Ronen Rubinstein knew about both Owen and T.K. Strand’s 9-1-1: Lone Star fates well before the series finale — and there’s one thing he would’ve changed.
Warning: Spoilers below for season 5, episode 12 of 9-1-1: Lone Star.
“I think everybody is left in the finale with where their hearts truly belong,” Rubinstein, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the series finale, which aired on Monday, February 3.
He noted that Owen’s (Rob Lowe) choice to leave Austin after a near-death experience during the series finale felt full circle. During Monday’s episode, Owen saved Austin from extinction following an asteroid hitting the city. Both he and his 126 firefighters were injured on scene, but Owen managed to prevent a nuclear reactor from exploding.
Once he pressed the “scram button” and stopped the nuclear threat, Owen fell to the ground and left viewers thinking might’ve died. When the episode flashed forward five months, fans learned that Owen’s son, T.K. (Rubinstein), left the 126 to help his and husband Carlos’ (Rafael L. Silva) chances at adopting his brother, Jonah, which was successful.
Owen, meanwhile, did survive and moved to New York City to become the chief of the department. He was originally a firefighter in the Big Apple during 9/11 before being recruited to Austin to start the series.
“For Owen, his heart was always in New York with his fallen brothers from 9/11,” Rubinstein explained. “Coming to Austin was very much — it was a massive side mission, and I feel like that mission was very accomplished.”
After building an “incredible firehouse,” which included T.K. as a firefighter before he became a paramedic with the 126, Owen left the firehouse in Judd Ryder’s (Jim Parrack) hands.
9-1-1: Lone Star’s Ronen Rubinstein Teases a ‘Wrench’ in T.K.’s Marriage
Rubinstein called it the “perfect” fit since it was Judd’s firehouse to begin with — and he was part of the 126 before Owen came to town.
The actor noted that T.K.’s “heart is now being a father” but with Owen gone, it wouldn’t have made sense to stay at the 126.
“I don’t think he can be a first responder without his dad. It’s kind of all he’s ever known,” Rubinstein told Us. “They came in together, they were together in New York fighting fires and saving lives, then they did [it] in Austin. I just can’t imagine that one or the other would do it without their true partner.”
He gushed over Owen and T.K.’s “beautiful” father and son relationship, confessing that their dynamic being cut short was a missed opportunity. (9-1-1: Lone Star was canceled in September 2024 ahead of the season 5 premiere.)
“That’s one of the relationships I’m definitely the most upset about that we can’t explore further,” Rubinstein revealed. “It would be really fun to see grandpa Owen.”
Owen as a grandparent is just one of the stories Rubinstein thinks could have propelled the series further if given the chance. He noted that in time, T.K. would have most likely grown tired of being a dad full-time, so another season could’ve brought him back to the firehouse.
What to Know About ABC’s ‘9-1-1’ Spinoff — Including Who Could Make Cameos
“I think at the end of the day, he would find an itch to get back to what he knows best, and that’s saving lives and being a first responder,” the actor shared. “It’d be really interesting to see how long that flip would take of him being OK and content with just being at home.”
He envisioned, “Eventually something will start bubbling up and be like, ‘I need to get back out there.’”
Rubinstein admitted he could “daydream” about a possible revival that would “be amazing” but he “wouldn’t hold my breath” for it actually coming to fruition.
Despite feeling that 9-1-1: Lone Star should’ve lasted longer, Rubinstein told Us he’s “beyond happy” with how his and Owen’s stories were connected in their conclusions.
“It is very much a theme of, ‘Can they continue doing this without each other?’ And I don’t think they can, and I don’t think they want to,” he continued. “Especially T.K., I think he’s ready to sort of hang his helmet up and move on to the next chapter in his life.”
9-1-1: Lone Star’s Rafael Silva and Ronen Rubinstein on Cancellation Rumors
Rubinstein added that it was “poetic” how everything ended, since his off-camera life reflected T.K.’s journey. Rubinstein welcomed his first child, son Boydd, with his wife, Jessica Parker Kennedy, in September 2024.
“It’s something that I’m really going through right now in my personal life, hanging my boots up with Lone Star now my next chapter as a father,” he reflected. “It’s almost too bizarre and too spot on. It’s like our writers are fortune tellers. It’s incredible.”
