As a showcase of Max Thieriot’s charm, Nation of Fire is working overtime. Playing as Bode, who joins California’s inmate firefighter program to reduce his sentence, he’s already tapped a brooding hunk with a heart of gold, a muscular body and a puppy look—and has plenty of time Come to show off both, thanks to the script’s first two hours of episodes, taking every opportunity to portray Bode as a uniquely brave and brilliant soul.
To be sure, Bode is no saint – we learn early on that the reason he was imprisoned in the first place was because he pleaded guilty to armed robbery. He’s just a scruffy knight in fire-resistant armor, tailored for audiences to admire and revel in. This tactic may be too effective: the omens of it all are so overwhelming that the land of fire leaves very little oxygen for anyone or anyone , flattening what could have been a smarter and more interesting program.
Fire Country
Bottom Line More sparks can be used.
Air Date: Friday, October 7th at 9pm (CBS) 45
Throwing:
Max Thieriot, Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Stephanie Arcila, Jordan Calloway, Jules Latimer
executive producer: Max Thieriot, Jerry Bruckheimer, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Tia Napolitano, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed
)Fire Country was inspired by Thieriot’s experience growing up in a fire-prone area of California (he served as the The executive producer, who received the pilot’s “Story” credit), found that Bode enlisted on the show only as a last resort, after he was denied parole. However, despite his inexperience, he quickly proved that he was born. In his first fire, halfway through the premiere, he showed himself as the type of person who plunges headlong into danger to save a stranger, direct orders to stay put and be damned. The problem is that he happens to be stationed in his native Edgewater, where he escaped under mysterious circumstances a few years ago.
The series took time to plan exactly how all the main players connected to Bode, adding some soapy intrigue to the flame-based episodic storyline. A spark of potential unfolds around Thieriot’s cast: Billy Burke and Diane Farr as married fire chiefs whose hard-earned happiness is threatened by secrets that Bode’s arrival threatens to reveal, while Jordan Calloway and Jules Latimer trades encouragement and dating advice between emergencies for a fun pair of elite firefighter BFFs.
But they were let down by a script that sounded too much like a first draft waiting for some nuance and personality to flesh out its core idea. Fire Country could spend some time exploring the psychology of its firefighters – what draws them to such a dangerous job, what makes them good at it, and what keeps them going The risk of personal loss that may result in a person’s life. Instead, it just makes Eve (Latimer) observe the promise-loathing Jack (Calloway), “We’re afraid to approach anyone because if we do, we’re going to die.” It’s a poignant , but not when it is so candidly stated.
At least Jack and Eve’s inner life deserves some consideration. Fire Country Apparently very little time or energy is spent on Bode ostensibly most of his time is spent on this all prisoner fire brigade. The only exception is Freddie (W. Tre Davis), who in various ways provides comedy to an otherwise unrecognizable performance, or as Bode’s heroic Goofus. The rest remains a largely anonymous, interchangeable collection of faces around Bode. (Lest you think that might change as the season goes on, even Davis is considered a regular guest rather than a series regular.)
This is A missed opportunity to gain insight into the specific experiences of California inmate firefighters – examining the relationship between career firefighters and incarcerated firefighters, or questioning the program’s participants not How anxious heroes are forced to return to their hometowns may feel like they’ve made a deal. (There was a brief conversation on the prison bus about how good the money was in relative terms – $5 a day, more if there was a fire – which made Fire Country felt short-lived Fire Country also didn’t have any apparent interest in delving into the causes and effects of California’s steadily rising fire risk thanks to climate change.
Perhaps a nuanced discussion of such a heated issue is too much to look forward to Fire Country , it doesn’t pretend to have ambitions of tough reviews. Its purpose is to provide reliable fun for good-hearted, good-looking people in 45 Overcoming adversity in minutes or less while occasionally getting involved in the juicy personal drama of it. Well, it’s done with a breeze – the first two parts alone include a car accident, a lightning storm, a baby’s rescue effort And a race against time to save a dying man. In the real world, fires can wreak unpredictable damage, leaving a ton of blame.
In In Fire Country , the fires seem to come from nowhere, and their effects are springing up to offscreen characters that we don’t see enough care about. They are Immoral forces of nature, our characters can effortlessly be confined to the fringes of television. This is a consolation.
However, fire No Country ‘s curiosity also spoils the more personal themes it really wants to address – namely questions about forgiveness and second chances. At the end of episode 2, Bode’s boss Manny (Kevin Alejandro) emphasizes to him that Cal Fire is his chance, and he can either remain the “rogue” some see him as, or become the “man” Manny knows Bode can be. Yes, kudos to Bode for his innate fearlessness, intuition, and leadership.
As suggested, it wasn’t scary. But obviously, Manny Just offering it to Baldur, surrounded by empty prison beds, reminds us that Baldur is one of many prisons. While Baldur fears his redemption will be difficult to achieve, Fire Country has made up his mind to paint him as someone so clearly deserving of a standout – even the erotic Jack and the miserable Vince are portrayed as more glaringly flawed, though Bode of armed robbery convictions. If it had worked harder to offer some grace to those who could actually use it, its message could have been hit harder.
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