‘9-1-1’ & ‘Lone Star’ Boss Says ‘There Will Definitely Be Crossovers’ Next Season

The world of 9-1-1‘s first responders expanded this past season from Los Angeles’ 118 to Lone Star‘s 126 in Austin, and both shows will be back next year.

While the two share a universe, they were, for the most part, kept separate in 9-1-1‘s third season and the spinoff’s first. Erin Karpluk’s Pepper, whom the 118 encountered on a call, did meet the 126 in the same way. And the tales of Chimney (Kenneth Choi) getting that rebar through his head — and surviving! — made it all the way to Texas. (The firefighter wasn’t mentioned by name when that car accident was discussed.) But will that change in 2021? (Both are slated to be part of Fox’s midseason lineup.)

“There will definitely be crossovers. We’re kicking around some ideas now about how to accomplish that,” Tim Minear, showrunner for both series, told TV Insider. “It’s time now that we can cross-pollinate those worlds a little bit.”

But what might that look like? Will the 9-1-1 shows join the Arrowverse, One Chicago, and FBI and FBI: Most Wanted in multi-episode events? Or could we just see one character making the trip south or to the west coast? (Ryan Guzman’s Eddie is from Texas, after all.) Could we get another Pepper situation, where a memorable guest star from a call shows up in another crazy situation on the other show?

“I actually have a couple of ideas that are traditional crossover ideas and then ways to have stories cross over between episodes that aren’t necessarily one cast guesting on the other episode,” Minear continued.

However it happens, he’s looking forward to any combination of characters from two series. For example, “Judd having to deal with Buck would be kind of fun,” he said. “Obviously Judd has heard tales of Chimney.” How would the 126 react to meeting the man they heard about surviving such a wild accident?

How might firefighters Judd (Jim Parrack) and Buck (Oliver Stark) work together? Judd went through quite the journey back to work after losing his unit, and Buck just got necessary closure in his relationship with former 9-1-1 dispatcher Abby (Connie Britton). We’ll be seeing “the next phase” of his character in Season 4.

As Minear pointed out, you get certain dynamics depending on which characters you pair together, i.e. best friends Chimney and Hen (Aisha Hinds), the now expectant parents Chimney and Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), and any other members of the 118 like Buck with Hen or Eddie with Hen.

“Any combination would just probably result in a different but interesting and fun dynamic,” he added. “The possibilities are almost endless there.”

One aspect in which there likely won’t be any crossover is when it comes to a certain member of the 126. The showrunner doesn’t expect the 118 to get a dog, but he promised “Buttercup will definitely be back” on Lone Star. Let’s just hope that both firefighter Owen (Rob Lowe) and his canine counterpart — both have the same type of lung cancer — continue to fight and live in Season 2.

9-1-1, Season 4, Midseason, Fox

9-1-1: Lone Star, Season 2, Midseason, Fox