We still have a few months before Fire Country's third season premieres on the 2024 TV schedule. However, exciting news about the series and its expanding universe is burning up right now. I don’t think “burning up” is an exaggeration either, because it was announced that Jared Padalecki would be joining the show with the potential to lead his own spinoff, which is thrilling! Now, the question becomes: what could his show be about? Well, I have some ideas.
We already know that we’re getting one Fire Country spinoff called Sheriff Country, which will star Morena Baccarin and center around the sheriff’s department in Edgewater. Now, with Padalecki joining the CBS hit as a SoCal firefighter named Camden, it seemingly opens the door for more expansion outside of the small town we’ve come to know and love. So, let’s discuss some potential possibilities for his show’s focus (assuming it gets greenlit).
Fire Country: Metro
I have to admit, focusing on a fire department in a different city feels like the easiest way to spin off Fire Country.
Notably, when Padalecki’s guest role was announced by Deadline, it was revealed that his character Camden is:
...a SoCal firefighter and maverick with a surfer swagger who is a force to be reckoned with and immediately recognizes Bode’s raw talent.
At the end of Fire Country's second season, Max Thieriot’s Bode made his mission clear, stating that he’s ready to embrace the Leone legacy and become a firefighter. Starting that journey by doing the job in Edgewater seems a bit unlikely, and I could see him going south, to a bigger city, for a bit to work. Maybe, that’s where he meets Padalecki’s Camden.
The Supernatural star is reportedly scheduled for a three-episode arc with the potential to lead a spinoff. Fire Country: Metro feels like a natural transition. Maybe Camden lives in LA or one of the other bigger SoCal cities, and he’s an influential firefighter there. He could easily lead a new set of characters in a show all about firefighting in a more metropolitan area, and it feels like a natural way to expand the franchise.
We’ve seen NCIS spinoff successfully by taking the same premise to a new city, so why can’t Fire Country?
Fire Country: Med
The other known Fire Country spinoff is called Sheriff Country, and it takes place in Edgewater. So, I could also see the Gilmore Girls alum leading a new show that is set in the same town as the other two dramas and follows a different type of job. Seeing as the first two series are about firefighters and sheriffs, respectively, medics feels like a natural progression.
On Thieriot’s show, Gabriela has been training to be a paramedic, and another integral character, Diego, is one too. While the Walker star’s role is reported to be a firefighter, it’s possible that could change based on his arc on the flagship show, and he could shift into the world of medics and paramedics as he moves to Edgewater.
The worlds are clearly intertwined, as the medical professionals are frequently on the scenes of the fires, so it feels like a logical progression for the franchise’s expansion.
Smokejumper Country
Now, this idea is my most outlandish one, but stick with me. When Season 2 premiered, I interviewed Diane Farr, who plays Bode’s mom Sharon, and I asked her about ideas for a Fire Country spinoff. Back then, Sheriff Country wasn’t greenlit, however, we knew CBS was enthusiastic about expanding the show into a franchise. With that in mind, she told me she’d love to see a series about smokejumpers, and I couldn’t agree more!
Maybe, Jared Padalecki’s character is a thrill-seeker (I mean he has a "surfer swagger"), and a potential spinoff could see him take the leap from firefighter to smoke jumper.
It would be an action-packed show with the potential to take place outside of Edgewater, and it would be so cool! On top of it all, I genuinely think Padalecki would be the perfect lead for a series like that.
Overall, this news about Jared Padalecki joining Fire Country is massive. While it’ll be fun to see his three-episode arc this season, what’s even more exciting about this news is the prospect of him leading his own series within this universe.
While I have my own ideas for what his potential spinoff could be, I’m sure whatever they end up going with will be great, and I can’t wait to see it. In the meantime, we can all stream the first two seasons of Fire Country with a Paramount+ subscription, and prepare to see the veteran TV actor make his debut on the drama when Season 3 premieres on Friday, October 18 at 9 p.m. ET.
