9-1-1: Lone Starwas known for its high-octane disasters and talented ensemble cast, but some storylines the Texas spinoff almost pursued would have sent the procedural off the rails. Part of what attracted9-1-1: Lone Star’s sizable audience was the mix of exaggerated medical emergencies and grounded character work, but the lines occasionally got crossed.9-1-1: Lone Star’s intense rescueswere a reliable source of tension, shock, and intrigue, butthe procedural took risks to ensure the storytelling never went stale. While that philosophy led to some of9-1-1: Lone Star’s best episodes, it also inspired some baffling decisions.
Throughoutevery season of9-1-1: Lone Star, there were standout moments for better and for worse. Even the veryending of9-1-1: Lone Starwas deeply controversial, with the most egregious snubs only becoming more apparent with time. Yet, for all the missteps in the series finale,9-1-1: Lone Starcould have hit all-time lows with many narrative forks in the road. Whether the storyline would have derailed a character’s development, disrupted the overarching narrative, or simply felt wrong,9-1-1: Lone Starnarrowly avoided mistakes that could have proved irreparable.
7Tommy Almost Dated Her Brother-In-Law
Season 3, Episode 17
When Gina Torres appeared in9-1-1: Lone Starseason 2 as paramedic captain Tommy Vega, her character’s arrival felt like a missing puzzle piece finally falling into place. Tommy and her doting husband, Charles (Derek Webster), even seemed sweet enough to quickly join the ranks of thebest couples in the9-1-1franchise. Rather than let Tommy and Charles live in that domestic bliss permanently,9-1-1: Lone Starsuddenly killed Charles off at the end of season 2. The true fumble came in the following season, when Tommy’s brother-in-law, Julius (Nathan Owens), comes to town.
If Tommy moved on from Charles with his brother, it would have ruined their relationship and called her very character into question.
Although Tommy is initially antagonistic towards Julius, she bonds with him over their mutual grief, but their commiserating takes a confusing turn when the two kiss in9-1-1: Lone Starseason 3, episode 14. Three episodes later,Tommy and Julius sleep together, with he even claiming he“loves”Tommy. Thankfully, he leaves by the end of the episode. If Tommy moved on from Charles with his brother, it would have ruined their relationship and called her very character into question. The fling was morally questionable already, but at least the children never had to call their uncle their step-dad.
6TK Almost Relapsed After His Mother’s Death
Season 3, Episode 8
After a tense touch-and-go period forCarlos and TK’s relationship in9-1-1: Lone Star, the couple played by Rafael L. Silva and Ronen Rubinstein, are thrown a curveball when the latter’s mother suddenly dies. Along with his father, Owen (Rob Lowe), TK is meant to fly to New York immediately for her services. Before they leave Texas, however, TK finds himself alone in the ambulance bay and eyes the station’s drug supply. Luckily, he never had the chance to take anything, butTK’s grief nearly cost him his sobriety.
9-1-1’s Best Argument To Make Eddie & Buck Happens Is Oddly, Lone Star’s Cancelation
Buck and Eddie have been best friends since 9-1-1 season 2, but their relationship could bloom into something more in the wake of Lone Star’s ending.
Throughout9-1-1: Lone Starseason 3, episode 8, TK’s plane ride is juxtaposed by memories of his mother flying him to a rehabilitation facility. In that sense, TK nearly relapsing makes sense thematically, but him actually following through with his urges would have seriously set back his development. Such a crucial part of TK’s character is based in his perseverance and dedication to sobriety. It’s natural for people who have struggled with addiction to have highs and lows in their sobriety, buthaving TK relapse would have jeopardized his joband, consequently, his role in the overall series.
5Carlos Almost Got Shot By The Same Man Who Killed His Father
Season 5, Episode 8
When Gabriel Reyes (Benito Martinez) was shockingly murdered just ahead of the9-1-1: Lone Starseason 4 finale, it sent shockwaves throughout the audience and the characters in canon.9-1-1: Lone Starseason 5 picked up with Carlos taking up his father’s mantle as a Texas Ranger, but the unsolved mystery of Gabriel’s death weighed heavily on him. Carlos was so consumed by his father’s open case, it put a strain on his relationship with TK and sent the newlyweds to couples counseling. Just as Carlos agreed to tone down his sleuthing, he found an unlikely lead within the Rangers.
Carlos suspects his partner, Sam Campbell (Parker Young), but he turns out to be a red herring set up by the real culprit: the corrupt Chief Bridges (Alan Autry). Bridges leads Carlos into seclusion under the guise of helping him take down his father’s killer, but after Carlos realizes the truth, Bridges points a gun at him.If it weren’t for Campbell’s quick rescue, Carlos would have met the same fate as his father. While that cyclical moment would be poetic in a Shakespearean play, it would’ve been way too morose for9-1-1: Lone Star.
