Warning! SPOILERS about Fire Country season 2, episode 9 ahead.

The extraordinary conduct credit being granted in Fire Country season 2 undoubtedly meant great news for Bode, but it also changed the firefighting drama’s very essence for good. Bode’s journey in Fire Country could not be separated from Edgewater and the Three Rock Conservation Camp, but he originally never wanted to return closer to home, despite wanting to work as an inmate firefighter. Finally acclimatizing to working with his family, Fire Country season 1’s ending shifted Edgewater’s world order by sending Bode back to prison. However, Fire Country season 2, episode 9’s news changed it in an even greater way.

Following Bode in his journey to redeem himself by helping out the community as an inmate firefighter, Fire Country’s focus was always on Three Rock and Station 42, showing what fighting fires meant for professional firefighters and inmate firefighters alike. While the stories of other inmate firefighters were often told, Bode was always the go-between through which said stories were recounted, even if they didn’t involve him directly, as he was an inmate firefighter too, but one with connections in the Edgewater area. The extraordinary conduct credit thus has the potential to change something that was always Fire Country’s cornerstone.

Bode Becoming A Free Man Overturns Fire Country’s Very Premise

Bode Being An Inmate Firefighter Set Fire Country Apart From Other Firefighting Dramas

Focusing on natural areas and campaign fires was always an identifying trait for Fire Country, but what set it apart from other firefighting dramas was putting at the center of the story an inmate firefighter like Bode. While the politics of Cal Fire were present in Fire Country seasons 1 and 2, especially in storylines involving Vince and Sharon given their high ranking within Cal Fire, the centrality of Three Rock and the inmate firefighters’ lives was at the heart of Fire Country. Its spotlight on inmate firefighters’ stories, problems and wishes made Fire Country unlike any other firefighting drama.

Bode receiving an extraordinary conduct credit for heroically saving his father and another firefighter with Jake at the campaign fire essentially makes Fire Country’s protagonist not part of the inmate firefighting project anymore. The objective toward which Bode worked as an inmate firefighter was reached, making it an extraordinary success for Bode, but also removing the one thing that always motivated him to go on. In addition, with Bode not being part of the Three Rock Conservation Camp, the direct connection to the other inmate firefighters is lost, risking Fire Country season 3 pushing their stories further to the fringes.

How Bode’s Twist Affects Fire Country’s Other Characters

The Leones Can Finally Be A Family, Gabriela Faces A Difficult Choice, Jake & Eve Get Bode Back

Vince and Sharon had been waiting for Bode to become a free man since Fire Country season 1’s premiere, making the twist a surprising but welcome change. With Vince going as far as not reporting his arrhythmia to postpone his retirement long enough to fight fires with his son, Bode’s newfound freedom means a lot to him. Having worried for so long over Bode at the fire camp first and in prison later, Sharon will also rejoice greatly from having her son back home, not feeling in limbo anymore, and finally moving on with their lives together as a family.

While Bode leaving the Three Rock Conservation Camp means Eve will have one less inmate on her side, it shouldn’t be a problem as saving Three Rock made her even more accepted and respected as a captain. Bode’s freedom can likewise mean something positive for Jake, who will now have his best friend help him with parenting Genevieve and possibly another firefighter in his team on whom to rely. After their kiss in Fire Country season 2, episode 9, Bode’s freedom can only mean more confusion for Gabriela, especially with her wedding set to happen in the season 2 finale.

What To Expect From Fire Country After Season 2’s Bode Twist

Fire Country’s Focus On Inmates Must Have Someone Else At Its Center

Bode being still at the show’s front and center means Fire Country season 3 will have to focus on his life as a free man, telling the story of how Bode can find his footing outside the fire camp and the related struggles. However, not to lose the link with Three Rock and its inmates, another main character will have to take Bode’s place as an inmate. With Manny refusing to return to Station 42 after learning about his arrest warrant in Fire Country season 2, episode 9, he can be the connection between Three Rock and life around Edgewater.