What can fans expect from Paul Strickland in future episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star?

[Warning: The following contains major spoilers for 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Episode

4 “My Way.”] Lt. Paul Strickland seems like a good fit, right? He’s settling into his

role by the end of the latest 9-1-1: Lone Star episode, after initially trying to do too much on his own, including jobs that no one else likes to do. “When you’re in the trenches with someone, you really form a bond, and then it can be a challenge to go from, ‘Hey, we’re all on the same level,’ to, ‘Hey, I need you to do the things that I’m asking you to do, and now I have this authority, and how am I going to use that authority?’” Brian Michael Smith explained to TV Insider in our 9-1-1: Lone Star post-credits episode, First Response, which you can watch in full above.

Paul pushes himself so hard that his back aches, and Owen (Rob Lowe) eventually steps in to talk to him about the burden of leadership. It all goes back to his childhood, when we glimpse him in a nightmare as he shows up to play 126 only to find that they’ve replaced him—with two kids. Those kids are Paul’s childhood best friends, who did everything together until they excluded him because he’s transgender.

But after talking to Owen, Paul steps up and takes command—and then sees firsthand that things aren’t going to change for his friends when Marjan (Natacha Karam) checks his weekend plans.