Look, I enjoyed a lot of things about 9-1-1: Lone Star. In fact, I’ll even say I enjoyed most things about it, even if I’ll admit I prefer the original 9-1-1. But, the one thing I didn’t enjoy—and arguably the weakest part of the show—was Rob Lowe’s Owen Strand. So, to hear Lowe discuss how he would love to reprise his role in the new spinoff, 9-1-1: Nashville, feels a little like getting a prize only to open it and realize it’s something you don’t even like.
And look, we’re already a little iffy about the cast for 9-1-1: Nashville, to begin with. We don’t need to add Owen Strand to this!
“I’ll have to ask Chad Lowe, my brother,” Lowe told Decider. “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.”
That this comes after Rob Lowe himself advocated for Owen Strand to die in the 9-1-1: Lone Star series finale (which didn’t happen), and after 9-1-1 actually killed their Captain, Bobby Nash (which no one wanted) is neither here nor there.
For what it’s worth, 9-1-1 showrunner and 9-1-1: Nashville executive producer Tim Minear recently told TVLine that there were “no current plans” for any Lone Star character to appear in the new show, though he also said, “It’s not impossible.” It would make more sense if the new show were to do a crossover, to do it with the show that is actually still on the air. Let’s bring Texas boy Eddie to Nashville, or something. Why not? He looks like he knows what to do in a rodeo.
Either way, the last thing 9-1-1: Nashville needs right now is Rob Lowe. The character of Owen Strand got his happily ever after, and if anything, the new spinoff needs to establish its own characters and not depend on characters who will not be around to bring people in. So, thank you, but no thank you, Rob Lowe. We really don’t need more of Owen Strand.
9-1-1: Nashville is coming to ABC this fall.
