Fire Country is due for a refresh, and there is no better way to achieve that than with new characters.
True to its name, Fire Country Season 4 Episode 8 feels like a fresh start for the show. Bode has something new to focus on, as do Eve and Jake.
We meet Chloe, Bode’s potential new love interest, and her son, Tyler, as well as the new Three Rock crew. It’s a rocky start for all these new additions, but they give the show an air of rejuvenation.
But first, let’s start with that drunk driving thing, because what the hell is that? I’ve never attended an American high school, let alone one in a small town, but is that something that happens?
Everyone takes time off their day to stage a car crash, complete with the disturbing visuals, funerals, and eulogies?
For a moment there, it does seem like a good idea to show kids what will happen if they drive drunk, but having a mock funeral with the parents of the kid in attendance is a bit too cruel — that’s how the whole thing felt to me, cruel.
How effective is it when everyone knows the car crash and the funeral are staged? Doesn’t it ruin the illusion when the dead kid crashes out and storms off angrily?
I have so many questions, so if you’ve ever been a part of something like this, please share with the class.
And now to the first highlight of the hour: Bode’s new mentorship role.
Bode Has a New Project
I was very skeptical of this mentorship direction the show is taking with Bode, so I wrote an entire article about it. Bode is not fit to be anyone’s mentor.
However, after seeing him and Tyler in action, I’m taking a less stringent position because it might work out.
Tyler was not my favorite when he first appeared in Fire Country Season 4 Episode 7, “Best Mom in the World,” but in the first few minutes of this hour, I’ve become a fan.
One of Fire Country’s issues is that Bode overshadows everyone. He is this big personality that everyone bows to out of fear of upsetting him, but not Tyler. He will call out Bode’s nonsense in a firm Gen-Z manner, leaving Bode reeling.
I must admit that I’m biased because I’ll celebrate anyone who whacks Bode, but this dynamic works.
It’s the first time Bode looks like he’s remotely capable of acknowledging the mess he’s made of his life and of beginning to work on himself. Tyler is such a good mirror for Bode.
One can almost hear him thinking: Is this how annoying everyone found (finds) me? Ooof! Something’s gotta change.
Overall, I’m practicing cautious optimism with this arc because Fire Country has disappointed me several times, but for now, this works.
I just wish Jake’s arc worked half as well.
Jake Forces Himself Into Family
It’s never a good idea to force yourself where you’re not wanted. The best-case scenario is you end up looking like a fool.
It’s more than embarrassing to see Jake being told in such strong terms that Malcolm and his half-sister don’t want him in their lives. It’s painful to watch because Jake is a great guy, and anyone would be lucky to share his life with them.
But here comes Miss Dragon (I didn’t care to learn her name), breathing fire whenever Jake shows his face. Overall, she looks fake or like she’s overcompensating.
For a family to work, they have to choose you. You can’t keep choosing people who don’t want you, no matter how warm and fuzzy the potential for a connection makes you.
But all’s well that ends well because he at least manages to get his letter into their hands.
If history is any indicator, this is not the last we’ll see of this arc from this perspective, because Fire Country thrives in toxic relationships. There’s an inter-county firefighter competition coming up, and guess which firehouses are participating?
As Jake deals with toxic family members, Eve is dealing with something equally as toxic.
Eve Has a New Crew, Except that They’re Not Her Crew
Eve has fought hard for Three Rock to reopen, but this is a pyrrhic victory in her eyes. She gets a crew, but they’re not who she’s used to.
And no amount of positivity and push from Manny can hide that she doesn’t like these kids. And truly, there is not much to like.
I was very skeptical of this affair because while they might have better backs and more vigor, they’re still teenagers. Hormones are raging, and rebellion is in their blood. One can almost see the odor when they get off that bus.
Eve tries to push through the day with Manny breathing down her neck, and seriously, when did Manny get so annoying? Since he became chief, we’ve seen him change a lot, where he’s short-tempered and loud.
Manny used to be the voice of reason, but now he’s halfway to becoming Bode.
This Three Rock affair, I was done with. I didn’t think it was necessary and never missed it. However, it’s better than more Bodeisms because when there is nothing else, those come out a lot.
None of the boys made a lasting impression, but it’s still early, so let’s see what happens.
I have a feeling we’ll make some progress in fixing them after that silent buggy ride back to camp. Seeing Eve disappointed in them must surely touch them somehow.
And now, on to Bodeisms, because this is Fire Country, after all.
Bodeisms in Fire Country Season 4 Episode 8
Everything’s been really quiet on this front for the last three episodes, but we are so back!
- I just love how Bode’s genius idea to shoot the shed and push it into the lake (pond?) made him look so capable and masculine. I bet, and I can’t prove this, if Luke wasn’t around, Bode could have done it all by himself. Please let him do it again!
- And the door? Why did Chloe bother looking for her keys for less than a second when Bode could just break the door in one fell swoop? The door buck stops with Bode!
- Chloe and Tyler are so lucky to have Bode around. They would not have survived without their lord and savior saving them from the big, bad stepfather. It’s not like Chloe’s fierceness regarding Tyler is evident, and she could have taken that man by herself.
- Bode’s relationships fail for various reasons, and I can anticipate this one’s downfall: savior complex. In one episode, Bode has ignored Chloe’s personhood twice.
Gut Check
“Fresh Start?” Great episode title because it feels fresh to me.
We have a balance of many stories being explored that offer something for everyone. If you’re a Bode fan, it has you covered. Emergencies? Those too. Jake? Eve? Everything is present.
If this balance holds, Fire Country Season 4 can save itself.
Peripheral Observations
- We’re back on the Zabel Ridge mystery, and Bode seems to have found his culprit, but I don’t buy it. This has Tyler written all over it. Will they cover up for him?
- I’ve seen Elias Kacavas in several roles, but the accent in this one is a choice. Does that have anything to do with the character’s backstory, or did he decide to roll with it? Interesting.
- I couldn’t contain my laughter when Eve points out the irony of breaking up with Francine because of children, and then she gets a busload of them. Life is a joke sometimes.
- By the way, 9-1-1, this is how you do grief. No major arcs centered around it, just subtle moments like the one with Sharon in this episode. It’s powerful but measured.
Over to you, Fire Country fanatics. What did you think of the episode?
Drop your thoughts below, especially if you’ve got takes on Bode’s savior complex or Eve’s smelly new crew.
Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
Say something in the comments, share if you’re moved to, and keep reading. Independent voices need readers like you.
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