Paul’s visit took a surprising turn on Tuesday 9-1-1: Lone Star When a reminder from her past prompts her to examine a part of herself she left behind long ago.
Asha and Paul reminisce about their childhood basketball team, prompting the firefighter to reflect on an aspect of himself that he unknowingly gave up during the transition. In talking and soul-searching with Owen, Paul concludes that there are some pieces of his past worth preserving – and the firehouse is a very good place to start a new circle.
Below, Brian Michael Smith breaks down his character’s success and wonders what might be next for Paul.
tvline , I’ll start by saying that I love Paul and Asha together. Their chemistry is very good.
Let me tell you man, Amanda is a fantastic actress and a wonderful person. Joining our show is not easy. We move on really fast and there’s a lot going on. But she was committed, and she was really open, so I felt like we were able to connect on a real level.
tvline , And as Asha enters the picture to discipline 126, a love affair with Paul was the last thing I expected.
It was surprising to me too. I was hoping that Paul would find love this season, and I had no idea this would be the entry point, but who doesn’t like a challenge?
tvline , The last time Paul had dating problems was in Season 1, and the issue was that she wasn’t ready to be with a trans man. With Hope, it’s almost the opposite, like Paul’s worry that she knows too much.
When Asha arrived, Paul’s biggest fear was whether she would still be able to see him as the man he is, even though she knew him for who he was pretending to be when he was younger. The best thing about Asha is who she really is, what she saw in her when she was young and what she liked. He saw who she was on an essential level. She’s basically saying, “I saw you then, and I see you now, and I’m always going to see you no matter what happens.”
It really gave Paul an opportunity to process and unpack things he didn’t feel he had dealt with. The way Paul handled the trauma of navigating his trans experience and the things that didn’t go well with him was that he just closed the door, he pushed everything away, and he moved on. In doing so, he cut off the parts of himself that were truly meaningful. He is realizing that this survival mechanism does not serve him in the present.
tvline , There are universal elements to this plot, but it also feels very personal. How much input did you have?
We usually start each season with a phone call [showrunner Tim Minear] Will approaches the rest of the writers in the room and talks about what they are planning. And then doors open up for me to explore what I want to do. It was really serious when they reached out to me about this particular plot. I was like, “Tim, are you kidding? Are you reading my diaries from my early 20s?”
tvline , Switching gears to a more important woman in Paul’s life, viewers were quite surprised when Marjan was gone, but I think Paul was more disappointed than anyone.
Oh yes. When you meet someone who lifts you on such a spiritual level right from the start, it means a lot. So he is very protective of Marjan, as she is his soul sister and he is his soul brother. They have a really good relationship. They mean a lot to each other, so knowing when he’s dealing with things he doesn’t have is going to be tough for him. He needs someone like that in his life. The pain he was experiencing in that moment when she was walking away was knowing that it was going to come at a cost to him that this person does such an important thing in his life.
your thoughts on tuesday 9-1-1: Lone Star, Hopes for the future? Leave a comment below.