If anyone doubted that we were in for a humdinger of an episode of Fire Country this week, the bluegrass cover of “Stand By Me” at the very start should have clued you in. This episode has a minor fire but some major implications for the rest of the season.
Eve (Jules Latimer) and the inmates at Three Rock are rattled by Birch’s death, and the events leading up to his demise don’t line up after closer examination. Eve realizes that something bigger is going on as she meets obstacle after obstacle as she pushes for answers. She still isn’t sure what happened to Birch by the end of the episode, but she is certain that something nefarious is threatening the lives of her inmates and Manny (Kevin Alejandro) is next in line.
Meanwhile, Walter (Jeff Fahey) hits another backslide with his dementia that pulls the entire Station 42 together. Stress about his grandfather and another bad call tempts Bode (Max Thieriot) to dig into his new pill stash, but luckily Audrey (Levin Rambin) is around to pull him back from the edge. He’s not out of the woods when it comes to maintaining his sobriety though.
‘Fire Country’ Season 3 Episode 14 Introduces a Quest for the Truth
Three Rock is reeling after the death of Birch, and Eve (Jules Latimer) can’t accept that a cold was enough to kill him. He had too many symptoms that didn’t line up with a bad cold. She and Manny (Kevin Alejandro) push Birch’s sister to ask for an autopsy so that they can all know the truth about what happened to him. Before she can make the ask, Eve discovers that Birch has been cremated before the body can be examined, preventing anyone from getting more answers and making his death that much more suspicious.
The Department of Corrections representative is as shocked as Eve that the autopsy was sabotaged. She goes back to Birch’s sister and is told “legally” that Wendy couldn’t talk about it, which only confirms for Eve that someone is trying to cover up the death. Eve promises the Three Rock inmates that she won’t rest until they get justice for Birch, but then she notices that Manny is missing from the mandatory crew meeting. She finds him in his bunk, sweating without a fever. He’s down with the same sickness that took out Birch, and if she doesn’t get him help as soon as possible, his death could be covered up just like Birch’s.
Walter Sneaks Out in ‘Fire Country’ Season 3 Episode 14
Walter settles in at the Leones and makes his way through half a dozen at-home care workers. The latest in line, Javi, urges Vince (Billy Burke) to consider a permanent care facility for Walter, but he and Sharon (Diane Farr) don’t want to believe that Walter is too far gone. Mere hours after that conversation, Walter proves they don’t have as long to wait to get him around-the-clock care as they thought. He disappears from the fire station in Sharon’s car.
Sharon calls a silver alert and gets the entire station out looking for Walter after he disappears with her car. Bode and Audrey find the car abandoned on the side of the road, then Vince and Sharon find the old man at home. He has no recollection of stealing the car and is under the impression that he had been on his way to a call in Garnerville. The episode convinces Vince that they need to consider permanent care for his dad, but the major question is, can they afford the care Walter needs?
Bode Flirts With Danger and Gabriela Moves On in ‘Fire Country’ Season 3 Episode 14
As feared, Bode did not throw away the pills his old baseball teammate gave him — and, once again, he decides to store contraband in his locker at work, where he’s constantly surrounded by his parents and 98 percent of the people who are deeply invested in his sobriety. It is no wonder this guy ended up in prison, because he is the dumbest criminal on the face of the planet.
To his credit, Bode comes clean to Audrey (Levin Rambin) about his pill stash. The two bond over their sordid pasts on a cute tailgating first date and Bode admits that having the stash but not digging into it makes him feel in control. That sounds super healthy and something that should be encouraged (my face almost sprained from rolling my eyes). Naturally, Audrey says that philosophy is sexy, so we officially have an enabler on our hands.
It isn’t all bad news as far as Bode was concerned. He and Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) finally have an important discussion about their relationship. It’s a talk that Gabriela needs to have to officially move on. I love watching Gabs be an advocate for herself and getting what she needed for her own emotional well-being. The cherry on top of that sweet sundae is Finn (Blake Lee), a good Samaritan Gabs meets on this week’s call because he is concerned about his shut-in hoarder neighbor Estelle. He stops by the fire station delivering baked goods and flirts it up with our girl. The only thing better than Gabs telling Bode what she needs from him is Gabs getting over Bode. Hello, Finn, it’s so great to meet you.