While 911: Lone Star is nearing the end of its run, Gina Torres' Tommy Vega's story could potentially finish before the final episode airs.
Through its five seasons, a rotating cast of leading characters pushed 911: Lone Star's narrative forward. However, more so than its parent show, 911, a handful of actors have been spotlighted in the main cast before exiting, including Sierra McClain's Grace Ryder prior to 911: Lone Star Season 5.
Torres has been part of the Lone Star cast since Season 2 as Tommy Vega, Station 126's paramedic captain who returned to work after her husband shut down his restaurant.
What Happened to Tommy on 911: Lone Star?
Season 5, Episode 6 of 911: Lone Star saw Gina Torres' Tommy Vega go to her doctor's office for a mammogram. This came after she accidentally received an NSFW photo from Brianna Baker's Nancy Gillian and noticed a lump on her breast before suggesting she get it checked out.
Tommy's decision was initially out of support for her coworker, Nancy, with whom she had developed a close relationship during their time together in 911: Lone Star. While Nancy's results came back clean (she only had a cyst rather than a cancerous tumor), the same could not be said about Tommy.
Although Tommy does not share her official diagnosis with Nancy, she tells her colleague that the doctor "found something" and that "it's bad." Tearing up, Tommy confided in Nancy with this information, which only the two know as of Episode 6.
Additionally, Torres made a voice cameo appearance in Episode 2 of 911 Season 8 (alongside co-stars Angela Bassett and Peter Krause). There, she played the dispatcher who performed the final call at Emmett Washington's funeral during Athena Grant's flashback.
Showrunner Ryan Minear discussed this moment with TVLine, explaining how he "really wanted to understand how this moment was going to feel" by using Torres in that capacity.
He recalled contacting Torres and asking her to help with the voiceover, saying she has "the best voice" and reflecting on it being heard at the Mission: SPACE ride in Walt Disney World's EPCOT park:
"I called Gina and just said, 'Hey, can you do a little voiceover for me?' I needed a great voice, and she’s got the best voice. She’s even the voice on a ride at Disney World, if I’m not mistaken — and I’m not."
Torres only needed "four or five takes" to get the voiceover right, and while it was not initially meant to make the final edit, Minear kept it in the show.
He clarified that he is "always looking for reasons to employ Gina Torres," having worked with her for over 20 years.
Minear was also asked whether Tommy or other Lone Star characters could move to 911 now that the former is in its final season. While Minear has "no current plans for that," he admitted it is "not impossible."
Will Tommy Be In Future 911 Episodes?
While 911: Lone Star is approaching its final days on the air, the original 911 series is far from done. Season 8 was renewed only a month after Season 7 began in March 2024, and based on the show's continued success, the Los Angeles-based procedural could run for as long as the show's team wants.
Additionally, creator Ryan Murphy is hard at work on a second 911 spin-off, reportedly gearing up to begin production in March 2025.
Previous reports hinted that the new spin-off may look to shoot in Las Vegas, Nevada, although other rumors have teased Hawaii as a potential location.
Seeing as the 911 universe has no end in sight with the original series and this spin-off, Gina Torres' Tommy could conceivably appear in either of these shows after Lone Star ends. However, it depends on her doctor's visit, which could diminish any hope of her appearing elsewhere before her current show ends.
New episodes of 911: Lone Star Season 5 debut on Fox at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesdays before streaming on Hulu the next day.
