Despite Rob Lowe's Pleas, 9-1-1: Nashville Doesn't Need This Controversial Character To Return

9-1-1: Nashville is the franchise’s newest entry, but one former protagonist might try to steal the spotlight. 9-1-1: Nashville is preceded by the flagship series in LA and a spinoff set in Texas. Arguably, the ending of 9-1-1: Lone Star paved the way for the Tennessee-based procedural after five years of Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) leading the Austin Fire Department.

Though the franchise’s first spinoff was a beloved series, 9-1-1: Lone Star was canceled ahead of its fifth and final season. Consequently, 9-1-1: Nashville will have high expectations to live up to, as it has essentially been positioned as Lone Star’s replacement. The cast of 9-1-1: Nashville already seems promising, but one familiar face may appear in the pilot season.

Rob Lowe Wants To Return As Owen Strand In 9-1-1: Nashville

The Actor Is Ironically Related To The Project

Though it became an ensemble-driven procedural over the years, it’s no secret that Rob Lowe was the original headliner of 9-1-1: Lone Star. The actor— who rose to fame in the 1980s as a member of the iconic “Rat Pack”— was cast opposite Liv Tyler (Michelle Blake). Their combined star power helped draw in viewers for the spinoff’s first season.

Since the series finale of 9-1-1: Lone Star aired in February 2025, Rob Lowe has been vocal about his willingness to reprise his starring role. Conveniently, one of the executive producers of 9-1-1’s Nashville-based spinoff is Chad Lowe, the renowned actor’s brother. Previously, Rob Lowe brought his brother onto 9-1-1: Lone Star to ironically play Owen’s brother, Robert Strand.

Nothing has been publicly confirmed regarding Owen Strand’s possible return in 9-1-1: Nashville, nor has Rob Lowe spoken about his appearance as anything other than a hypothetical. That said, considering Lowe’s close relationship to the series via his brother, it's likely that Owen Strand will eventually make an appearance in Nashville. Still, bringing Owen back won’t be an easy endeavor.

Owen Strand Was Already A Divisive Character In 9-1-1: Lone Star

The Fire Captain Was A Memorable But Controversial Protagonist

Beyond logistics, Owen’s character is simply a contentious figure within the franchise. Throughout the five seasons of 9-1-1: Lone Star, Owen was consistently given a disproportionate amount of screentime compared to his fellow firefighters. Beloved side characters like Marjan Marwani (Natacha Karam) and Paul Strickland (Brian Michael Smith) were often ignored for Owen to pursue yet another independent storyline.

Furthermore, the Owen-centric plots came across as melodramatic and out-of-place within the overarching narrative. There were plenty of scenes in 9-1-1: Lone Star that seemingly only existed to artificially prop up Owen’s character as a perfect hero, leaving the rest of the 126 behind in favor of watching Rob Lowe tame a horse or unravel an FBI investigation.

The most divisive moment of Captain Strand’s character arc came in the series finale. 9-1-1: Lone Star gave Owen Strand a cop-out ending by adding in a fake-out death sequence that shakily built towards an anticlimactic twist ending. Rather than give each character a proper sendoff, the spinoff wasted its final moments to once again center Owen Strand.

It Wouldn’t Make Sense For Owen Strand To Be On 9-1-1: Nashville

There Are A Few Big Risks To Lowe's Cameo

Regardless of how divisive Owen Strand’s ending fate was, it undeniably makes it difficult for the former protagonist to appear in 9-1-1: Nashville. After the time-jump in 9-1-1: Lone Star’s finale, it was revealed that Owen moved back to the East Coast to be the New York Fire Department’s Chief— a position almost a thousand miles away from Nashville.

As the NYFD’s Chief, there would be no professional reason for Owen to be in Nashville. Considering how long it took the character to acclimate to Texas in 9-1-1: Lone Star, it seems equally unlikely that Owen would travel to Tennessee for fun. However, there’s a much bigger risk to Owen Strand’s possible cameo in 9-1-1: Nashville.

Since its conception, 9-1-1: Nashville has been criticized as being too similar to Lone Star. Aside from Tennessee and Texas offering similar terrain and weather, there are firefighting father-son duos at the center of both procedurals. Having Owen Strand appear could hinder 9-1-1: Nashville’s chance to stand out, dooming it to forever live in 9-1-1: Lone Star’s shadow.

Can 9-1-1: Nashville Make An Owen Strand Cameo Work Without It Feeling Forced?

The Former Protagonist May Stick Out Like A Sore Thumb

Any guest appearance requires a certain suspension of disbelief, so 9-1-1: Nashville could explain Owen Strand’s cameo without requiring perfect logic. Considering Austin, Texas is also over 800 miles away from Nashville, it’s possible that Owen could pass through Tennessee on the way to visit his son. A natural disaster or statewide emergency could then stop Owen in his tracks.

Alternatively, Owen could somehow be connected to 9-1-1: Nashville’s Station 113. Theoretically, Owen and Don Sharpe (Chris O’Donnell) could easily have an undisclosed history together or share a mutual acquaintance. Haphazardly fastening Owen to the 9-1-1: Nashville cast would read as a flimsy excuse to justify his cameo, but there are limited options when trying to incorporate a well-known character.

While 9-1-1: Nashville could incorporate Owen Strand, the question remains of whether it should. Including a 9-1-1: Lone Star character— even one as turbulent as Owen— could distract from the original characters, squandering the new spinoff’s potential. A Rob Lowe cameo would be more appropriate after 9-1-1: Nashville has established itself, but that entirely depends on the pilot season’s success.

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