[Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for Episode 9 of Season 4 of Fire Country.] In episode nine of Season 4 of the CBS series Fire Country, entitled “Who Owns the Dirt,” multiple storylines converged for the town of Edgewater. Bode (Max Thieriot) has taken on the challenge of mentoring the teenaged Tyler (Connor Sherry), which is an even taller task because the mother (Alona Tal) is a former crush that’s sparking current interest. At the same time, Landon (Josh McDermitt), Chloe’s partner and a father figure to her son, has proven to be much more sinister as he becomes the arson suspect for the Zabel Ridge fire that resulted in the tragic death of Vince Leone (Billy Burke). And while Eve (Jules Latimer) is working to find her footing with the new and very green Three Rock 2.0 crew, Manny (Kevin Alejandro) makes some big moves as Battalion Chief that ruffle some feathers in Drake County and puts brothers Jake (Jordan Calloway) and Malcolm directly in each other’s paths and ultimately leaves their futures hanging in the balance. During this one-on-one interview with Collider, showrunner Tia Napolitano, who also wrote the episode with Barbara Kaye Friend, discussed the biggest challenges in pulling of such a big midseason finale episode, the developing dynamic between Bode and Tyler, exploring the spark between Bode and Chloe, the reveal that Landon is the arsonist, testing Manny as Battalion Chief, bringing Jake and Malcolm together, getting to know the new Three Rock crew, those midseason finale cliffhangers, and what’s to come what the series returns with new episodes.

The ‘Fire Country’ Season 4 Midseason Finale Had to Bring a Lot of Storylines Together in Order to Work

“The firefighting is obviously very specific.”

Max Thieriot as Bode Leone standing in front of a fire truck in his gear in Fire Country Season 4Image via CBS

Collider: This was a really big episode with a lot going on, a lot of characters, and a lot of story threads. What were the biggest challenges in even pulling this episode off? TIA NAPOLITANO: It was a weird challenge for this one. The firefighting is obviously very specific, and it’s very dependent on there being a slope on one side. Finding a location to authentically represent what we needed the fire to do and what we needed the firefighting to do was challenging. And story wise, we always wanted to get Tyler really involved in the story. How we got him there, we tried a couple different scenarios, and he ended up being a teenager and sneaking into Manny’s car, doing bad stuff like teenagers do, and that felt very satisfying to us. Is it more challenging to work with a lot of actors in a scene, like with this whole new crew at Three Rock, or to do something like flipping a fire truck? NAPOLITANO: There are a couple of ways to flip a fire truck. This was more camera work than it was practically flipping it, but you can practically flip it if you have the time. I would say probably shooting a lot of characters is more difficult, but you’d have to ask a director. Betting coverage for all those people is both very satisfying and very time-consuming. I think about that dinner scene that was Jake’s going away breakfast in last year’s finale. It’s so satisfying, around the table with all of our people, but it takes a long time to shoot. It’s worth it.

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Obviously, it’s good for Brode to have things to focus on and to keep himself busy with, and it makes sense that he would want to mentor someone that he sees himself in. But at the same time, do you worry that it’s like a bit too soon for him to be doing that for someone else? Things do start off rocky between Brode and Tyler. Will that continue? NAPOLITANO: Bode is just never one to take a small bite of something. If he’s going to mentor someone, it’s going to be a troubled kid who’s a lot like him. Bode also is really able to fight for something when it’s for someone else and when it’s on someone else’s behalf. That’s just his nature. He’s got a huge heart, and he dives into stuff all the way. Watching him, when he used to be such a troubled young person, deal with this troubled young person, is such a sign of growth. We’re questioning, is he in a place where he can do this? Is this good for Bode? Can he take this on? That’s why it’s interesting to watch. And we’ll see more stories of Bode and Tyler moving into the back half. Gabriela is gone and Audrey is gone, and now someone from his past is back, who also happens to be one of Max Thieriot’s co-stars from SEAL Team. Did the character of Chloe exist, and then you decided to bring Alona Tal on, or did you create the role for her? NAPOLITANO: It’s so funny, everyone asks this question, and I love this question. The character existed. We started thinking about this teacher that Bode knew from his past, before all the bad stuff happened, and then knew of him when the bad stuff happened. They have this fondness for each other and this crush that neither of them were ever able to act on because of opportunity. We had some wonderful people read for it, and then Max just went, “Wait a minute, what if Alona could do it? Will they even let us do that?” And it turns out, not only would they let us do it, CBS was so excited about it. Alona was so excited about it. It was so wonderful having her on set. She said that acting with Max again was like riding a bike. They’re lovely together, and I’m really enjoying them.

Viewers Will Continue to See Things Develop Between Bode and Chloe in Season 4 of ‘Fire Country’

“It feels like people who knew each other in a past life.”

