”
First-look images and sneak peeks unveiled Wyatt as the new dispatcher, and a new image shows him and his dad. He now uses a wheelchair and has not lost the positivity that made viewers fall in love with him when he first appeared on the show. McClain’s departure allowed the writers to focus on other stories, like Carlos and TK’s marriage, Carlos’ desire to find whoever was responsible for his father’s death, and Paul and Marjan’s careers.
9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 premieres on Fox on Monday, September 23, at 8 pm ET. Catch up on Hulu.
Watch on Hulu
