Sheriff Country’s creator Matt Lopez breaks down exactly why the series will be so much darker than its blisteringly hot predecessor, Fire Country. The spinoff series will star Morena Baccarin in the lead as Sheriff Mickey Fox.
Speaking to TV Insider, Lopez discussed the decidedly darker tone of Sheriff Country compared to the show’s predecessor, Fire Country. “I don’t discount the focus on community, but starting in Episode 2, one of the things we will do in Sheriff Country is show viewers some of the darker corners of Edgewater that [viewers] may not have seen before on Fire Country,” Lopez explained.
“In Fire Country, the enemy or the adversary, if you will, is the elements, right? It’s fire,” the creator explained. “It’s fire and nature in many ways.” He teased that the spinoff’s adversaries are “human beings. And as soon as you enter that into the equation, it takes you to some very interesting places.”
Lopez went on to discuss his excitement at being given the opportunity to helm a new series in the Fire Country universe, noting that working with the executive producers of the original show was a “wonderful experience.” Lopez described working to “create this show that, on the one hand is very much part of the Edgewater – Fire Country universe and delivers what people love about that universe—the hope of community, all that great stuff—but at the same time carves out its own identity. And that’s kind of what we’re in the process of doing in Season 1.
Development on Sheriff Country began in early 2024 following Morena Baccarin’s debut as Edgewater Country Sheriff Mickey Fox in the Season 2 episode “Alert the Sheriff.” The character returned in Fire Country Season 3 episode “Dirty Money,” which gave audiences some greater insight into her character. In August 2024, Baccarin gave fans the bare-bones breakdown of who Mickey Fox is, stating, “I have a daughter, and I am enmeshed in this sort of, like drama, political drama that’s happening in the town, having to do with illegal marijuana growth, which is what my dad got arrested for.”
During the same interview, the Deadpool actress highlighted that she wasn’t interested in a TV role. “I don’t want to work for 10 months out of the year. It’s going to be shot in a different country. I can’t do this. I have three little kids!” However, the character won her over.
What is Sheriff Country All About?
Sheriff Country will follow Baccarin’s Sheriff Mickey Fox as she investigates the various criminal goings-on in Edgewater, all while trying to deal with the continued fallout of her ex-con father’s personal endeavors and a mysterious set of circumstances that have enveloped the life of her daughter, Skye.
The series will feature a tight ensemble cast including Christopher Gorman as Mickey’s ex-husband, Travis Fraley, W. Earl Brown as Mickey’s father Wes Fox, Amanda Arcuri as Mickey’s daughter, Skye, and Caroline Rhea as Mickey’s assistant, Gina. In April, it was reported that CSI: Vegas star Matt Lauria had signed on to Sheriff Country in the role of Mickey’s “smart, tough and capable deputy and longtime partner,” Boone. Per the official description of the character, Boone is from Oakland, where he grew “used to a different kind of policing,” leading to a tense and complex relationship between him and Baccarin’s Sheriff Fox.
Sheriff Country marks the first spinoff in the Fire Country universe, but there are more plans for growth. Another spinoff starring Jared Padalecki’s Camden Casey, a character introduced in Season 3, has been in consideration since 2024. The show hasn’t been confirmed yet.
