Critic’s Rating: 4.1 / 5.0
4.1
This episode was a scorcher in all the right ways, and we’re totally here for it. Heat advisory warning!
Fire Country Season 3 Episode 4 review provides an after-action fire report covering all the OMGs and holy craps of the episode, with some rambling commentaries from the friends in my head.
You may not agree with our opinions, and that’s okay! Feel free to share your views in the comments. I love hearing other people’s perspectives.
Let’s start this review by stating the obvious. This episode’s emergency case correlated closely with the personal conflicts of the various firefighters.
First, we had Vince’s out-of-character quoting of his father after the big blowup on Fire Country Season 3 Episode 3. He’s made a big deal of not parenting like his dad until now.
His father-drama bled into his professionalism, skewing his interactions with the struggling apartment building maintenance man who recently lost his father. It was comforting to see him less callous once he learned about the death.
The early retirement letter also seemed to shake him.
I’ve been waiting for the show to pick up the abandoned storyline of his heart condition. Gabriela has stopped hovering, Bode seems unconcerned, and Sharon isn’t acting cautious.
Vince seems to be back in command and attending calls. Everyone has their rightful place within the CFD hierarchy — for now.
Now that we’re back to a full-format season, Fire Country has more room to expand on character conflicts for everyone.
That includes bringing back old storylines, such as Sharon’s health issues, that we didn’t see much of in the show’s short second season.
We saw her struggle with kidney failure throughout the first season, with the story arc of who was going to donate a kidney to her.
Jake was a match, but he backed out. Bode wanted to donate, but he was in prison. Sharon’s kidney came from her sniveling snake of a brother-in-law, Luke, his one act of good in a sea of disgrace.
For the entire second season, Sharon was in full firefighter mode, acting fit as a fiddle and with a precarious disregard for her second chance at life.
Four episodes into Fire Country Season 3, and it looks like we’re picking back up with the abandoned storyline. While Sharon thought she had heat cramps due to extreme heat and power failures, it could be a potential sign of kidney transplant rejection.
The story arc is a great way to remind us that life doesn’t care about your plans. You have to live every day like it’s your last.
So, Vince decided not to take early retirement because he wanted to be around to teach Bode things. But will Sharon have to give up her career for a less risky venture, like running their new bar?
Their AirStream was parked inside the firehouse, much to Jake’s dislike. However, it did come in handy as a hookup spot for Bode and Gabriela.
Speaking of new adventures, if you read our Fire Country Season 3 Episode 4 Spoilers, you’ll know we predicted a resolution for Jake’s baby-daddy drama. While my full wish didn’t come true of seeing Genevieve turn to Uncle Bode for help, the show fulfilled it in a roundabout way.
Gene presented Jake with an organized and insightful presentation to pitch the idea of her transferring to homeschool. Out of state. Alone. At Rick’s home so she can hang with her “sibs.”
Ah, the language of the younger generation.
Jake instantly said no. Then he spent the whole day in jerk mode, taking his anger out on Bode. Who thinks Jake was taking his power as Bode’s training officer a bit too far?
Bode shows serious character growth and learning to put others ahead of himself.
He advocated for Gene’s plan and agreed it was best for her. She needed a fresh start and deserved to know her siblings and dad. The idea of a movie marathon with Uncle Bode and Daddy Jake to tell her the good news had me all in my feels.
Chime in here, Fire Country Fanatics. Do you agree with Jake’s decision to let her leave? Or should he exert his parental judgment and deny her request until they both have more time to get to know Rick and his family?
It was great to see that Bode and Jake could put aside their differences at work and return to their normal friendship after everything was over.
Jake was pretty harsh the whole episode with Bode. He called him out for his solo acts of heroism that often put others at risk. Not that we blame him there. He claims not to hold any ill will after Bode’s careless theft in Fire Country Season 3 Episode 2.
But that’s a lot of distrust and anger for someone not holding a grudge.
However, he’s right about Bode’s reckless stunts, even if they do work out eventually. His self-sacrificing heroism in Fire Country Season 2 Episode 9 got Bode out of prison on an early compassionate release.
But Jake said no Cowboy Bode, and that’s what we saw — someone who listened to his superior and followed orders — mostly without complaint.
He probably wouldn’t have seen any action during his ride along to complete Phase 2 of his fire training if Vince hadn’t stepped in and convinced Jake to let Bode help with the elevator rescue.
Everyone played mediator in this episode.
Vince got Jake to let Bode propel him down the elevator shaft, and he used Bode’s idea for the diabetes medication that Vince had to get to Gabriela inside the elevator.
Bode did a good job of showing Jake that he could be a team player and that he was someone Jake could captain — exactly what Jake asked of him. Saving Jake’s life was a major influence in thawing Jake towards Bode joining CFD.
Bode is moving on to Phase 3 of fire training. Does anyone else wish we’d seen more of the fire training camp rather than fast-forwarding three weeks to when Bode is on his solo training with Station 42?
I wanted more time with Bode and Audrey to break Gabriela’s hold on him.
Alas, it looks like Bodiela (thanks to the Fanatic who corrected my ‘ship name typo) is a go again. Is it fair for Gabriela to keep toying with Bode, calling them off only to make a move on him in a moment of passion?
Where is the story going with them? Or is Gabriela just using a rendevous with Bode to distract herself from the intense elevator emergency and Manny’s close health scare?
Gabriela doesn’t seem to know what she wants from any of the relationships with the men in her life. She’s not just juggling indecisions about Bode but also Manny.
Eve’s plan to put the two of them in close quarters backfired. Manny got things off his chest. But Gabs still isn’t ready to mend fences.
Eve was in major mediator mode this week. After recently reopening old family wounds, her emotions ran rampant and influenced several of her decisions.
Seeing the Three Rock crew and how well Eve is starting to bond with them was great. At least we’ve got Cole for a little longer. It sucked getting attached to Freddy only to lose him after the entire season. However, his brief visit when Bode got out was a fun way to catch up.
Cole was best friends with Bode, but he’s now tied with Manny as Eve’s right hand. My favorite part of the episode might have been when Cole went missing, and Eve called him her favorite inmate.
Does that mean she likes him more than Manny? Or she doesn’t look at Manny as an inmate equal to his peers?
Eve went out of her way to get Cole a face-to-face reunion with his family after his health scare and his determination to make his weekly phone call.
It seems she’s willing to help other families repair their rifts, but she doesn’t want to be the one to initiate an olive branch to her family. Like Sharon said, she has to decide whether to be right or have her family.
After a long delay, we finally have a new mention of Sharon’s sister, Mickey Fox, who is set to have a series spinoff, Sheriff Country, in 2025.
Speaking of spinoffs, make sure you’re subscribed to TV Fanatic for the latest Fire Country spoilers, like news of the major guest appearance in Fire Country Season 3 Episode 5.
If you haven’t heard the news, Jared Padalecki will join Fire Country for three episodes as SoCal surfer firefighter Camden Casey.
He’ll be a match to Bode’s flame and possibly ruin Jake’s hard work trying to get Bode to control his lone wolf instincts. But as Jake told him, at least he’s no longer in charge of training Bode, so that’s the next instructor’s problem.
Let’s hear from you, Fire Country Fanatics.
What did you think of this episode?
Are you enjoying the storylines, or do you wish for something different? And is anyone else bummed that this episode didn’t include any actual firefighting? Or do you enjoy it when we see Station 42 handle first responder emergency calls that aren’t strictly fire-related?
Do you have any predictions for upcoming episodes of Fire Country Season 3?
Watch Fire Country Season 3 Online
