In the three seasons that Fire Country has been airing, it’s been a roller coaster ride of awesome action and sloppy personal relationships.
This Fire Country Season 3 mid-season report card breaks down all the events that have unfolded in the first half of this season and what we might expect when the show returns from its break.
The show has had its moments of genius and trash. It’s had to redeem itself after a weak second season full of half-ass storylines and soap opera drama. While things have improved with Fire Country Season 3, we’re not out of the woods yet.
Fans still want things to focus on firefighting and less personal drama. And more than anything, we want to stop seeing repeated storylines that are turning this hit drama into a weakened soap opera of messy relationship entanglements.
Best Episode – Fire Country Season 3 Episode 5
Although we’re only halfway through the third season, there have been several great episodes. The best so far has been Fire Country Season 3 Episode 5. It briefly introduces a new character who is around but greatly impacts Bode.
Jared Padalecki visited Fire Country for a three-episode arc as California Fire Captain Camden Casey, who came to Edgewater to do Phase 3 of fire training.
And what an impression he made as he intervened in a fight Bode was about to get into over Gabriela.
Out of everything the show has done wrong, writing Padalecki’s opening scene as a long-haired guy in a baseball jersey throwing flip-flops at a group of angry drunk guys was 100% right.
It didn’t take long for Camden’s character to make a bad impression on everyone — including the viewers. But they couldn’t have introduced his character and the possible Fire Country: Surfside spinoff any better.
Along with meeting Casey, the episode also gave us the grand opening of Smokey’s after Vince and Sharon bought it and made repairs.
It started the exciting potential of Bode and Audrey as a couple instead of Bode wasting time pining over Gabriela.
Worst Episode – Fire Country Season 3 Episode 1
Fire Country Season 3 Episode 1 was the worst, opening on a sour note for most fans. Bode was out of prison and trying to be supportive as the woman he loved planned to marry another guy.
A helicopter crash in town saved Gabriela from calling off the wedding in front of everyone, but Diego could tell she wasn’t going through with it.
We struggled through an hour of awkwardness as the love triangle worked to save an injured helicopter pilot. While Diego was the voice of reason trying to save Gabriela from herself, Bode supported her with blind faith and zero qualms about breaking the rules.
Before he could even start with CFD, Bode was putting his career on the line to save Gabriela’s. She screwed up doing her job, and Bode stole from a patient to hide her error.
The move caused more drama between Bode and Jake, worsening an already tense friendship as Jake had to decide whether to cover for the two or rat them out. It was also the start of Gabriela’s mental downward spiral.
Overall, it was a weak season premiere, which might become a habit for Fire Country. Fire Country Season 2 Episode 1 was also hard to watch.
Greatest Storyline
The greatest development in Fire Country Season 3 so far is the addition of Audrey James, a female version of Bode.
Straight out of Three Rock prison camp, James tries to redeem herself by joining CalFire after serving time. And she’s been interested in keeping Bode on the straight and narrow while he’s been hell-bent on throwing away his chance at a career.
Audrey isn’t just making friends with Bode. She fits right in with the rest of CalFire and Bode’s group of friends. After all, she got as geeked as they did when the baby eagles hatched. A moving event that didn’t affect Gabriela.
Even the hardass Sharon had a soft spot for James. She’s taken the younger woman under her wing and taught her what it was like to be in charge.
Maybe with positive role models like Sharon, Audrey won’t become a repeat offender who ends up back in prison.
Given Audrey and Bode’s chemistry, we expect their friendship to grow into a romantic relationship in the second half of Fire Country Season 3. Although we predict there will be some hiccups along the way, like maybe a jealous confrontation between Gabriela and James.
However, the story would please more fans if they let Gabriela and Audrey become friends rather than enemies.
Worst Plot
The worst plot of the season has been Gabriela’s psychological decline as she nears rock bottom. She’s been spiraling downwards since the show started with her as a new firefighter after giving up her dream.
Once she found her place with the same fire department where her father worked, it seemed like she might be okay.
But then she met Bode, which derailed her normal relationship with Jake. Ever since, she has constantly made the wrong mistakes, leading to her current situation.
She’s living inside the Leone’s AirStream camper trailer, which is still parked inside the fire department. Now that Bode’s out of prison, she called off her wedding to Diego to be with Bode.
Then she started a brief dalliance with him, only to end things when Bode wanted to make things serious instead of her low-key private affair.
Add some heavy drinking, dangerous risk-taking like insane cliff diving, and a whole lot of anger at her father, and you’ve got the perfect conditions for a woman on the edge of a full meltdown.
Gabriela’s current habit of making bad decisions to feel something — or maybe so she won’t feel anything — has left her in quite a predicament when the show went on its fall break.
Sticking to Fire Country tradition, Fire Country Season 3 Episode 8 ended on a major cliffhanger.
Several of our favorite Station 42 firefighters were in extreme peril.
Gabriela stormed off in a tantrum in typical Perez fashion after yelling at Jake when he reprimanded her for being insubordinate during a fire call. She should get suspended when the show resumes, if not lose her job.
We left her in the middle of nowhere, trapped on all sides by flames. It’s of her own making. She wouldn’t have ended up in danger if she hadn’t thrown a fit when she got into trouble for yelling at her boss.
And as usual, she gave zero regard to anyone else, especially her dad. She and Manny have been at odds all season as Gabriela continues to act out because he went back to jail.
We’d expect it from a kid, not a grown adult.
Just when it looked like Manny could get out of prison on parole, Gabriela went MIA. As the season went on break, it seemed like Manny would go AWOL from the prison camp to find his kid.
That doesn’t bode well for his future.
But Gabriela wasn’t the only one in danger from the out-of-control fire.
Bode and Audrey were trapped underwater as a zombie fire raged above them and sealed off all sources of an exit.
Most Fun Surprise
While we’ve spent eight episodes drowning in the aftermath of Bode and Gabriela’s relationship, we’ve also gotten some much-needed insight into secondary characters like Eve and Jake.
Jake lost the love of his life in Fire Country Season 2, leaving him as a struggling single dad to her daughter, who we thought belonged to Bode.
Jake’s stepdaughter was long gone when the show went on its sabbatical, choosing to stay in another state with her biological father.
But it’s Eve’s backstory we’re really enjoying. From meeting her former partner at the Eagle Sanctuary to learning more about her past as a rancher, we’re learning more about the current Three Rock fire captain.
The show has also found a creative way for her to bring us home, back to her roots. However, it hasn’t been as warm of a homecoming as she’d hoped.
While she was able to mend bridges with her brother, she hasn’t been able to fix things with her father. When the show went on its break, Eve stood in the middle of her family’s ranch as flames spread around her, touching everything she loved.
Her father’s angry words warned her that if they lose the ranch, he’ll never forgive her for choosing CFD and the Leones over her heritage.
Things didn’t look good when the show paused, making us concerned for any chance at an Edwards family reunion. For Eve’s sake, we hope Station 42 and Three Rock are good enough at their jobs to save the ranch before it ruins her future.
Over to you, fanatics. How are you liking Fire Country Season 3 so far?
What are your hopes for the second half of the season? Are you concerned for the safety and future of any of Station 42’s (or Three Rock’s) firefighters?
Watch Fire Country Season 3 Online
