When you think of 9-1-1: Lone Star, a few powerhouse names come to mind. But standing tall—physically and emotionally—is Marjan Marwani, the hijabi firefighter-paramedic with nerves of steel and a heart of gold. From her jaw-dropping stunts to her unwavering moral compass, Marjan has carved out a space as one of the strongest and most influential characters on TV today. Let’s explore what makes her so undeniably unforgettable.
Who Is Marjan Marwani?
Marjan Marwani is more than just a firefighter on 9-1-1: Lone Star. She’s a symbol of resilience, courage, and identity. Played by Natacha Karam, she’s a character that defies stereotypes and sets new standards in mainstream storytelling.
Breaking Stereotypes with Every Scene
The Power of Representation
Marjan doesn’t just wear a hijab—she rocks it with pride. Her presence is a breath of fresh air for Muslim representation in television, especially in the action-hero space, where traditional portrayals fall short or don’t exist at all.
A Hijabi on the Frontlines
Let’s be real—how often do you see a hijabi saving lives in burning buildings on primetime TV? That’s what makes Marjan revolutionary. She’s shattering glass ceilings and doing it with style, strength, and sincerity.
The road to the 126 for Marjan begins, oddly enough, off the road, with Marjan, then 10, surviving a horrific car accident that took the life of her childhood best friend and his parents. The incident inspired her to become a first responder, pointing to a resilience and toughness that would become defining traits throughout 9-1-1: Lone Star’s run (that resilient 10-year-old would resurface to inspire current-day Marjan to fight for survival in “Road Kills,” ranked as one of the series’ best).
Tough, resilient, quick to act – these are just some of the reasons that make Marjan so likable. And she’s a badass, racking up 11 reprimands in a single year for insubordination or reckless behavior during her time with the Miami Fire Department in the days before joining the 126, all in the name of rescuing innocents at the risk of her own career. She’s fearless, making high-danger rescue efforts like saving a woman stuck in her car, high up in the air between two buildings, thanks to a tornado (“Act of God”) or dropping into a steam-filled hole, created by a volcano, to save a man (“2100°”).
But unlike Athena on 9-1-1, who seems to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time, forced to react to the situation (look no further than piloting a plane, with an open-air cockpit, in “Final Approach”), Marjan volunteers time and again, eager to take on rescues that only a fearless badass would dare. Oh, and she’s been on a roller derby team. A freakin’ roller derby team. She’s fun, tough, witty, inspiring, media-savvy, and unabashedly proud of and devoted to her Muslim faith. It’s a rarity to find a person of faith on television, let alone one who is uncompromising with it. But to be that and embody all those things we’ve mentioned, and more, makes Marjan a unicorn.
How ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’s Marjan Could Return
So sure, cancel 9-1-1: Lone Star. But do you have to kill the unicorn with it? No. Marjan needs to come back, and there’s a few ways that could happen. The most obvious would be to have Marjan, hubby, and new baby make a move to Nashville for the new spin-off, 9-1-1 Nashville. It would be an easy move, and one that would go over extremely well with the fan base if it were to happen. The other option is to fold Marjan in with the OG 9-1-1, as has been discussed in Collider before, especially after their recent loss.
There’s another option, one inspired by Marjan’s actions after quitting the 126 in Season 4’s “Control Freaks.” In that episode, Marjan, rocking her leather jacket with a hijab, looks like a boss, and comes across a woman who is in danger at the hands of her partner. Marjan is relentless, refusing to leave the woman in the situation. She follows their RV on her motorbike, manages to catch the man’s abusive behavior on camera, gets him arrested, and gives the woman some money and a bus ticket to safety in Florida.
It stands as one of Marjan’s greatest storylines in the series, and has nothing to do with her work as a first responder. A Marjan-centered spin-off that has Marjan actively working to rescue people from abusive situations would play to her strengths, and show more of that empathetic, generous spirit, which is yet another set of traits that makes her one of the best. Natacha Karam gives such vibrancy to an amazing character that she, and Marjan, deserve more. Somehow, somewhere, someway.
