Fire Country forces a lot of things — its small-townness, Bode’s heroism, the station’s effectiveness, and more.
It also keeps insisting that Jake, Eve, and Bode are close childhood friends whose relationship has remained the same through adulthood.
We occasionally get some scenes that try to hammer in this nostalgia, but it almost always falls apart when the show predictably tries to prop Bode up at the expense of other characters.
So, Fire Country Season 4 Episode 18, “Best Man,” plays out as one long attempt to show how close these characters are.
Jake has a fiancée. Who remembers that?
I’m not even trying to be mean or anything, but I kept forgetting whose “bachelor party” this is because this development has been the strangest one yet.
How can someone have a fiancée yet we don’t see the fiancée for an entire episode dedicated to the main event before the wedding?
It’s not as shocking, though, because Victoria Mitchell, Jake’s fiancée, has been a stranger in her own love story.
So the bachelor party takes our small town heroes to the big city of San Fransinco, which is a nice break from the boringly uniform town of Edgewater.
However, I wouldn’t want a spin-off set in the city, because part of this show’s charm is its rugged landscape.
But my god, we need to talk about this boring bachelor party.
I know this is network television, but it’s now accepted tradition that a bachelor party without strippers isn’t a bachelor party.
But the writers assumed that, since these are real firefighters, there’s no need to hire fake ones. Except that these real ones do not strip.
What a shame!
The whole thing is weird because who thought it was a good idea to have people throw axes while drinking?
One of the major side effects of alcohol is the effect on motor functions, so if anyone had half a brain, these activities do not go together.
It’s even less rational than deciding to have some guy start trouble with… who’s the bachelor again? Oh right. Jake’s group.
I’m sorry, but no one, even in the drunkest of states, is looking at Jake and being like “That’s the guy I’m going to poke.”
When you throw Bode and Malcolm into the mix, then it’s enough to sober someone up almost immediately.
Trust me, I’ve seen “drunkards” sober up within five seconds once they see the jacked bouncer wade through the crowds while aiming for them.
But our tech bro keeps causing trouble, and it becomes clear later that the show is setting him up to become the episode’s emergency victim.
So subtle.
Apart from pushing the friendship angle among the three, the hour also touches on existing storylines, and I needed to calm down for 30 minutes after watching this episode.
Someone give Luke the award for the biggest ass kisser in the world.
For a show where Bode makes me feel like punching the screen, I didn’t expect anyone else to challenge this connection, but for the last several episodes, Luke has been the worst.
He keeps enabling Bode to the point where it’s getting ridiculous.
If the man wants to confess to having attacked someone, let him. This town would be lucky to have Bode back in prison.
But no, Luke uses his power to “make it go away.”
A man was attacked, never got justice, and we’re going to treat Bode as the victim here?
It’s funny because it’s predictable that this is the route the show will always take.
To its credit, it tries to make Bode seem like the rational one, but we know what this is: the savior complex. Bode does not want to confess because it’s the right thing; he wants to do it so that he can feel better about himself.
Because everything has to be about him.
“Best Man” is really the epitome of how ridiculous this show’s setup is.
You can spot some signs of brilliance before the writers eventually retreat without any kid of resolution.
Apparently, Malcolm is part of the group now because there’s nothing better for Jake than feeling like a big brother — oh, and getting married because Jakey has a fiancée.
It was surprising that they addressed the elephant in the room with the whole Malcolm joins Station 42 thing.
All concerns Eve raises are valid, and I raised them in the Fire Country Season 4 Episode 17 review. This man is simply not fit enough to join the firehouse.
Will he remain like that forever? No. But is cutting corners the proper way to address this? Still no.
Tying this opportunity to Cole adds another layer to what could have made this storyline impactful, as it rips into the DNA vs merit dichotomy established in this show.
Fast forward a few minutes, and Malcolm has found a solution to one problem in San Francisco, and suddenly, everything is good.
Cole goes to become a cowboy, and Malcolm joins the station.
You’re forgetting something, genius: he still has not aced his fitness test.
But the funniest part is that this isn’t even that surprising, because at the end of the day, everyone must remain friends, since Bode needs people to cover for and vouch for him.
With the younger members away, the station does a fundraiser, and we get a more likable Manny this hour.
A storyline mirroring his experience as a single father promises to elevate the hour when he gives a really emotional speech to a struggling dad.
It’s one of the flashes of brilliance I mentioned that gets overshadowed by poor decision-making.
That man did not deserve that $600. Even if he’s struggling, rewarding him with the money he stole is not the solution.
If Manny wanted to help, he should have had him, I don’t know, sweep the station and then get paid $300.
Who knows what getting away with it might embolden him to do next?
We also get a resolution to Roberta’s storyline. I’m glad the writers went this route because I couldn’t stomach the thought of a love triangle again.
Gut Check
“Best Man” is an episode of Fire Country, alright. That’s not a compliment.
However, the emergency, despite the fire being killed early, is a bit engaging, albeit forced.
Intrusive Thoughts
- It’s not a bachelor party if there are no strippers.
- Max Thieriot’s portrayal of drug-addicted Bode has not improved at all.
- So we’ll see a close-up of Bode and Chloe kissing, but not of Eve and Eleanor?
- These Crawford brothers!!
Over to you, Fire Country fanatics. What did you think of the bachelor party? Sharon spends time with Alexei once again, and things escalate. Is the show setting up Diane Farr’s exit? Would you miss Sharon if she were to leave?