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When Fire Country Season 2 ended after a short ten-episode run, many fans were concerned that the show’s initial success was a fluke.
Fire Country Season 3 Episode 1 review breaks down the events of the show’s third season’s first episode.
The show picked up where it left off, in the middle of a wedding with the bride’s father in handcuffs.
This review is only my personal take on the show and may not align with how you felt about the events. If you had a different experience about anything that happened, I’d love to hear your point of view. So, don’t be shy about jumping into the comments!
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Fire Country Season 3 Episode 1 Review
Since Fire Country is part of the CBS lineup, the series started later in the fall TV lineup than some of my other favorite primetime shows.
I’ve been pumped about returning to Edgewater for weeks, and news of the delay about did me in. I started checking out reservations for a nice padded room and a cozy jacket for plenty of self-hugs.
But I found coping mechanisms to get me through, like checking out new shows joining the ranks this year, like Rescue: HI-Surf, High Potential, and Brilliant Minds (see Episode 4 for clarification of the following pun).
Hmm, that’s a lot of “high.” Funny, I notice that connection when talking about a TV show with a main character with an addiction problem.
Bode is Close to Careening Without Firefighting
While Bode was once addicted to pills, he’s now hooked on fighting fires. Both vices can lead to injury or death. But only one comes with a path of redemption.
He needs to feel the high of risking his life, of being a hero, of facing his immortality. As with any addiction, he spirals without it. He’s willing to risk anything to feel that rush again. Even if it means the risk of parole violation.
At least Bode isn’t ashamed to admit he’s an addict.
Far too often, we see characters in denial. Or those who think that because they’re in recovery, they’ve beat the addiction. FYI, it never goes away.
You just learn to cope. And Bode’s method of coping is fighting fires.
He nearly tweaks out — goes into withdrawals — when he’s not engaged in some form of adrenaline-pumping rescue mission.
Don’t believe me? Check out his near meltdown in the show’s opening scene as Bode tries to convince Luke to grease the wheels to get him into the Edgewater firefighting training program.
We expected to see Bode freaking out about getting back into firefighting. It’s the only thing he has left.
He thought he had Gene. She’s with Jake — or will it be Rick?
And then there was Gabriela.
The Diego-Gabriela-Bode Love Triangle Expands
After listening to Manny’s advice, Bode decides to do the right thing and let Gabriela be happy with Diego. That is, if Gabriela will let him.
He leaves the wedding, missing the looks of longing. Gabriela shot his direction as she struggles to say, “I do.”
In my Fire Country Season 3 Episode 1 spoiler, I lamented that Gabriela’s wedding crasher was, in fact, an actual crash. How ironic that it towed a congratulatory banner for the newlywed couple.
Is it a sign that a union between her and Diego will go down in flames?
Maybe Gabriela should learn to listen to the universe a bit more closely. Or is that what led her to a sudden change of heart?
Her ambulance confession to Bode might have altered their relationship dynamic. It certainly added new tension to the love triangle of Bode, Diego, and Gabriela. At least the truth is out there.
Gabriela admitted to Diego that she and Bode kissed. And she confessed to Bode that the kiss made her feel more than her wedding to Diego.
That doesn’t bode well for Diego.
Oh, boy. Does anyone else find it ironic that both times Bode received life-altering news, it was in the back of an ambulance with Diego present? The other time was when Cara told Bode she wanted him to take Genevieve before she tragically died.
Jake is On the Cusp of a Major Life Alteration
Speaking of Cara, she left one hell of a mess behind after she died. Gene went from being an orphan to having multiple people fighting for custody.
If we think Bode is having a hard time, what does that say about Jake’s situation? In a different piece, I made a connection about how Bode and Jake were always competing for the same girl, which often led to both of them losing out.
It started with Bode’s sister, who was dating Jake and died in an accident where Bode was driving intoxicated. Then Jake lost Gabriela to Bode, who then lost her to Diego.
Then Jake ended up with Cara, Bode’s ex-girlfriend, in high school. And his possible baby mamma. But then she died. Which put us in the complicated custody battle of Genevieve.
First, Gene was supposed to live with Bode, so she was in Vince and Sharon’s custody until Bode got out of prison.
But Jake and Gene both wanted a different arrangement.
Jake went all in on being Genevieve’s dad. The only issue is her real dad might have just made an appearance. Will Gene be another female that Jake and Bode both lose?
What will Jake turn to if he loses Genevieve? Bode will no doubt get more devoted to firefighting if he can’t be Daddy or Uncle. If Bode can return to the firefighting world. Will Jake still take the job change if he doesn’t have Gene?
Manny’s Future is Still Uncertain
Speaking of job changes, Bode isn’t the only one who needs to regain the trust of the fire department superiors.
Manny is still in deep hot water, legally speaking, after he scuffled with Luke during the Firefighter’s Gala. How awkward it must have been for him and Gabriela when she came out of the church to find him in the back of a cop car, handcuffed.
His “escaping” custody to render aid to the very police officers who arrested him should have been enough to put him in the good graces of the police.
After all, he voluntarily turned himself into the police the first time.
