Every character on Fire Country was going through it during Season 3’s mid-season finale. Eve was in a rough situation with her father, after hooking up, Jake and Gabriela were forced to work together, and that list goes on. However, my two primary points of concern after Episode 8 have to do with Manny and Gabriela’s relationship and Bode and Audrey’s feelings for each other.
With all that being said, let’s talk about why I’m the most concerned about these two storylines in particular as we cross our fingers that it’s all addressed when Episode 9 airs on the 2025 TV schedule.
Manny And Gabriela Need To Have A Big Talk
Quickly, let’s recap what happened to Manny and Gabriela in the latest episode of Fire Country’s third season. After her spiral reached a climax, Stephanie Arcila’s character ran away from the job and got trapped in an ever-expanding fire. Then, when Manny found out about it, he – remember, he’s an inmate at Three Rock – ran away from his crew to find his daughter.
So, we have two folks on the run who are not allowed to be, and on top of that, they need to face the tension that’s been building between them since Manny got arrested at the start of the season.
They seem poised for a dramatic reunion in the mid-season premiere, and I’m really hoping it happens in a meaningful way. Both are bound to face repercussions for their actions. However, I’m optimistic that if they can heal their relationship with each other a bit, it will help soften that blow and ultimately make everything better.
I miss seeing Manny and Gabriela confiding in each other, and it’s been hard to watch them both flounder. So, here’s hoping they have a big talk, get all their feelings out and head down the path of repair in the back half of Season 3.
Bode And Audrey Need To Get Safe And Then Promptly Figure Out Their Feelings For Each Other
Now, speaking of characters who need to fess up about their feelings, let’s address the elephant in Bode and Audrey’s room next.
In my mind, Bode and Gabriela are fully not a thing and shouldn’t be, I think it’d be good for him to move on. It’s also clear that Max Thieriot’s character and Leven Rambin’s Audrey are kindred spirits and have feelings for each other. So, I’d love to see them explore all that.
However, before any of that can happen, they need to get out of that pool they’re stuck in, address how Bode’s almost addiction to firefighting and saving people is impacting both of them, and then really have a chat about whether their relationship deserves to take a big step forward.
To me, if they can work through all of that, it seems like they’d make for a great couple. However, to truly accomplish that, they need to jump over all the aforementioned hurdles. Hopefully, all that happens in the mid-season premiere of Fire Country after they reach safety.
I have a sinking feeling though that something truly bad could happen. Let’s remember that Cara was killed off last season, and the dynamics between characters can change spontaneously. So, anything can happen to Audrey before they have a chance to talk, but I’m really pulling for that to not happen.
Let’s let Bode dive into a new romantic relationship with someone who knows what he’s been through better than almost anyone. I think it’d be good for everyone!
With all that said, I’ll be over here waiting and anticipating the return of Fire Country while crossing my fingers that all this gets addressed. Meanwhile, you can watch the show with a Paramount+ subscription and then tune into Episode 9 when it airs on CBS at 9 p.m. ET on January 31.
