The Passion of PRIDE in the New Show 911: Lone Star

During these troubling times of staying inside to prevent the spread of disease, I have turned (like so many others) to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney +, and some of the other streaming sites offered. However, I’m not alone. I’m with my sister, brother, and parents. People who have different preferences in what they like to watch. We found a show that satisfies the action my dad likes, the drama my mom likes, and the representation that I like to see and that show is 911: Lone Star.

It is about the main character, Owen Strand and his son Tyler, moving to Texas to be the new fire chief after a tragedy killed the old crew. He brings in his own people, renovates the entire building, and does his best to become a part of the community, save people, and deal with his own issues. The show is structured as a dramatic cop/emergency service show, like any that you would see at four in the afternoon on ABC or Fox but it has a twist. Almost every main character is LGBTQ or a minority. They had uprooted their lives to go to Texas with the chief after he asked them so they are also trying to restart their lives while dealing with relationship drama and the normal issues of everyday life while also saving lives from tornadoes, grain silos, and of course fires.

The show deals with these topics in a unique way because unlike some of the other shows that have gay or transgender characters such as The Magicians(Elliot) or The Mortal Instruments (Alec), they don’t emphasize their sexuality to try to prove that the show is accepting and “woke.” The fact that they are LGBTQ isn’t even hinted at in the trailer. There are also more characters who would be labelled as “minority” on official documents then there would be on other shows. It is a show that emphasizes instead, that it’s normal and that no matter what relationship you are in, you have the same issues. It also exemplifies that society has accepted the LGBTQ community as a norm that shouldn’t be dwelled upon to increase ratings.

This is a show that is good for a laugh, a cry, it’s intensity, and at times, a thrill. There are times when they use their differences to add comedic relief in the middle of a particularly stressful episode however, even that is not done very often. They mostly focus on saving lives, the traumatic experiences they feel after just barely surviving, and trying to achieve their goals in life such as the “new guy” Reyes who is trying to become a full time fire fighter, Marjan the muslim girl trying to uphold her religious beliefs while saving people, Judson learning to cope with the loss of his entire house, or Tyler who has to decide what he wants to do with his life. These are just a few minor examples of the struggles portrayed in this dramatic show. This show is a unique experience that portrays to people the way that society has accepted something that was formerly shunned for various reasons and it’s a good way to introduce someone to the LGBTQ community with minimal bias and exaggeration.