Alona Tal as Chloe sitting on the bed with her arms crossed in front of her in Fire Country Season 4Image via CBS

When you have actors like that who have that built-in chemistry, does it shape the relationship in any specific ways, as you’re thinking about it? NAPOLITANO: Yeah. The way that you’ll see them together feels very easy. It feels like people who knew each other in a past life because they sort of did. But in our storytelling, they knew each other as kids, which brings a certain sweetness and a certain amount of wish fulfillment. What if your crush walked into your life now and you both happened to be available? What would happen? We’re leaning into the innocence and magic and ease that exists between those two people. With Tyler so involved with Bode now, does it also feel risky for anything to happen between Bode and Chloe? NAPOLITANO: There’s definitely an element of risk when it comes to Bode and Chloe. They’ll have to weigh their decisions very carefully because there is Tyler in the mix. You bring in this new trio of characters with Chloe, Tyler and Landon, and they’re all very connected to the story and the characters. You’ve revealed that Landon is the one that set the fire that resulted in the death of Vince. Did you always know that the fire that ultimately took Vince’s life would be the fault of a person? Was that something that developed later on? NAPOLITANO: It developed as we went. It became organic and intertwined with the storytelling. We made the decision before we found out there was an arsonist involved in the Palisades fire, so it felt really authentic and like we could pull a lot of information about how these things happen. Also, it was terribly tragic, obviously. It just felt organic to feel like all the storylines were talking to each other and growing organically from how we started the season. Did it also feel like, if you were going to go in that direction, it had to be more personal than just a random person in town? NAPOLITANO: Yes, it felt like it had to be more personal. Talk about a bad guy. He’s abusive, he’s Chloe’s ex, and now he’s involved in the fire. He was scary in episode nine.

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Manny hasn’t been battalion chief for very long, and he shows up at this fire and causes tension. Any time the new guy shows up and tells the veteran what to do, there are always issues. What did you enjoy about putting Manny, as the new chief, up against a veteran chief like that? Was it fun to really test Manny in that way? NAPOLITANO: It is very fun to test Manny. Manny as Battalion Chief is such a refreshing flavor on Manny, just watching him back in his power like we met him in the pilot. And putting him toe to toe with Springer, the episode is called, “Who Owns the Dirt?,” and that’s really the question. It’s Drake County versus Cal Fire. Who is going to be IC here? And Manny does not back down. He does not shy away from it, and Springer is not having it. It’s just really interesting seeing Manny have someone to really fight with when lives are on the line. It’s a huge fire to manage. There are a lot of resources to make decisions about. And Manny is making all of those decisions and owning responsibility for all of it. So, we’ll see how that goes. I actually thought it was also a pretty brilliant idea to have Jake and Malcolm meet on a mountain, both watching a fire and both doing this thing that they know and love. It gives them time to bond without necessarily wanting to bond. Did you think a lot about exactly what the meeting between those two would look like? NAPOLITANO: Yes. And obviously, we threw the obstacle of Eleanor in Jake’s path with, “I’m not going to let you hurt my little brother again.” It hasn’t been easy. It wasn’t easy for Jake himself to make the call. He had a lot of internal conflict about it. So now, they’re together on a fire, doing what they love, but Malcolm’s not having it when it comes to Jake. And then, just as we let them smile at each other, we throw them over the rail. If they both are to get through that, one of the first things they do together is traumatic, so how do they fight through it? We’ll have to see next year. What can you tease about what we can expect from the two of them? What can they learn from each other? NAPOLITANO: When your relationship is literally forged in fire, it’s going to come out one way or the other. And don’t forget, Jake’s dad died before Malcolm was born. So, Jake is this library of memories about who this man was, and if Malcolm is interested at all, he’s going to have to go through his brother.

‘Fire Country’ Season 4 Will Continue to Explore the New Crew at Three Rock

“We wanted something fresh.”

Jules Latimer as Eve standing behind the new Three Rock crew in Fire Country Season 4Image via CBS

