If a television show makes us feel something, we have a tendency to be more tolerant with it. Why? Because the sign of a good show is that it makes you feel something. The sign of a good show is that you find yourself invested in characters.
And when it comes to Fire Country, there’s really not anyone on this show that we aren’t invested in. Sometimes it’s an investment of hate. Sometimes it’s an investment of love. Either way, you’re feeling something and you’re feeling something strong.
Fire Country didn’t seem as though it would be the most thought provoking show, but that’s the thing – procedurals are always just that. They are the kind of shows that take you on a ride that you are not sure you have ever been on.
Bode is working hard, as he wants to behave. He wants out, so that he can be with his Mom. She’s his biggest concern as she would be for anyone. I don’t know how he’s doing it – being so close, but so far away. He is doing a great job leading his team, making sure that they all know that they are a team and they have each others backs.
Manny has the team out trimming brush in order to make sure that what the fires have to burn – when they come and they will come – there is limited places to burn.
It is a procedural and we know that something big is going to happen. That is a car that speeds by and a big accident happens. A brother and sisters life hanging in the balance.
We knew starting this show and learning about everything that has happened in this families life that there would be a point where they would have to face the past. As they’ve done it – little by little – we’ve seen emotions rise to the top. But when Bode and Vince are here and have to respond to the accident, feelings are bound to come out.
Everyone in Fire Country is dealing with a lot. The Chief is loosing his house and has a gambling problem. Gabriella and Jake are not seeing eye to eye on what their future holds. Eve is back and she’s not sure that she can keep holding things in. Sharon is getting played by Vince’s younger brother. Everyone has issues.
But the most clouded judgement on that bridge comes from Vince, who is coming face to face with feelings that he didn’t know where still strong and inside of him. He’s grieving and flashing back to the night of the accident, when he lost his baby girl.
Not going to lie, this was a hard episode to watch. But it was a great one. It was an emotional one.
With both Manny and Vince being off their game, everyone is worried. Manny has ideas, but Vince isn’t willing to settle for less than saving both.
Bode is the one that notices that his father is off and that he’s taking things way too personally. In the flashbacks we see that the night of Bode and Riley’s accident, the chief wanted to save her and Manny held him back as the car exploded. Vince had to realize that she was gone.
And it definitely wasn’t going to be an easy thing for him to accept. But how does one ever accept that someone you love is gone? Parents aren’t meant to bury their children. Parents are supposed to be able to protect their kids. They are supposed to be able to assure that their kids have this long lives. But not everyone is meant to have that.
There is a moment that you are torn watching this – where you want to help every single character in this show. You want them all to win. However, you know that everyone can’t. And you know that it’s a mid season finale so something huge is going to happen.
But what it is, well, even I didn’t see. Bode saves his father – yes. But he doesn’t save himself.
And that may be the hardest thing we’ve ever seen.
