‘9-1-1: Lone Star’: Rob Lowe Talks Major Opening Emergency, Chad Lowe Returning & More

If you’ve been (im)patiently waiting for 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s return, you’re not alone. Rob Lowe, who stars as Captain Owen Strand, is eager for Season 5, on Fox‘s fall 2024 schedule, to get out there already.

“We’ve been shooting for two or three months now, so I want to be able to see it already,” he told TV Insider at the network’s upfront red carpet.

The Season 4 finale, which saw T.K. (Ronen Rubinstein) and Carlos (Rafael L. Silva) get married, also featured a couple of tragedies: Carlos’ father was murdered, and Owen sat by his brother Robert’s (Chad Lowe) side for his death (his Huntington’s disease was progressively getting worse). It aired in May 2023; 9-1-1: Lone Star was not part of Fox’s schedule for the 2023-2024 season at all after the strikes, instead pushed to fall 2024.

But there’s no reason to think that the upcoming season could be its last, because of that (or economics-related reasons, which led to 9-1-1 moving to ABC). “We’re going to see how that goes as always, and then make decisions on the future of that franchise,” Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade told reporters on May 13. “But at the moment we’re very focused on that being a launch pad for a new show, Rescue HI-Surf, and we’re excited to have it on the schedule.”

And we’re excited for what’s to come on 9-1-1: Lone Star, after the below teases from Lowe!

Last season, ended with some joy with the wedding, but then tragedy as well, especially for Owen with his brother. How is he dealing with that loss this season? 

Rob Lowe: He has a lot to go through still, as one could imagine, and that storyline is going to be revisited and there’s definitely some ramifications. It’s one of the things I love about the show is that you can do something that fraught with drama and then you can also do the exhilarating rescues, and we’re definitely bringing it this year.

Speaking of exhilarating rescues, the season opens with a three-episode train derailment. What can you preview and what about it is challenging the 126? 

Well, just the scale and spectacle of the train derailment and the arduousness of shooting it. I mean, I love it. I find it really challenging. I love the challenge of it, but it is a brutal, backbreaking grind and I’m like, “Yeah, I can do that. Let’s go. I turn 60, let’s f**king go.” Do you know what I mean? I get off on it, and so the more painful, the crawling, the smoke, the carnage, it’s really fun. And it’s not for everybody. I mean, believe me, I know plenty of actors who are like, “I’m not doing that.” But I love the results of it. I love how big it looks. It looks like a movie. Yeah, I think people are going to be blown away.

Will anyone from the 126 be injured?

We’re always in the line of fire, let’s put it that way.

Judd (Jim Parrack) had left. So how is Owen filling that open lieutenant spot? 

Well, that’s part of the fun of it, is that I’ve got to pick amongst amazing people who I love who’s going to get that job. That competition plays out over multiple episodes, so you don’t know who it’s going to be, and everybody’s fighting for that role.

Is anyone new joining the 126 then to fill the other slot that will be open when someone moves up?

We have a big surprise coming up, and I can’t tell you how it’s filled, but people are going to love it.

Is anything coming up in Owen’s love life? 

 Owen’s struggling right now. Owen’s due. Owen’s overdue.

He never has any luck there.

He just doesn’t. I’m hoping that by the end of the year, Owen’s figured out that part of his life.

Are there any returning recurring characters in Season 5? 

My brother Chad—Robert euthanized himself, and we see more about what happened really that day. It’s really gripping. Chad Lowe’s back for a moment or two.

What else are you excited for fans to see in the season? 

I’m just really excited about the spectacle. I’m really excited about the scope and scale of what we’re able to do while also still taking care of the characters everybody loves.

9-1-1: Lone Star, Season 5, Fall 2024, Fox