To say that Season 3 of Fire Country had a rocky start would be an understatement. The first half of this season destroyed Bode (Max Thieriot) and Gabriela’s (Stephanie Arcila) relationship while taking Gabriela on such a brutal downward spiral that it almost seemed like the show was punishing her. Manny (Kevin Alejandro) got sent back to Three Rock, Gen (Alix West Lefler) left Jake (Jordan Calloway) to live with her biological family, and everything culminated in a disastrous midseason finale where multiple characters almost died due to Bode and Gabriela’s reckless choices.
Now, though, with just two episodes of the second half of its third season released so far, it is clear that Fire Country has decided to do things differently from here on out. While the first half of the season leaned heavily on unnecessary romantic drama like Bode and Gabriela’s latest breakup and Jake and Gabriela hooking up, the second half of the season is moving away from the romantic drama and towards real life-and-death stakes again. It has had multiple opportunities to lean into pointless drama so far, and has chosen instead to resolve these storylines without dragging them out. It’s a relief to announce that Fire Country has finally course corrected.
‘Fire Country’ Narrowly Avoided a Bode and Jake Fight
The most wildly off-track moment of Fire Country Season 3 was definitely Gabriela and Jake’s hookup. It looked like the show was going to drag this storyline out for a while, with the two of them keeping it a secret from Bode and then with Bode getting angry with them when he found out. It easily could have led to a massive fight between Bode and Jake, and even Bode sliding back on his progress because of it. Instead, though, Fire Country wraps this storyline up early into the second half of its third season, and it does so in a surprisingly lowkey way.
Throughout the last episode, “The Leone Way,” Jake works up the courage to tell Bode about his hookup with Gabriela. It only gets harder for him as Bode, Vince (Billy Burke), and Walter (Jeff Fahey) repeatedly refer to him as part of the family, and bring him on the family fishing trip along with Luke (Michael Trucco). Finally, after they get back to the station, Jake tells Bode the truth. Bode’s reaction is careful from the start, although Jake’s approach is a little manipulative, as he immediately reminds Bode that they were in the exact reverse position not too long ago.
Whether it be Jake’s reminder, his newfound feelings for Audrey (Leven Rambin), or real growth and maturity, Bode handles this surprisingly well. He makes it clear that he’s not mad at Jake, reiterates that they are family, and hugs him. After Fire Country has taken advantage of every opportunity for romantic drama earlier in the season, it’s a relief to see the show resolve a storyline like this in a sweet and refreshingly non-dramatic way. The show isn’t wasting any time on a fight between Bode and Jake, and Bode and Gabriela both seem to have moved on for now (although it’s likely only just a matter of time before Fire Country goes back in that direction).
‘Fire Country’ Finally Has Gabriela Back on Track
Fire Country’s worst offense earlier this season was the horrible treatment of Gabriela’s character. After leaving Diego (Rafael de la Fuente) at the altar and seeing Manny get sent back to Three Rock, Gabriela began to suffer from debilitating depression symptoms. Instead of supporting her, everyone around her lectured her, pulled away from her, and just let things get worse and worse for her until she got caught in the middle of a fire by herself after walking off in the middle of a call. Last week, Gabriela finally hit her rock bottom, confronted Manny for the way he spoke to her, and ultimately made up with him. This week confirms that her progress has actually stuck.
Although Gabriela suffers the consequences of her actions this week on a suspension, she is clearly doing much better. It would have been nice to see Fire Country explore her mental health a little more, but it’s also a welcome change to see Gabriela happy, working even when she’s not supposed to, and no longer isolating herself from the people around her. While helping a baby alongside Sharon (Diane Farr) and Audrey this week, Gabriela gets closer to Audrey. This could have been an opportunity for unnecessary drama and fighting over Bode, especially because earlier in the episode, Gabriela acknowledges Bode’s feelings for Audrey. Instead, though, the two get along very well, and at the end of the episode, Gabriela even offers to teach Audrey to swim.
‘Fire Country’ Just Addressed Its Biggest Problem
While trying to figure out how to help the baby, Sharon asks Gabriela and Audrey for their opinions, and both women use their own childhood struggles for reference. In a surprisingly self-aware moment for the show, Fire Country finally addresses its biggest problem: that the firefighters are always blurring the personal and professional and letting their feelings impact the job. Sharon calls Gabriela and Audrey out on this, and she says that she asked them for the specific protocol, but they just gave their opinions and spoke about their own personal experiences. The two then apologize, and they all ultimately follow the correct protocol for the situation.
It’s very promising to see Fire Country choose to put romantic drama aside for now, particularly when it has leaned so heavily on the Bode and Gabriela romance and the respective love triangles with their rotation of love interests in the past. Now, in the second half of Season 3, the show is setting up much more interesting and important storylines, like the decline in Walter’s memory and how it affects the rest of the Leone family. If the last two episodes of Fire Country are an indication, the series is finally back on track. While the show is at it, it should also finally bring Gen back home to Jake.