I Didn't Expect Fire Country's Max Thieriot To Discuss Which CBS Character Would Win In A Fight, But I 100% Agree With His Point About Elsbeth

CBS’s prime time lineup is stacked. From franchises like NCIS and FBI to comedies like Ghosts, the network is doing great. However, four of its newer shows – Fire Country, Tracker, Elsbeth and Matlock – are really thriving right now. So, with that in mind, and knowing that all these CBS staples have been renewed for more, Fire Country’s Max Thieriot spoke about all the shows, and he answered a question I never thought of before: which lead character would win in a fight?

As CBS prepares to air new episodes for many of its shows on the 2025 TV schedule, Max Thieriot went on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to chat about Fire Country’s return this Friday. During their chat, the host asked “Mr. CBS” about his show’s spinoff, Sheriff Country, which led to a sillier question about how the fire drama's hero would square up against the other protagonists in popular procedurals. Here’s how that back-and-forth went:

• Stephen Colbert: Who would win in a fight, Bode or Tracker?
• Max Thieriot: Oh, man, I mean, come on.
• Stephen Colbert: Alright, what if Elsbeth gets in there?

Now, when it comes to Bode vs. Justin Hartley’s Colter, it’s hard to say who’d win. We also don’t know what kind of fight they’d get in. If it’s based on their shows, Tracker might take the cake because when its renewal was announced, it was revealed that it brings in 18 million multiplatform viewers, while Fire Country delivers 10.6 million. However, if it’s based on the characters themselves, I think it’d be a draw.

Meanwhile, if Carrie Preson’s Elsbeth got in the mix, it’d be a totally different story. When asked what could happen if the lawyer-turned-crime-solver got in there, Thieriot joked:

You know, I’d have to agree. If Elsbeth were to face off against Colter and Bode, all bets would be off.

As a fan of The Good Wife and Elsbeth, I know how scrappy Preston’s character is – we’ve really seen it come out this season too, thanks to the storyline involving Michael Emerson’s Judge Crawford. And I think that would make her a contender in this fight.

Plus, she’s proven time and time again that she should never be underestimated. Her creativity, persistence and willingness to do what needs to be done makes her quite the fighter (well, a verbal one at least).

So, I 100% agree with Thieriot that if Elsbeth were in the mix here, it’d be hard to beat her. The guys might physically be bigger than her, but she’s low-key fearless and super scrappy, so they would need to watch their backs.

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Adding to this fantastical fight, Colbert also asked what would happen if Kathy Bates’ Matlock entered the ring. In response, Fire Country’s co-creator made it clear as day that his character and Hartley’s would be taken down by the two women:

Truly, I think he’s right. Especially if this fight was a battle of wits, Bode and Colter wouldn’t stand a chance against the lawyers. That’s because if you’ve watched Elsbeth, The Good Wife and Matlock on CBS or with a Paramount+ subscription, you’d know they’re not just lawyers, they’re brilliant ones.

So, those guys better watch out if they ever end up in a courtroom (or a fighting ring for that matter).

Overall, this is all just in good fun, and it’s a fantastic reminder that CBS’s primetime lineup is fully back with all new episodes this week! While a crossover between these four shows is likely never going to happen, you can see them all back in action as Matlock and Elsbeth return on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET, respectively, Fire Country makes its comeback on Friday at 9 p.m. ET, and Tracker rounds out the week on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.