The 9-1-1 shows might have lost a spinoff with the cancellation of 9-1-1: Lone Star, but they are set to expand their universe in 2025 with the addition of 9-1-1: Nashville on ABC, and Rob Lowe would like to make an appearance. While the flagship series is set in Los Angeles, following a group of first responders in their jobs and personal lives, the Nashville series will set itself apart by incorporating the music scene of the area into the new series, with some of the first responders even being musicians.
Rob Lowe Wants To Reprise Owen Strand In 9-1-1: Nashville
Lowe Previously Starred in 9-1-1: Lone Star
Rob Lowe previously starred as Owen Strand in 9-1-1: Lone Star. Owen moved to Texas from New York with his son to lead a firehouse that had recently lost most of its firefighters. He also makes the move after being diagnosed with lung cancer, so his time on the show is coupled with his treatments until he is in remission. At the end of the series, however, Owen was revealed to have moved back to New York.
Just because Lowe’s time on 9-1-1: Lone Star (and the series itself) has ended does not mean that Lowe is completely done with the character. Lowe recently voiced his desire to play Owen Strand again in 9-1-1: Nashville:
I’ll have to ask Chad Lowe, my brother. Chad Lowe is the executive producer, director of 9-1-1 Nashville. So I’m just waiting for my phone to ring. I mean, you know, I hired him on Lone Star. I think turnabout is fair play.
While Lowe wanting to play the character does not necessarily mean he will definitely show up in the series, with his brother as one of the executive producers of the series, it does seem an appearance would be easier for him than it might be for other actors who have been involved in the shows before.
How Owen Traveling To Nashville After Missing Judd's Promotion Makes Lone Star's Ending Worse
It Would Be A Surprising Move
...not even seeing Owen congratulate Judd on taking over is a bit of a letdown.
Judd was Owen’s right-hand during much of the series. Judd was also a close friend of Owen’s. As the only survivor of the original crew at the firehouse before Owen took over, Judd had a lot of baggage to work through during the series, but he and Owen made it work, and they were both stronger for it. Owen missing out on Judd’s promotion in order to make the audience believe Owen actually died was disappointing for the audience already, but seeing Owen make the trek to Nashville when he was not there for Judd would also be a disappointment.
There are already some who believe that Owen should have died in the series finale. Owen was, after all, fully prepared to sacrifice himself for his team. It would have brought the show full circle since it began with a single member of the firehouse left alive, but with the series ending, all of the characters were given their version of a happy ending instead. With that in mind, not even seeing Owen congratulate Judd on taking over is a bit of a letdown.
Lone Star's Characters Must Appear In 9-1-1: Nashville First Before Owen
Using The Characters Who Remain In Texas Makes More Sense
With Owen making the move back to New York in the 9-1-1: Lone Star series finale, it would seem like he was being set up for a potential New York spinoff instead of an appearance in the Nashville series. It would make more sense for the new show to actually use those characters who are still in residence in Texas instead.
Geographically, it seems unlikely that characters from 9-1-1, which is all the way on the West Coast, would be popping up in Tennessee, even though the flagship series is still on the air. Of course, there is always the potential for characters to be taking a vacation to Nashville or have a more personal connection to one of the new characters we do not know about just yet.
It just would not be quite as long of a trip for one of those characters if they were coming from Texas instead of California or New York. It's not quite as much of a reach to believe a Lone Star character could be traveling through Nashville.
Fans will have to wait until 9-1-1: Nashville premieres in the fall to see if any crossovers or cameos actually occur.
