‘911: Lone Star’: What happened to Grace?

The 911 spinoff 911: Lone Star is just as dramatic as its predecessor, and 911 operator Grace Ryder (Sierra McClain) has been part of some significant storylines since the first episode. Grace is involved in an especially sad plotline in season 2.

Like the fabulous 911 operator Abby Clark (Connie Britton), Grace is amazing at her job, and also has a full life when she’s not working that is often full of surprises, twists and turns. Grace’s marriage to Judd Ryder (Jim Parrack) is a key part of the Fox spinoff. Whether Grace dies in a season 2 episode of 911: Lone Star is a question we need the answer to.

Did Grace die in season 2 of 911: Lone Star?

911: Lone Star fans expected Grace to die when she and Judd were in a horrifying car crash in season 2, episode 9. In the appropriately-titled episode “Saving Grace,” Grace and Judd are driving on a bridge when they end up in the water. While Grace’s death would have made for a particularly dramatic moment that would be in keeping with the show’s tone, Grace makes it through. She is still a main character on 911: Lone Star and is going to appear in 911: Lone Star season 5 when it returns.

Of course, it’s not obvious that Grace is going to live at first. She doesn’t come up from the water for six entire minutes, which could damage her brain. But after she spends time in the hospital, she wakes up (phew) and it’s clear she’s going to be alright. Instead of jumping right back to work, which would be unrealistic, Grace goes through physical therapy and gets better.

Grace’s life changes forever after this particularly scary car crash when she finds out she’s expecting while in the hospital. While she has many plotlines on 911: Lone Star that help her change and grow as a person, like finding out about her father’s affair, Grace’s motherhood journey is her most compelling.

Things get even more intense when, once they adjust to being parents, Grace learns Judd has a child named Wyatt (Jackson Pace). If Grace didn’t live, none of these storylines would be possible, which would be a shame since 911: Lone Star would miss out on this complicated and ultimately realistic dynamic. There is definitely an attempt on 911: Lone Star to show the ups and downs of life (and committed relationships in particular), which we appreciate.

In an interview with Observer.com, Sierra McClain mentioned Judd and Grace discovering Wyatt and said, “it’s interesting to see the different parts of Judd and Grace, the different parts of parenting that it calls for.” She added that “Having to raise a young baby is different from having to raise a teenager,” which is definitely what sets this storyline apart from the sometimes-clichéd way raising kids is typically handled on TV shows. 911: Lone Star introduced a story about the unexpected moments that can result from committing to someone and having kids.

While it seemed like Grace would die on 911: Lone Star, fans sighed with relief that she got to continue her important work as a 911 operator. While she’ll likely get into some similarly terrifying situations in season 5, hopefully, she stays on 911: Lone Star until what is sure to be an unforgettable and juicy series finale.