Not only did you reopen Three Rock, but you brought in this whole new crew that are young and green, and we don’t know who any of them are yet. What made you want to go that route? What has it been like to put this crew together, figure out who you wanted them to be, and how to really start all of these new stories? NAPOLITANO: We wanted Three Rock 2.0. We wanted something fresh. We knew we wanted Three Rock back. Once you see Three Rock back, once you see camp back in episode eight, it was like, “Oh, I missed this.” It’s such a big part of the fabric of the show, and we wanted to show the audience something fresh. We found, authentically, these real youth offender programs with inmate firefighters from 18 to 25. And then, we got the opportunity to cast these younger actors, fresh faces. It brought new challenges for Eve. When they do find their footing, it’s a sense of camaraderie for the show and of hope for the show. They are funny. There’s a lot of humor. They’re just a good time. It really feels like a lighter area of the show. It’s a new way to challenge Eve and let her succeed, and really bring Bode back into the Three Rock picture. These guys think that he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. They could grow up to be like Bode Leone. Imagine that. It also felt like a really good way to show Bode’s progress and bring hope and levity back to the show. I really appreciated the moment that Eve spoke to this new crew about fear and getting them through it to overcome it. There was something really beautiful about that. How did that moment come about? What can we continue to look forward to with this new group at Three Rock? NAPOLITANO: You see a glimpse of that humor when Eve says, “Who here is scared?” And Tex says, “Hell no, Cap!” And then she’s like, “What are you scared of?” And he’s like, “Snakes.” This idea of fear feels so authentic, especially to young people. Did they realize what they signed up for? There are no fences and the food’s better and you get all these liberties, but you’re fighting fire and you’re next to a fire. Bringing that fear onto the screen through Zane, as the most afraid, felt very relatable. This is actually scary and there are stakes. Zane is one to watch. Tex is so fun. I think we’ll really have a wonderful time with him. And Ace and Hartman. With all the new guys, you’ll get to know all of their backstories, all of their current stories, their hopes and dreams, and what they’re like as a group.

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It seems like an absolute disaster for Tyler to show up at the location of a fire. It’s noble that he wants to help, but he has no idea what any of that is like to deal with. At the end of the episode, we saw Bode run up and pull one of those silver blankets over himself and Tyler. What would you say to tease what will happen after that moment? How is that going to affect Tyler? Will it bring them closer together? NAPOLITANO: That fire shelter is built for one person, and we’ve stuffed two people in there. They’re basically in a burrito wrapper in the middle of an inferno. It’s harrowing and propulsive, and we’re going to root for them to get through it. We’ll have to hold our breaths a little bit to see how they do get out of there. And then, if and when they do get out of there, they’ve just survived a burn-over. There’s still fire. There are still complications. For Bode, it’s like fighting fire with one hand tied behind your back. You have a civilian with no equipment on, and you’re rooting for him to win. That will be a lot of it when we come back. You’ve also clearly left Jake and Malcolm hanging in the balance with their fire truck having been flipped. What would you say to tease what will happen next for them, especially after being put in such peril together? NAPOLITANO: Yeah, they are in peril. They’re going to be forged in the fire, for better or for worse. We will see stories with Malcolm going forward, in a really interesting way. This is quite the meet-cute for these two brothers. It’s tumultuous emotionally, and then it’s tumultuous physically.

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“There are a lot of bigger events.”

Are there other storylines you have coming up in this next batch of episodes that we can look forward to? NAPOLITANO: There are a lot of stakes in the midseason premiere when we come back. As we evolve away from the way that the season started, there’s a lot of joy and a lot of fun. There are a lot of bigger events where we really get that small town feel and let our characters have fun. There’s a lot of our young people are hanging out and their significant others being woven into the fabric of the show. There’s this two-person family now of Sharon and Bode finding what that family looks like. What do family dinners and traditions look like? How is Sharon mothering Bode on her own when he’s doing so well and she can retire this job of worrying about him? We’ll see Bode decide what kind of firefighter he wants to be. There’s a lot of growing up and a lot of joy and humor in the back half. It was fun to see Sharon and her mother because it feels like nothing else really rattles Sharon except for that. NAPOLITANO: It’s kind of unsettling to see somebody rattle Sharon Leone, and that someone made her and is her mother. As someone who lives in Los Angeles and who had to go through the experience of the fires in January 2025, I’m getting a little bit of PTSD watching this season. Did that affect and change how you wanted to show the fires and how you wanted to talk about fire season within this series? NAPOLITANO: I would say the fires last January greatly affected our storytelling, both in giving us wonderful, authentic details and feeling like it was an important story to tell. My family and I evacuated. My son turned one, blowing out a candle, and then I looked out the window and saw an inferno, right where our house is. It gave us so much texture and reality, getting the message out about fire season being year round and how important evacuation is, and that when the fire’s over, the fire isn’t really over. There’s loss and soil is ruined, and communities really need to come together for each other. We could show all of that in a way that felt both satisfying and important.

Release Date

October 7, 2022

Showrunner

Tia Napolitano

Directors

Bill Purple, Dermott Downs, Eagle Egilsson, Gonzalo Amat, Kevin Alejandro, Max Thieriot, Sarah Wayne Callies, Marie Jamora, Kantu Lentz, Antonio Negret, Laura Nisbet Peters, Lisa Demaine, Nicole Rubio, James Strong, Anton Cropper, Erica A. Watson, Joy T. Lane, Jacquie Gould, Chi-Yoon Chung

Writers

Tia Napolitano, David Gould, Natalia Fernandez, Barbara Kaye Friend, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Dwain Worrell, Julia Fontana, Sara Casey, Manuel Herrera, Jen Klein, Anupam Nigam, Tonya Kong

Fire Country airs on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount+. Check out the trailer for the Season 4 midseason finale: