9-1-1 Lone Star: The Main Characters, Ranked by Intelligence

Now in its third season, 9-1-1: Lone Star–the action/drama set in Austin, Texas–has seen many characters grow and change. The new firehouse team evolves from a mismatched group of strangers to a tight-knit team, all with differing experiences. Several crew members, like paramedics Nancy and Tim, begin as background characters but become more developed.

Others are just beginning their careers and need to work hard to prove both their bravery and smarts. In situations challenging these characters, their intelligence isn’t in question. It’s less about knowledge and more about decision-making skills.

10 Michelle Blake

Paramedic Captain Michelle Blake (Liv Tyler) is a strong and decisive leader from the start, but outside of work she constantly seems to make poor choices. She has a restraining order against her which she ignores and is willing to get arrested repeatedly.

Though entertaining to watch Captain Blake flirt with Captain Strand, her behavior seems unprofessional and risky. Liv Tyler’s performance as Michelle was strong. Unfortunately, when the actor left 9-1-1: Lone Star due to the pandemic, her character made the odd choice to step down from her position, leaving the audience scratching their heads.

9 Mateo Chavez

As the ‘probie’, Mateo Chavez (Julian Works) struggles just to become a firefighter because of his dyslexia, but that isn’t what affects his overall intelligence compared to the others. Mateo is the newbie and the one who has the most to prove, but as the show progresses–and certainly in recent episodes–Mateo is proving himself on the job.

However, this particular character is naive about the world in general, often for comedic effect. His choice of roommates literally ends up in flames. When he becomes Captain Strand’s roommate, Mateo is perplexed by the house and all its belongings. His own crew frequently tease Mateo about his innocence.

8 T.K. Strand

As the son of the captain, T.K. (Ronen Rubinstein) starts out being taken care of and having decisions made for him by his father. But T.K. continuously struggles with most things in his life. On the job, he makes decisions from an emotional place which often gets him in trouble, ignoring direct orders and reacting impulsively.

As one of 9-1-1’s best couples, T.K. and Carlos are solid (when they’re together). Unfortunately, T.K. is willing to argue with Carlos often without knowing the full story. On or off the job, he’s often willing to start a fight for little to no reason. But those emotions are also what can make him endearing in his quieter moments.

7 Marjan Marwani

A savvy social-media star and a devout Muslim, Marjan (Natacha Karam) can be torn between the two inside and outside of the firehouse. She struggles with impulsivity. Her instincts can be a great asset when she’s out in the field but often regrets her decisions in her private life, like chaining herself to a building or driving into a snowstorm.

This doesn’t mean that Marjan isn’t thoughtful. Marjan helps Mateo study for his exam to become a firefighter. She is quick to shut down high school bullies using that social media savvy. Even driving into the snowstorm, Marjan goes for a good reason: to get her captain back on the job.

6 Judd Ryder

From the beginning, it’s difficult to tell if Judd (Jim Parrack) is smart or if he just married a smart woman that he listens to. The truth is a little of both. Judd struggles with PTSD from the loss of his entire firehouse crew but is emotionally intelligent enough to accept help from his wife and a therapist.

As Judd’s mental health improves, he’s trustworthy enough to step in when Captain Strand has to take a leave of absence. Judd’s emotional intelligence seems to grow with each episode as he opens up to change while sticking to his traditional cowboy roots.

5 Carlos Reyes

Police officer Carlos Reyes (Rafael L. Silva) is often useful for the storylines more than as a character. His decision-making and reactions constantly seem logical and by the book. It’s only when Carlos is with T.K. that he really puts his intelligence to work. He is consistently thoughtful, communicative, and attentive.

For someone like T.K. who struggles to use his head before his heart, Carlos is the perfect balance. Maybe that’s why we’ve seen more of Carlos, T.K., and their relationship struggles in recent episodes.

4 Paul Strickland

Paul (Brian Michael Smith) is a fascinating–if underutilized–character. From the first season, Paul demonstrates his Chicago street smarts and his gift for threat assessment. As the show progresses, however, these talents aren’t frequently taken advantage of. A keen eye will catch even the small moments that Paul shows of his wits.

Paul is the person that many of the others confide in and go to for advice. He maintains a calm demeanor and is a great listener. Paul even finds ways to be supportive of everyone at the firehouse. However, the development of Paul in his greater life beyond the job or flashbacks to his life in Chicago would help truly show the character’s depth of intelligence.

3 Grace Ryder

Grace (Sierra Aylina McClain) is definitely one of the best characters on 9-1-1. If only she got more screen time, she would easily be first on this list. From the start, Grace proves professional and emotional intelligence. She is both a brilliant 911 operator and wife to Judd. Grace thinks on her feet at the job while keeping a strong relationship afloat even when her husband hits rock bottom.

Grace has an amazing memory, able to quote the bible and 9-1-1 handbook. She is constantly resourceful when callers are in unusual situations and keeps her calm. Aside from driving into that snowstorm while in labor, Grace is continuously on the mark when it comes to logical and critical thinking.

2 Owen Strand

Though Rob Lowe’s Captain Strand is an extremely likable character and a focal point of the show, his own brain can often get the best of him. He’s at his best when on the job. However, his need to keep busy frequently gets him in trouble. From his choice of coffee makers to blenders to hair products, the captain’s vanity can also cloud his judgment.

Captain Strand has great instincts with people f as shown in his selection of firefighters. He is also good a dispensing solid advice. The problem is that he’s not great at taking advice from others. He leads with bravery and morality before considering the logical answer, which ironically makes him more of a cowboy than he might be willing to admit.

1 Tommy Vega

Even though Paramedic Captain Tommy Vega (Gina Torres) was not prominent in the beginning of the show, her character has been consistently clever and quick to the right choice as well as logical and rational. She may question her own decisions at times, but inevitably she is the most successful both on the job and off. She is brave and even-tempered but isn’t showing off as other characters often do.

When Tommy’s husband suddenly passes away, she holds herself together better than most people could all for the sake of her daughters. In the most recent episodes, through the snowstorm, which few of the emergency workers have experience with, Tommy holds her team together. Across both franchises, Tommy is definitely one of the characters to keep an eye on this season.

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