Fire Country Season 5, Episode 3 “What Needs to Be Done” gave us Bode and CJ building up the volunteer firefighter program, Sharon questioning her morals, and Eve beginning to learn why Manny keeps Angel at arm’s length. There was a lot to love, but it’s only right to talk about Bode first.
In the end, Bode proved that he could lead his own crew with those in the volunteer program. So, what we saw was Bode fulfilling his life purpose of encouraging ordinary people to fight fires. Overall, the four new faces we meet in this hour are people who were once like Bode and CJ. At their lowest, they wanted to be the hero and do good, but they struggled to believe in themselves. And we’re really proud of these two, especially Bode, for being in their corner the entire hour.
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This Is Bode’s Purpose
Truthfully, this is an episode of Fire Country that made us feel like Bode found his purpose. “What Needs to Be Done” had Bode and CJ spend two weeks teaching the four members of the volunteer program. And we loved every moment of their scenes together. Because motivating people to believe in themselves is everything Bode’s been wanting to do since he left Three Rock.
Undeniably, Bode’s calling was to be a first responder in this life. Same with CJ, who agreed to the program because she didn’t want to let the past determine her future. Together, they’re the best instructors for this group because they care about more than their capacity to retain information. In this hour, Bode didn’t hesitate to run after a little girl who went back into her burning house. He will always be one of the first people to run toward danger because he cares about saving lives. But there’s always been something special about Bode, and it’s that he excels as a teacher.
Watching Bode grow into this leader who listens, supports, and encourages his crew to prove doubters wrong had us a little emotional. Because it reminded us of how far he’s come since the beginning. He was once the guy who didn’t want to leave Three Rock because he wanted to be their positive role model to keep going. Now, he’s found a similar outlet in the volunteer program, and we love that for him.
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Moments Of Joy
Despite the hardships that Station 42 is facing with budget cuts, heartfelt moments made those problems seem small in hindsight. However, there is an elephant in the room. Being understaffed and doing unpaid work is an issue that needs to be solved. So, we’d understand why Sharon would take the donor’s offer or the mysterious bag of money. Even if it means brushing her morals aside or risking Edgewater’s air quality. Her people are struggling without help and funding, and it’s beginning to hit her hard.
However, seeing the hour end on Manny and Jake hosting the party at Smokey’s to boost morale after a hard day was one of our favorite parts. Because the party served as a reminder to both us and the ensemble that uplifting each other when the chips are down is important.
The road ahead looks brighter partly due to the guest appearance by Grammy Award-winning singer INK, whose performance gave everyone the chance to exhale. But mostly because Station 42 isn’t letting anyone forget they’re all in this together.
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Conflict of Morals
However, we can’t forget about Eve, who ended the hour conflicted over Angel’s bad decisions rooted in good intentions. Sure, he used a burner phone to talk to his father at Three Rock, which isn’t allowed. And he used connections on the outside to get a new radiator for the truck engine when the inmates couldn’t fix the one that broke. Overall, the hard truth is that Eve wouldn’t have gotten the radiator any other way. Not when Station 42 is struggling to remain afloat.
Personally, we think it’s too early to side with Manny on Angel being irredeemable because we don’t think he’s a bad guy. Is she right to walk on eggshells around him now that he lied to her? Absolutely. But he believed he was doing the right thing despite breaking the rules. Angel wanted to fix Three Rock’s problem, and he had the means to do it in “What Needs to Be Done.” Which makes Eve’s confidence in Angel beginning to crack hurt just a little. Because she sees glimpses of good in him, but he made a choice that made her believe that Manny could be right.
Fire Country airs on Fridays on CBS at 9 pm EST.
