’9-1-1: Lone Star’ Series Finale Spoilers: Showrunner Teases What Will Happen to Paul Strickland | 9-1-1 Lone Star, Brian Michael Smith, Fox, Television | Just Jared: Celebrity News and Gossip

The 9-1-1: Lone Star series finale is happening this week.

The two-part finale, which begins on Monday (January 27) at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, promises to be “apocalyptic,” as it centers around an asteroid heading to Austin, Texas.

Showrunner Rashad Raisani spoke to TheWrap about the show coming full circle from the very first episode, and it involves Brian Michael Smith‘s trans character, Paul Strickland.

During the interview, the showrunner referenced a conversation Owen Strand (played by Rob Lowe) had in the very first episode when he recruited Paul to Station 126.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Brian Smith, who’s a trans man, his character is obviously fundamental to the show. He came to me and said, ‘Hey, if you look at the pilot of Lone Star, Rob Lowe, has a line where he’s trying to recruit Paul to come to Texas. He says, ‘Somewhere there is a kid out there in this town, just like you, who feels like they don’t matter and they’re not seen and one day you might come across them.’ And Brian said, ‘Could we do that as a story before the show is over?’” the showrunner recalled.

“Paul runs into a kid who knows Paul’s transness, and the fact that Paul lives with pride and dignity and courage would have a huge impact on this young person and teach them about feeling that they’re enough and that they can accept themselves.”

“I’m not trans, but Brian is somebody I care about. So when he tells me, ‘This is my lived experience…’ it just feels like I’m telling a story with Brian. We’re just trying to tell a human story. I hope and wish that people could see it that way, that it’s about human beings and telling stories of shared humanity,” the showrunner concluded, adding: “I feel like we went down swinging.”

Find out which shows FOX has renewed and cancelled so far ahead of the 2025-26 TV season.