When 9-1-1: Lone Star first introduced us to Paul Strickland, the vibe was different. Usually, when network TV handles a character like Paul, they make it their whole personality. You know the drill. Every scene is a "teaching moment" or a tragic backstory reveal. But Paul 9-1-1 Lone Star—played with this incredible, understated gravel by Brian Michael Smith—broke that mold from the jump.
He wasn't just "the trans firefighter." He was the guy with the "Paul-dar." The human lie detector. The one who could read a room before anyone else even noticed there was a room to read. Honestly, that’s why fans are still talking about him now that the series has wrapped its fifth and final season.
The Lieutenant Promotion and That Heavy Season 5 Burden
Let’s talk about the big shift in Season 5. After Judd Ryder stepped down to take care of his son, Wyatt, a power vacuum opened up at the 126. It came down to Paul and Marjan—the "Probie and the Pro" dynamic we’ve loved for years—fighting for the same Lieutenant spot.
Paul eventually got the bars. Lieutenant Paul Strickland has a nice ring to it, right? But the show didn't just give him a shiny new title and call it a day. They actually looked at the psychological weight of it. In the episode "My Way," we see Paul spiraling. He’s trying to do everything himself. Chores, heavy lifting, micromanaging rescues. He literally pushes himself until his body starts to quit.
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Why? Because of this deep-seated fear that if he isn't perfect, he’ll be replaced. There's this heartbreaking nightmare sequence where he shows up to a 126 hangout and sees two kids have taken his spot. It turns out those kids represented friends from his past who ditched him when he transitioned. It was a raw look at "found family" versus the fear of abandonment. Watching Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) have to sit him down and explain that leadership is about trusting your team—not just being the strongest guy in the room—was one of those quiet, peak-performance moments for the character.
The Brugada Syndrome Scare
If you’ve been following the show since the early days, you remember the pacemaker era. This was probably the most "make or break" moment for Paul 9-1-1 Lone Star.
Finding out he had Brugada syndrome—a rare heart condition that basically makes your heart a ticking time bomb—was brutal. His dad died young from the same thing. For a guy whose entire identity is built on his physical capability and his ability to save others, being told he might need a pacemaker (and thus lose his career) was a death sentence in his eyes.
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The tension between him and Marjan during that arc was painful to watch. She saved his life, but he hated her for it because it meant he was "broken" in the eyes of the FDNY/AFD. It took a long time for him to accept that he could be a hero with a battery in his chest. It humanized him. It showed that even the coolest, most observant guy in the firehouse has a breaking point.
What the Series Finale Got Wrong (And Right)
The finale, "Homecoming," was a bit of a mixed bag for Paul fans. While Owen headed back to New York and Marjan got her happy ending with a baby on the way, Paul kinda got the short end of the stick in terms of screentime.
- The Nuclear Crisis: Paul was right there in the thick of it during the university meltdown.
- The Mentor Role: We saw him start to mentor Jax, a non-binary teenager who looked up to him.
- The Romance: His relationship with Asha Fulton (the IA rep) was steady, but we didn't get that "big moment" for them in the end.
Some viewers felt he was sidelined in those final minutes. It’s a fair critique. After five seasons of watching him grow from a Chicago transfer to an Austin Lieutenant, he deserved a more definitive "future" scene. However, Brian Michael Smith has mentioned in interviews that he views Paul’s ending as one of "fully embodied power." He isn't searching for himself anymore. He knows who he is. He’s the leader the 126 needs.
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Why Paul Strickland is the "Gold Standard" for Representation
We can't talk about Paul without acknowledging the history-making nature of the role. Brian Michael Smith was the first Black openly trans man to be a series regular on network TV. That’s huge. But the "expert" way the writers handled it was by letting Paul just be.
He played video games. He was a tech nerd. He had a dry, sarcastic wit. He wasn't a caricature. The show treated his trans identity as a fact of his life—like his love for Kansas City BBQ or his firefighting skills—rather than a plot device to be "solved."
When he dated Josie back in the early seasons and she rejected him after he came out to her, it wasn't played for shock value. It was a quiet, honest look at the difficulties of dating as a trans person. It deepened his bond with T.K. and Carlos. It made the 126 feel like a real support system.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans of the 126
If you’re missing the crew of the 126 and want to dive deeper into the world of Paul 9-1-1 Lone Star, here is how you can keep the spirit of the show alive:
- Watch "Disclosure" on Netflix: If you want to understand why Brian Michael Smith's portrayal of Paul is so revolutionary, watch this documentary. He’s in it, and it breaks down the history of trans representation in Hollywood. It gives so much context to why Paul's "normality" is actually a radical act.
- Revisit the "Heart Attack" Arc: Go back to Season 3, Episodes 9 and 10. It’s some of the best acting in the entire series and really shows the chemistry between Paul and Marjan (the "Firehouse Twins").
- Support LGBTQ+ First Responder Orgs: The show often highlighted the real-world struggles of diverse first responders. Looking into organizations like OutServe-SLDN or local LGBTQ+ fire groups is a great way to honor the show's themes.
- Follow the Cast: Most of the 126 crew are very active on social media and often share behind-the-scenes stories that didn't make the final cut, especially regarding the abrupt end of Season 5.
Paul Strickland wasn't just a character; he was a shift in how we see heroes on screen. He proved you can be vulnerable and a "badass" at the same time. While the sirens might be quiet at the 126 for now, the blueprint Paul left for "human-first" storytelling isn't going anywhere.