911: Lone Star is losing an OG cast member for season 5 (and it has us worried)

911: Lone Star season 5 is set to premiere in the fall. It’s going to be without one OG cast member, and the news of this has us worried about a potential storyline.

TVLine reports that Sierra McClain will not return to the series. This all comes due to contract negotiations that had to happen in the wake of the strike action and the way the series missed a season.

On top of McClain not returning, there is a chance that 911: Lone Star season 5 will be the last. That’s not the bit that has us worried, though. It’s all about the exit.

Grace makes 911: Lone Star what it is

There’s no doubt that while fans initially came for Rob Lowe and the fact that it was a 911 spin-off series, a lot of people have stayed because of Sierra McClain’s Grace. The character quickly made herself known as a powerhouse of the series. As the 911 dispatcher we mostly follow, we watched as Grace kept people calm, got them out of some interesting positions, and made sure that she was the Ma’am of the call.

We’ve also followed her throughout her personal life. She’s dealt with learning that her father was having an affair and that her husband had a son from before they knew each other—Judd had no idea, either! She has helped her friend through the loss of her husband, and she is there to offer understanding and empathy as much as possible.

There isn’t a series without Grace. She is the heart of this show.

How will Grace be written out of 911: Lone Star

It doesn’t look like McClain will be part of the series at all. This has us worried, as it could mean a death off-screen. And we all know that Grace deserves far more than that.

The idea of killing Grace off is devastating. However, it doesn’t make sense for Grace to just up and leave Judd. The two ended season 4 in a great place, with the two of them taking in Judd’s now-paralyzed son and help him figure out what to do next. Grace wouldn’t just leave her husband, so the only logical way to write Grace out is to kill her off, and I’m not okay with that.

There is an option for Grace to leave town to help her parents after her dad’s accident. This would be realistic in Grace’s character history, and it would allow for Grace to be away but still be with Judd. There may even be plans for Judd to join her eventually when he gets a chance.

We will see Marlene (Robyn Lively), who is the mother of Judd’s son, come into the series. Lively had written a social media post about how she was joining for the final season, but that post was quickly taken down. It does look like Judd will need support with his son, and it makes sense for the son’s mother to step into that role. I just hope we don’t see Judd stray, especially considering how angry he was at Grace’s father having an affair.