Critic’s Rating: 4.2 / 5.0
4.2
We have to hand it to Fire Country because this series is on a roll with some truly unexpected writing.
Every time it seemed like the show was reverting to old habits, it pivoted to truly inspiring storytelling.
I know a lot of Gabriela and Bode shippers out there are feeling some kind of way after the ending, but there was too much love in the air not to get on board.
Besides, it may not have been a box of chocolates, but what woman wouldn’t swoon after being rescued by a fire-breathing (animatronic) dragon?
Fire Country still has room for improvement, but the story, character development, and direction of the series have made noticeable improvements overall.
So, let’s just go ahead and get a few things that could have used a bit more magic on this medieval episode out of the way.
Fire Country Ditches Its One-Dimensional Approach for More Complex and Relatable Characters
First and foremost, my only real issue with “Fare Thee Well” was the depiction of the Renaissance Fair and the lack of safety measures that were not taken.
Anyone who has been to Ren Fair knows that things are kept pretty tight — at least all the ones I’ve been to.
Letting two kids mess around with a bow and arrow unsupervised is not what happens.
Not to mention, fireworks going off like that would result in a lawsuit that could bankrupt the festival. And what a shame that would be because that was the cleanest one I’ve ever seen.
Okay, now that we have gotten that little bit out of the way, let’s dive into what worked on “Fare Thee Well” because there was a lot.
For one, who here recognized a certain Van Der Woodsen decked out in shining armor — albeit with a sword stuck in his gut?
That’s right. Everyone’s favorite little brother from Gossip Girl, Connor Paolo‘s Eric Van der Woodsen, made his Fire Country debut as Percival the Brave.
If we can be honest for a minute, who was annoyed that he wouldn’t drop the knight thing while his life was on the line? I’m right there with you.
However, my tune quickly changed when it was revealed that he was only holding on to the Percy persona because he was terrified of dying.
That had me choking up because, damn, the writing in that scene was impeccable.
It was such an unexpected pivot that instantly made the character more complex and relatable — something that seems to be the case with a lot of characters lately.
Manny And Gabriela Perez Are Doing Fire Country Fans Proud by Making the Right Choices and Focusing on Their Futures
It has to be said that Fire Country is making great strides to ensure that the characters aren’t mirror images of each other. Manny, for example, displayed amazing self-control.
Things would have gone very differently if Bode had been in that position during Fire Country Season 1.
Sure, he was upset that he couldn’t help the injured woman, but I was so proud of the character for showing restraint.
Those protocols aren’t in place just to annoy him, and while Manny knows what he is doing, if the other inexperienced guys at Three Rock saw him breaking the rules, it would have made it that much easier for them to follow suit.
Manny made the right call by getting help rather than taking things into his own hands.
You know Gabriela was proud of her dad, which is great because those two have had a rough time ever since Gabriela left Diego at the altar.
Speaking of Stephanie Arcila’s (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels) Gabriela, she has come so very far with her personal growth and journey of self-discovery.
The writers are pulling out all the stops to give her more depth and layers because, let’s be honest, apart from Olympic diving and Bode, she didn’t have much going for her other than work.
Hopefully, we will get to see more of Gabriela being light-hearted and fancy-free.
I know some of you may not want to hear this, but it really seems like Audrey is helping Gabriela rediscover aspects of her life that she has mainly ignored or avoided.
Say what you want about Audrey, but I don’t see her going away any time soon.
Watch; I’ll write that, and suddenly, she’ll transfer to a different station or something.
It would be so like Fire Country to ironically rain on Bode and Audrey’s budding romance.
The Leones Are Seeing Some Shakeups, Both Good and Bad, But They Have, Unfortunately, Weathered Worse Storms
I don’t want to pour salt on the wounds of many viewers who are still holding out hope for Gabriela and Bode, but I did say in the Fire Country Season 3 Episode 10 review that it was time to stop shipping those two.
They had a, uh, good run, but their relationship was always one drama after another. A lot of us fans needed a break from the tears and yearning.
That’s why it’s so nice to see Bode smiling more than he ever has before with Audrey. They pick on each other in that playground sort of way.
Their chemistry feels organic and not forced. I see real potential for Bode and Audrey to be the new Vince and Sharon.
Lord knows the family could use some more women to round out these rather sensitive Leone men.
All joking aside, who could blame Vince (Billy Burke) for taking what’s happening to Walter so personally? Relationships between fathers and sons can be very complicated.
Most sons spend their whole lives looking up to their fathers whether they want to or not.
Then, the man who was like a rock is suddenly older, weaker, and possibly fading. No one is ever ready to face their parents’ mortality.
The Leones are going to need to stick together now that it’s been confirmed that Walter is in the early stages of Dementia.
It will be tough, but that family has, unfortunately, weathered tougher storms.
At least it wasn’t all bad news on Fire Country Season 3 Episode 11. This TV Fanatic has saved the best for last with a character that has put her happiness on hold for too long.
It’s About Time Fire Country Let Eve Have a Little Romance of Her Own After Spending Three Seasons Listening to the Boys Whine
If you read the Fire Country Season 3 Episode 11 Spoilers, you know that it didn’t seem like we would get such a deep dive into Eve.
Not only did we learn that Eve is a fantasy buff and possibly a larper (live-action role-playing), but she also tends to isolate herself because she feels so out of place in a town like Edgewater.
And, despite what Jake might think, dressing up in costumes and pretending to be someone or something else never gets old. Why should kids get to have all the fun?
It was fantastic character development for Eve on the writers’ part that helped not only elevate the story but Fire Country as a whole.
Not to mention, we have a romance-charged episode on Valentine’s Day that never once mentioned the holiday. It was sneaky, but I liked it.
Besides, it’s about time Eve had a little more love in her life. Who better than someone like Francine, who can see the Three Rock captain for who she really is and love her all the more for it?
Sure, Francine was a little extreme when it came to saving the baby eagles on Fire Country Season 3 Episode 6, but we can chalk that up to passion — something the series seems to have in bulk.
All in all, this was another great installment that shows the amazing improvements Fire Countr is making to the storytelling as the show moves away from one-dimensional plots as well as ditching characters after a few episodes.
I still think CBS‘s Fire Country did Diego dirty but I’m working through it.
What are your thoughts on the improvements to the storytelling?
Are you on board with Bode and Audrey’s full-fledged romance?
Drop a comment below to let me know what you thought of this episode, and join me again when I review another episode of Fire Country!
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