4Grace Almost Died In The River Crash
Season 2, Episode 9
The voice of9-1-1: Lone Starfor the first four seasons was Grace Ryder (Sierra McClain), a wise and compassionate dispatch worker who was married to Judson“Judd”Ryder (Jim Parrack).Grace and Judd’s relationship was a highlight of9-1-1: Lone Star(until season 5, at least), but many of their most romantic moments never would have happened if season 2, episode 9 ended differently. Following a horrific car accident that sent Judd’s car into a nearby river, Grace nearly died from her lengthy time underwater before help arrived.
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.
WhileSierra McClain left9-1-1: Lone Stareventually, her character was vital to the story and arguably the glue holding the ensemble together. Consequently,9-1-1: Lone Starseason 5 felt palpably different without Grace’s guidance.If Grace hadn’t survived the car crash,9-1-1: Lone Starwould have been doomedto fail much earlier. Given that Judd’s character was already consumed by Survivor’s Guilt following the catastrophic accident that claimed the old 126 crew, losing his wife in the car crash would’ve sent his character down a dark path without his titular“Saving Grace”to pull him out of it.
3Mateo Almost Let His Insecurity Ruin His Relationship With Nancy
While9-1-1: Lone Starhad many sweet, established couples from the beginning, the procedural introduced a workplace romance in season 2 by pairing Mateo Chavez (Julian Works) and Nancy Gillian (Brianna Baker). Their relationship starts off purely sexual, much like Carlos and TK in9-1-1: Lone Starseason 1, but they steadily grow more attached to one another. In9-1-1: Lone Starseason 3,Mateo wants to keep their relationship privatewhile Nancy wants to tell their coworkers and make their status public. When Mateo pushes back and evades her questions, miscommunication leads to Nancy reconsidering their arrangement entirely.
The rest of the 126 encourage Mateo and Nancy to air their grievances, which prompts him to admit his insecurities regarding their relationship, including their noticeable height difference.Nancy easily reassures him that he is the one she wants, and after some sufficiently honest communication, the couple was off to the races. Admittedly, the ultimate fate of Mateo and Nancy’s relationship was left as anunanswered question following the9-1-1: Lone Starfinale, but there would be no possibility of a happy ever after if he hadn’t been upfront with her about his vulnerability.
2Marjan Almost Went Back To Her Arranged Fiancé
Season 4, Episode 8
Despite Natacha Karam’s Marjan Marwani being a key member of the9-1-1: Lone Starcast of characters, she wasn’t often given solo storylines.9-1-1: Lone Starrevealed Marjan had a fiancé named Salim (Mena Massoud) in season 2, clarifying thattheir marriage had been arranged when they were 12.Salim (and his relationship with Marjan) practically disappeared until9-1-1: Lone Starseason 4, when Marjan’s reservations about their marriage come to light and lead to a breakup. After some reflection, however, Marjan claims she truly loves Salim and tries to rekindle their relationship.
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.
There was another woman, however — one Salim told Marjan he was hoping to marry. When Marjan admits her feelings, Salim is ready to abandon his lover at a moment’s notice to follow through with their original arrangement. The way Salim easily discarded the woman he swore he loved was enough to shake Marjan out of her stupor and double down on their breakup. While9-1-1: Lone Stardidn’t show enough of their relationship for the audience to root for or against it,the marriage would have sent Marjan to Florida. For the 126’s sake, Marjan couldn’t have married Salim.
1Judd Almost Gave Up Firefighting
Season 5, Episode 1
As the only surviving member of the original 126, Judd was destined for a leadership position at the station from the beginning. After his son, Wyatt (Jackson Pace), is injured in an accident at the end of9-1-1: Lone Starseason 4, Judd sacrifices his career and cashes in his retirement to pay for in-home care to oversee Wyatt’s recovery. Though Wyatt acclimated to using a wheelchair and moved into his own place at the beginning of9-1-1: Lone Starseason 5, there’s no way for Judd to return to his lieutenant position at the 126 since he officially retired.
It was inevitable that Judd would end up as the 126 captain, as evidenced by the 9-1-1: Lone Star finale’s time-jump, but Judd’s ego almost drove him away from his one true vocation.
Due to his pride, Judd explores other options and insists he can’t go back to the 126, as he would have to start over as a probationary firefighter and move up the ranks again. Judd even interviewed for a job driving commercial trucks and seemed poised to accept it before a derailed train literally derailed his trial run. It was inevitable that Judd would end up as the 126 captain, as evidenced by the9-1-1: Lone Starfinale’s time-jump, butJudd’s ego almost drove him away from his one true vocation. Thankfully,9-1-1: Lone Starwised up just in time.
