Fire Country Season 3, Episode 3 Shows The Harsh Reality Of Bode's Firefighting Arc

Bode’s relationship with firefighting has been distinct ever since Fire Country season 1, but season 3’s developments making his goal more likely also highlight a harsh reality of Bode’s approach to firefighting. The beginning of Bode’s story in Fire Country included his earning the move from prison to a firefighting camp, which was what he always wanted and worked hard to obtain, but things went unexpectedly because he was sent to Edgewater, the home he didn’t want to return. Fire Country season 1 got Bode to learn a lot from Manny’s lead, establishing firefighting as Bode’s anchor during his sentence.

Bode’s stint in jail between Fire Country seasons 1 and 2 only made him happier to go back to firefighting after it, especially with Eve as his captain. However, what convinced him of his future was the Lazarus fire in Fire Country season 2. Indeed, not only did the campaign fire make Bode feel alive, but it also prompted his heroic save that earned Bode his extraordinary conduct credit that turned him into a free man. Earning his freedom finally made Bode’s Fire Country firefighting fate possible, but Fire Country season 3 showed one great obstacle to his goal’s fulfillment.

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Bode's Fire Country Season 3's Biggest Challenge Sets Up His Best Future (Without Gabriela)

Bode finally claims his Leone legacy in Fire Country season 3, episode 2, but another trainee's ruthlessness proved they can be his biggest challenge.

Bode's Season 3, Episode 3 Behavior Shows He Isn't Ready To Be A True Firefighter (Yet)

Bode's Tendency To Cover Up Mistakes Is Counterproductive To Firefighting

Fire Country season 3, episode 2 already revealed how Bode’s first instincts were to hide and protect those close to him, as demonstrated by his immediate reaction of cutting Gilmore’s medical alert necklace. However, it was Bode’s reaction when Jake confronted him and Gabriela about the necklace that clarified how unready Bode is to be a firefighter. Bode not only defended his action but also quickly admitted how he would have done the same for Jake, not just for Gabriela, showing no remorse for what he did and not even understanding why that could be wrong, unlike Jake and Gabriela.

Jake’s reaction to highlight how most firefighters would have been understanding toward Gabriela’s mistake but wouldn’t have had Bode’s same instinct of hiding it, along with Gabriela saying Bode shouldn’t want to do something similar again, both highlighted how at odds Bode was with them in Fire Country season 3. If Jake and Gabriela were on the same page, Bode still saw a key tenet of firefighting to protect his team like it was at Three Rock, failing to see how firefighting would have required honesty and trust. This makes Bode’s change of behavior imperative during the Cal Fire training.

How Bode's Leone Heritage Can Hinder His Firefighter Dreams In Fire Country

Bode Wouldn't Have Risked Expulsion Had Walter Not Interfered With The Drill

Bode expressed to Luke the wish to claim his Leone legacy in Fire Country season 3’s premiere but said legacy might also be the biggest impediment to his firefighting. Indeed, even if Bode’s first impulse weren’t to hide a mistake to protect Gabriela, the weight of the firefighting training was heavier on Bode than the other cadets, as Audrey underlined. This couldn’t be clearer than Walter pushing Vince to attend the drill, treating it as entertainment, not respecting Bode’s boundaries and even giving Bode secret information that he never wanted.

Had Bode not been forced to use Walter’s tips, he would have never failed his first drill with three strikes. If Jake’s initial lack of trust in Bode was a result of Bode’s behavior during the helicopter explosion fire, it was Walter’s insight information that doomed Bode. Between the pressure of the Leone legacy and Bode trying to pay off his original Fire Country goal, a lot hinges on Bode’s firefighting success in Fire Country season 3, making it impossibly difficult for Bode to achieve his firefighting dream easily.

New episodes of Fire Country air every Friday at 9pm on CBS.

Fire Country is an action-drama series created for CBS that follows Bode Donavan, a man in the middle of a five-year stint in prison looking to redeem himself. Given a unique chance to do so, Bode signs on to a unique prison-release program where he'll have the rest of his sentence commuted if he works with firefighters in Northern California. What starts as a chance at redemption becomes a confrontation with his past when Bode is assigned to his hometown - where his life went down the wrong path.

Cast Max Thieriot , Kevin Alejandro , Jordan Calloway , Stephanie Arcila , Diane Farr , Billy Burke , Jules Latimer

Release Date October 7, 2022

Seasons 3

Writers Max Thieriot , Tony Phelan , Joan Rater

Showrunner Max Thieriot , Tony Phelan , Joan Rater