And he didn’t pick the lock. His superior officer made a judgment call to uncuff him because there wasn’t enough help available. He didn’t try to run.
From his discussions with Vince and Sharon, he’s clearly expecting to be jailed. He hopes they will dissuade anything from happening between Gabriela and Bode while he’s away.
Does anyone else agree with his assessment that their relationship is as tumultuous as his marriage to Gab’s mom?
Where do you stand on Manny’s legal troubles? Should he be arrested for punching Luke in the face? Or should the matter be dealt with inside the FD without involving the police?
Fire Country Season 3 Episode 1 Had a Lot of Luke
Luke.
The guy responsible for trying to get Three Rock shut down. Which would have sent Bode back to prison. Again.
Luke.
The guy who hit on his sister-in-law while she’s still married to Vince. The brother-in-law who took Sharon’s job and doesn’t want to give it back.
So, by now, you should be able to tell that I don’t like Luke. I don’t trust him. I’d love to see him dancing around with his pants leg on fire. Or maybe the seat of his pants.
How does that nursery rhyme go? Liar, liar, pants on fire?
It fits since everything we hear from Luke’s mouth is mistruths. He seems to have an issue with Bode joining the CFD and claiming his legacy as the next legendary Leone. Or maybe it’s just prisoners in general. He doesn’t like Manny, either.
Luke feigned sympathy for Bode’s situation but rejected helping him. Yet he seemed open to the idea when Sharon proposed getting Bode into a training camp with a year’s waitlist.
What’s it going to cost her?
I’d love to know if anyone else struggles with the massive nepotism. Or do you rationalize it away by reminding yourself that it’s fiction? I’m a Bode supporter, so I say screw the rules.
What good is being the show’s main character if you cannot be at the forefront of the action? Do you, Thieriot!
We’ve already seen the show throw a storyline to the wind in favor of getting to a different one. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the writers defy realism and find a way to get Bode back into the FD.
Maybe there’s a legacy thing, like with the Greek system at colleges? Ya know, if your parents were members, you’re guaranteed the opportunity to join.
Speaking of the show’s habit of breaking the rules — and pertaining to Luke — who agrees that Sharon did the right thing by releasing Manny from handcuffs so he could help render aid?
Luke got his moment of redemption when he went to bat to keep Manny out of the custody of the angry cops.
And he possibly saved Sharon from an assault charge.
Once the helicopter wreckage is resolved, will the officers try to charge her with aiding and abetting or releasing a criminal, even if Manny didn’t try to run once out of cuffs? Or will they leave the situation alone since the circumstances are extenuating?
Was The Helicopter Crash a Good Plot Line?
We’ve seen a lot of stuff done — and redone — on various TV shows. It’s hard not to repeat the same storylines.
How the scenes unfold determines whether a show memorably handles the trope or becomes a poor imitation of trying to grasp something that worked for something else.
The dozens of reboots, spinoffs, and adaptations are the perfect example. Is anyone else tired of the lack of imagination?
A helicopter crash is not a unique, never-before-done plot.
So, I was instantly apprehensive about how the premiere would unfold. The less-than-stellar second season tainted my feelings.
But I had to know the outcome of the wedding. Who wouldn’t? Did anyone else think we would end up with yet another cliffhanger ending for the Gabriela-Diego ‘ship? I mean, a massive explosion does take precedence over love triangle drama.
Ugh.
The show did a lot of jumping scenes, from the helicopter crash with the three dueling lovers to the bar, where Jake, Eve, and Vince worked to rescue Gene, who was trapped with her potential real father.
But compared to the previous season’s overly soap opera drama and suffocating plot pacing, the episode’s flow came together perfectly.
Each scene break amplified the tension, priming the viewer with anticipation. We had medical emergencies, fires to put out, and people to save in a nail-biting race against the clock.
And yet there were plenty of snappy dialogues, from Vince’s description of “things are going to get spicy” when referring to Gabriela’s silence instead of “I do” to Sharon’s “Momma’s making her first felony.”
While I love a show with action, I need enough downtime to catch my breath. During those lulls, I need something to catch my feels.
Nothing offsets drama and tension like sarcasm and wit.
Fire Country Season 3 Episode 1 Review Rehash
We had a lot of relationship drama to unpack this episode. From Gabriela’s (not so) astonishing revelation that she didn’t want to go through with the wedding to the heavy tension between Jake and Rick over Gene.
Overall, the episode did a great job of unfolding the events in a gripping manner and cohesively managing the various storylines without dropping the ball.
I’d say Fire Country Season 3 is off to a great start, and I can’t wait to see how things unfold from here. Now it’s your turn to tell me your thoughts on the premiere.
Do you want Diego and Gabriela to reconcile, or do you want to see what potential there is with Bode and Gabriela? And how do you feel about Rick’s bombshell that he wants a DNA test to determine if Genevieve is his daughter?
Does Jake have the moral right to refuse that claim? Or should he let Gene discover a new family, including siblings? How will Bode react to the news? Gene?
If you can’t wait until Fire Country Season 3 Episode 2 comes out, be sure you’re subscribing to TV Fanatic’s email list and following us on social media to get access to the Fire Country Season 3 Episode 2 spoilers.
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