Fire Country Season 5, Episode 2 “Fire Under Fire” had Station 42 dealing with an active shooter who resented them for not saving his mother in a previous fire. While the truth is that the station has been understaffed, we still feel horrible for the guy which makes for an interesting conflict of morals. Because he tried to hurt firefighters at the station and Three Rock. Additionally, the hour also gave us more of Eve and Manny clashing heads over Angel, CJ’s past history, and Bode doing what he does best in talking people down from a ledge.
Also, we got to see Mickey (Morena Baccarin) and Hank (Ian Quinlan) make an appearance to help Station 42 with this week’s emergencies. Sharon was reckless because Mickey didn’t prioritize the shooter, but we quickly understood why. She missed being home after her joyride and didn’t like feeling unimportant. Overall, we got action, drama, and a lasting message to take with us. Nobody is alone if they communicate with the people they love.
“Fire Under Fire” began with Bode relentlessly trying to get CJ to join his volunteer firefighter program. After Season 5, Episode 1 “Founder’s Day”, he knew that she wasn’t going to budge unless she trusted him. So, he stayed close, offered to fix her car, and invited her to rest at the firehouse when she had no other place to go.
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A Place to Belong
Sure, it can sound a little creepy since CJ and Bode just met, but we think his actions were sweet. He wants to be someone she could trust because he cares. Bode knows how it feels like to allow your past to hold power over you. For years, Bode didn’t allow himself to be thought of as anything more than an ex-convict. He didn’t allow himself to be happy for a long time because he thought he didn’t deserve it. And it wasn’t until seeing how much he was loved that his mind was changed.
Eventually, she would feel safe enough to tell him the truth because he rarely left her side. Plus, it helped that Bode told her that his story. Sharing such personal information helped CJ feel comfortable to share her truth because this was proof. He also knew what it feels like to be around bad people and feel like one. CJ would then confess that she left Philadelphia because she was threatened by her old firehouse. She had found out her station was being paid to keep quiet about their failure to pass health code violations.
Ultimately, it had gotten so bad that she faked an injury worthy of leave when her Captain knowingly sent her into a building about to collapse. So, we’re certainly happy CJ has made her way to Edgewater because the people at Station 42 are better people in comparison. Right now, she’s afraid that her old crew is going to find her which is stopping her from joining the volunteer program. With Bode on her side, we don’t think it’ll be long before CJ feels like she could build a home here.
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It’s Okay to Show Emotion
What “Fire Under Fire” does well is show us characters lean on each other when they need the support the most. Fire Country may be on its fifth season with long-lasting friendships and relationships. But there’s always more we can see and learn about new and old characters every time we see them at their most vulnerable.
So, we loved the moments of watching characters confide in new friends, family, and partners when they were down in this hour. When Jake got home after his panic attack at work over the shooting, he did the right thing in going to Violet to talk. At first, she was still upset over how quick he was to dismiss her the night before. But after Jake began apologizing for his behavior, she sat there and listened to him. He was afraid about becoming a father and what it would mean for his career. Because having a family would mean risking leaving them behind every single day.
While it’s a fear he doesn’t have to confront right now, we felt for Jake in this hour. Because he said he was weak for having emotions and being so troubled by them. So, it’s why we applauded her when she told him that his strength comes from communication. If he won’t talk to her, how will she know why he’s behaving badly? “Fire Under Fire” shuts down the stereotype that the definition of strength is being stoic and emotionless. Especially when such a definition is harmful for men who are just as human and deserving to talk about their emotions as women. So, we loved that about the hour.
Manny Is Stubborn but We Get Why
There’s another thing to love and it’s Eve stepping toe to toe with Manny in “Fire Under Fire” when kicking him out of Three Rock. He had no right to dismiss her when rushing in to interrogate and fight with Angel after the shooting. Not only did he invalidate her authority in a male dominated space, but he made a fool out of himself as Battalion Chief.
Once again, the hard thing about Manny’s outbursts toward his nephew Angel is that he’s justified to think badly of him. We learned in “Fire Under Fire” that Manny was the only one out of his family to leave home. He was the only person who didn’t want a life in crime. Sure, he may have fallen victim to doing bad things to survive later in life, but there’s a point here. Manny never wanted to be like his brother which is why he left him, and consequently Angel, behind.
It shouldn’t be a surprise to say that Manny was wrong to accuse Angel of orchestrating the shooting. Not only because Angel wasn’t involved but also because this will make it harder for Angel to believe his uncle cares about him. When Angel ran through a beehive to help fight a fire, Manny was the one to tell Eve he was allergic so he could get help. So, deep down, Manny still cares about him but yelling at the boy over and over won’t make him think that. Absolutely, we understand why he believes Angel is incapable of change because none of the men in his family have. But Manny needs to at least see that Eve is the best person Angel could have in his corner to prove him wrong.
Fire Country airs on Fridays on CBS at 9pm EST.
