Sierra McClain Is Not Returning for Season 5 of '9-1-1: Lone Star' — Here's Why
Sierra McClain isn't the only one who might be leaving the show. In fact, the show itself might be on its way out.
Published July 31 2024, 1:54 p.m. ET
It's been a somewhat rocky journey for 9-1-1: Lone Star, a spinoff of the wildly popular Ryan Murphy procedural drama 9-1-1. The first season of Lone Star premiered in January 2020 and ran through early March. Any conversations around the fledgling show were undoubtedly tabled while the world dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite that, the show returned a year later and kept that schedule until Season 5. Instead of staying on track and dropping in January 2024, the fifth season is scheduled to premiere in September. This was attributed to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but there were also some heated contract negotiations that fanned the flames. Is that why Sierra McClain left 9-1-1: Lone Star? Here's what we know.
Why did Sierra McClain leave '9-1-1: Lone Star'?
In June 2024, while 9-1-1: Lone Star was in the midst of filming its long-awaited fifth season, Deadline reported that Sierra would not be returning to the show. We hope you got your fill in Season 4. The outlet said her exit had something to do with the intense contract negotiations, which could mean she asked for more money, and Fox was not willing to give it to her.
If social media is to be believed, several cast members may be frustrated by the financial discussions. Actor Robyn Lively, who has a recurring role on the show, tweeted, "So excited to be a part of 9-1-1: Lone Star’s final season!! What a ride it’s been!" This was posted the same week Sierra's departure was announced and was quietly deleted.
While we're waiting to see how things shake out, TVLine revealed who is technically replacing Sierra's Grace Ryder in the call center. A new Season 5 promo shows Grace's son Wyatt (Jackson Pace) manning the phone lines. At the end of Season 4, he underwent spinal surgery after a biking accident. This meant he couldn't join his father in the field. Taking his mother's spot seems like a solid solution.
Is '9-1-1: Lone Star' going to be canceled?
The fate of the show is precarious at best. While neither Fox nor 20th Television have said a single thing about Season 6 or beyond, the cast has been dropping some cryptic hints on their socials, per TVLine. In a since-expired Instagram story, Natacha Karam posted a photo from her trailer on set along with the caption, "Eight more shooting days left after five years on a show is a wild feeling. So much change on the horizon." Could that change be the end of the series?
The @911TVNEWS X (formerly Twitter) account snagged a photo of a letter left by Jackson Pace, who plays Judd's estranged son Wyatt. On June 29, 2024, they tweeted a picture of the note that was taped to a set piece. It read, "Thank you for making me feel so at home over the past few years! Finding my long-lost father, going to jail, having a baby, dropping out of college, getting in a life-altering accident. … It’s been such a joy getting to do it all with you!" This certainly feels like a permanent goodbye!
Perhaps the most compelling post by a cast member comes from Brian Michael Smith, who plays Paul. He shared an adorable cartoon rendering of the cast to his Instagram stories, along with a link to a "save 9-1-1: Lone Star" petition. If that doesn't say something is afoot, we don't know what does. Here's hoping the show sticks around for many more seasons.
