I’m Worried About The Future Of Jared Padalecki’s Fire Country Spinoff After Max Thieriot’s New Comments

The Fire Country franchise’s popularity makes it difficult to fear the possibility that the much-discussed spinoff dubbed Fire Country: Surfside won’t get made, but Max Thieriot’s latest comments instill some doubts over the path of its creation. Rumors about Surfside have been around for a while, especially once the first Fire Country spinoff Sheriff Country was confirmed swiftly after its protagonist appeared in Fire Country season 2, making it possible for Sheriff Country to be released in the 2025-2026 season. However, CBS has yet to confirm Surfside, despite Jared Padalecki appearing for a three-episode arc in Fire Country season 3.

Described as “a SoCal firefighter and maverick with a surfer swagger” ahead of his appearance in Fire Country season 3, episode 5, Padelecki’s Camden Casey left a mark on Fire Country characters and audiences alike when he reached Edgewater to be Station 42’s Phase Three training captain of the former inmate firefighters hoping to join Cal Fire. Seeing Bode’s potential quickly made Casey someone Bode wanted to follow, to the chagrin of Bode’s loved ones, who saw Casey’s style as dangerous and not what firefighting was about. With Padalecki’s arc completed, new information about Surfside has nevertheless yet to appear.

Jared Padalecki’s Fire Country Spinoff Explained

Surfside Would Follow Padalecki’s Camden Casey

With Fire Country: Surfside not officially confirmed, nothing is virtually known about its story, including the spinoff’s focus and setting. However, Surfside was always connected to Jared Padalecki, making Camden Casey being the focus easy to predict. With Southern California being highlighted ahead of Casey’s introduction in Fire Country season 3, it was also heavily implied that the spinoff would be set there, with Surfside being the first in the Fire Country franchise not to be set in the fictional North California town of Edgewater.

Morena Baccarin’s appearance as Mickey Fox in Fire Country season 2 directly set up Sheriff Country through the Sheriff’s murder and her difficult relationship with Sharon Leone, making it likely that some hints about Camden Casey’s story in Surfside were already dropped in Fire Country season 3. Indeed, Casey’s arrival not only delivered Bode’s most supportive trainer to date but also emphasized the things that set him apart from Station 42’s firefighters, good and bad.

Casey’s maverick attitude was visible both in the chance he took at Smokey’s to defend Bode from Diego’s friends knowing he couldn’t get in a fight because he was on parole and in the way he risked on the field. Casey’s orders for Bode and Audrey made him deeply unlikeable to firefighters like Vince, Sharon and Jake. Still, Casey’s emphasis on firefighters’ personal lives being a distraction fully aligned with his refusal to let them have it easy, with his tragic history of his brother dying on a call he captained perfectly setting up his journey in Surfside.

Max Thieriot Reveals There’s No Update About Fire Country: Surfside (& He Doesn’t Know The Status Of Padalecki’s Other Medical Show)

No News Can Mean Bad News After Sheriff Country’s Quick Development

Except for the mark Casey left on Edgewater, Padalecki’s appearance in Fire Country season 3 went relatively unnoticed in regards to Surfside’s confirmation and progress. Indeed, the only news came from Fire Country showrunner Tia Napolitano, who confirmed that Casey’s arc was completed in season 3, but the door was “definitely not closed.” However, no news about Surfside could be potentially seen as bad news, especially with the announcement of Padalecki’s new CBS medical procedural with Walker showrunner Anna Fricke.

The absence of new Surfside information continues to be noticeable especially given how much those involved in Fire Country get asked about it. In a recent interview with TV Line, Max Thieriot was asked about Surfside’s status. Thieriot’s answer regarding the Fire Country spinoff focused on how they are “certainly excited about exploring [and] expanding the universe,” but he also specified how he doesn’t know the status of Padalecki’s medical drama, along with “no big breaking news today” being available about Surfside.

Luckily, Fire Country: Surfside Has The Luxury For A Long Development Process (But Hopefully It Doesn’t Get Stuck)

Sheriff Country’s Existence Grants Surfside Tim

At the time of the nes of Padalecki’s new BS medical procedural, it was revealed that the project wouldn’t clash with Surfside. Still, with no confirmation yet on the Fire Country spinoff, it’s unclear whether the reason for that has to do with Surfside being so far away in time that it doesn’t warrant such a worry. No news about Surfside won’t necessarily mean it will lose momentum, and even if that were the case, a Casey appearance in Fire Country season 4 and beyond could potentially help with that.