Fire Country Season 3, Episode 9 Recap: Bode Moving On From Gabriela Had Me Cheering At My Screen

Fire Country season 3, episode 9, “Coming in Hot”, brings the CBS drama back from hiatus in intense fashion with plenty of fiery thrills and key conversations fans have been waiting for. The midseason premiere of Fire Country, “Coming in Hot,” picks up right where episode 8, “Promise Me”, left off. Bode’s (Max Thieriot) Cal Fire firefighting career has just begun, and his first job is a doozy. There’s a massive fire and everyone is caught up in it. Bode finds himself trapped in a pool with Audrey as flames surround them.

Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) has made the terrible decision to quit the force in the middle of a fire, and she storms off into the inferno. Her father, Manny (Kevin Alejandro), goes in after her, despite the fact that he could be arrested for “escaping” by doing so. Eve (Jules Latimer) is facing a crisis as well. A vacation at her estranged family’s ranch just turned dire as the flames make their way toward the family barn and horses. Everyone’s in trouble in “Coming in Hot,” and what’s worse, everyone’s as unprepared as they’ve ever been.

Eve Proves To Her Father That She Does Hold Her Family Dear

As the flames head toward the Edwards family ranch, Eve does her best to save the homestead. With the help of Bode and Jake (Jordan Calloway), who show up at just the right time, the Cal Fire firefighters are able to put out the flames and ensure that Eve’s father Elroy’s (Phil Morris) horses, barn, and home are all kept safe. Elroy couldn’t help himself as Eve began to work, complaining and arguing as he tends to do, but the longer Eve works, the more he comes to respect his daughter and what she does.

By the time his home is saved, Elroy realizes exactly what kind of job Eve signed up for, and more importantly, he understands that the family homestead is just as important to Eve as it is to everyone else; she just shows appreciation differently. He shows his thanks by giving Eve, Jake, and Bode his horses to ride back into the fire and save those who are still stranded. Elroy even volunteers to go along himself. While no words are directly expressed between Elroy and Eve, it’s a good sign that the pair is open to mending their relationship.

Gabriela And Manny Finally Have A Real Conversation

Gabriela Is Sick Of Her Father Always Being Self-Righteous

Eve and Elroy aren’t the only father and daughter to have a reconciliation. Manny and Gabriela have a long-awaited conversation, one that takes place in the middle of the fire. Having stormed off after quitting, Gabriela has put herself and others into incredible danger. She almost dies in the smoke, but Manny luckily stumbles across her. The pair make their way to an abandoned campground but find that the phones are down. There, Gabriela completely falls apart and accuses Manny of being self-righteous rather than supportive.

Manny, having learned this lesson the hard way, decides he will not respond to the accusations thrown at him. Instead, he holds his daughter close and listens to her. As if rewarded for this cathartic moment, they hear a car alarm somewhere nearby and rush to what they hope is a way to drive out of the fire. Instead, they find Vince (Billy Burke) and Sharon (Diane Farr), and their crashed truck. They’d been coming to find the two, but they ended up in a tree.

Though it’s good to see some friendly faces, the quartet realizes they’re no closer to escaping the fire and will have to wait it out, and pray the flames don’t get any closer. Just when things are looking really bad, four horsemen come riding out of the forest. Not of the Apocalypse, it’s Bode, Eve, Jake, and Elroy coming from the Edwards ranch. Together, with two atop each horse, the protagonists make their way out of the fire.

Bode And Audrey’s Ordeal Grows Them Closer Together

Gabriela And Bode Seem Like They’re Done For Good

Before he got to the Edwards ranch, things were looking dire for Bode and Audrey, trapped in the pool. He kept Audrey afloat in the pool until the flames died down, but once they were saved, he insisted she go to the hospital, as she had swallowed a lot of water during their wait. Though she’d rather help the other firefighters, she listens to Bode, who turns out to be right. She does have lung damage that is thankfully fixed. After Bode rescues Gabriela and the others from the fire, he returns to the hospital to visit Audrey.

There, Bode has an awkward interaction with Gabriela. Bringing flowers for Audrey, he runs into Gabriela, who assumes they are for her. Bode sticks to his guns, though, and is honest about his affections for Audrey. Gabriela is generous and says Audrey is lucky. Gabriela and Bode’s relationship has been a frustrating part of Fire Country, and it would have been a misstep if, after the fire, both characters turned their backs on the decisions they had made about one another previously.

Both firefighters need to move on, and while Gabriela still has a lot of soul-searching to do, that doesn’t mean Bode can’t find love somewhere else. It’s slow-going between Audrey and Bode, but that’s probably for the best. We’ve had enough flames for a moment, we can let this romance smolder for a little bit before adding some fuel.

Walter Leone Shows Up On The Wrong Day

Bode’s Graduation Already Happened, And Walter Missed It

Just when you think Fire Country season 3, episode 9, “Coming in Hot” has thrown everything it can, it has one more surprise. Vince’s father and Bode’s grandfather, Walter Leone (Jeff Fahey), shows up. He says he’s there for Bode’s graduation, but that date has long passed. Whether this means Walter is suffering mental decline or whether Bode’s parents specifically told him the wrong date is left for next week. Whatever the answer, Fire Country adds another family problem to the season 3 pile.