OP1: 9-1-1 Lonestar - The Representation We Need

Think of your favorite tv show or movie. Who is your favorite character in that show or movie? Why are they your favorite character? Is it because you relate to them? In what way do you relate? Maybe it’s their personality or drive. Or it could be that they look like you.

Representation in media is such an important concept. It’s essential that youth see people on screen that look like them. There are so many shows out there that portray people of color negatively which leads to low self-esteem issues in young black girls and boys according to Forbes. The same study says that as the self-esteem issues decrease in black kids, the self-esteem of white kids increases.

But there are also some shows that portray people of color in good ways. One of those shows is the 9-1-1 spinoff series, 9-1-1: Lone Star.

The diversity in this show makes it—in my opinion—one of the best tv shows out right now. Some may think the show is “trying too hard” or “forcing diversity down viewers’ throats” but in reality, it provides an insight on how diverse our world really is.

The premise of the show (I promise, I won’t spoil anything) is a fire chief who moves to Austin, Texas from New York City after a tragedy occurs in Austin. The captain’s son moves down to Austin with his father and they recruit a diverse variety of firefighters. There, they meet the EMS captain who’s struggling with her sister’s disappearance and a firefighter who is traumatized after the tragic incident.

Rob Lowe stars as Captain Owen Strand and Ronen Rubinstein plays T.K. Strand, Captain Strand’s gay son who was a former drug abuser. Brian Michael Smith plays Paul Strickland, a transgender black man that Captain Strand recruits on the fire crew. Natacha Karam is Marjan Marwani, another one of the firefighter recruits who is an outspoken, Muslim woman.

Rafael Silva plays a Latinx, gay police officer and Julian Works plays Mateo Chavez, a hard-working Latinx firefighter who is given a chance by Captain Strand. Sierra McClain and Jim Parrack portray Grace and Judd Ryder, an interracial, married couple where Grace is a 911 operator and Judd is a firefighter that worked at the station during the tragedy. Liv Tyler is also in the show as Michelle Blake, a strong-willed paramedic captain.

As you can see, almost every character in this show portrays some kind of representation. Representation that WE NEED. Although the lead is a straight, white male, the show still focuses on the other characters and their personal battles.

With this, there is still work that needs to be done in making sure all people are represented in media. Between 2016 and 2017, only 21.5% of broadcast scriptedleads were actors of color, an increase from 5.1.% in 2011-12. While that is a nice increase, that number is still low.

9-1-1: Lone Star’s premiere night captured 11.5 million viewers total. I recommend this show to everyone reading this. Shows that include so much diversity like this one should be supported. Tell your family, friends and co-workers to check out the show. Young people seeing characters with respectable jobs like firefighters, police officers and paramedics that look like them, boosts their confidence and makes them think “hey, I could be like them one day.”

Catch 9-1-1: Lone Star on Fox every Monday at 8/7c. You won’t be disappointed.