Danielg342

I get what you are saying about the cynicism aspect. It can be hard to stomach all this poor quality and wonder if there's any way out. Maybe it's just the optimist in me, but I think there may be a way. I mean, maybe we'll never see a show get to the literal heights of something like Dallas or Seinfeld but we can still get something nearly as culturally dominant. If Hollywood wants such a show- and I believe they will- they'll eventually have to wake up to the fact what they're producing just hasn't been good enough. Hollywood has "played it safe" for too long. They're either trying too hard to be "edgy" (learning the wrong lesson from off-broadcast shows that have generated buzz, like Game of Thrones) or they're doubling down on tropes that have worked before in the hopes they'll work again (Fire Country). At some point, Hollywood will realize that the only way those "buzzworthy" moments work are with stories and characters the audience actually cares about.

There's two ways to look at its ratings. One, yes, in terms of where it stands among all the TV shows on air, Fire Country does do better ratings that most TV shows. However, TV ratings themselves- particularly on broadcast TV- have experienced a substantial freefall over the past few decades. In 1991, the 30th ranked TV show in terms of overall viewers (The Wonder Years) drew 14 million views. In 2001, #30 (a three-way tie) drew 8.6 million viewers. In 2011, the #30 number fell to 6.9. In 2023, the #30 number was 5.94 million viewers. Further, as recently as 20 years ago, you'd have the top 20 TV shows drawing at least 10 million viewers. Last season, only one scripted TV show (Tracker) accomplished that feat. The 18-49 ratings (the ones TV networks really care about) are even worse. In 2011, 130 shows scored a 1.0 or better. Last season? Only three, and none were a scripted TV show. Now, there are plenty of reasons why ratings are down, and the actual numbers and what they mean are debated. However, I truly think the TV landscape, especially in Hollywood, lacks that truly "buzzworthy" appeal. I remember, when I talked about the end of The Blacklist that Hollywood has seemed to move on entirely from making shows that have broad, mass appeal. FBI and Fire Country seem to be attempts to buck that trend (FC is going to get its own spinoff for the 2025-26 season in Sheriff Country), but I don't know how well it's working. Not sure how many people gather around the water cooler and talk about Bodiella...let alone can pick Max Thieriot out of a police lineup. Another point about FC's strong ratings is that its Reddit community, which is far more active than these boards, is tearing the show to shreds. Now, I know Reddit might not be representative of FC's total audience, but to see a place where many comment and they all say the same thing tells me something about where the overall audience reaction to the show may actually be. If these boards and Reddit hate the show, maybe it's not doing as strong as it thinks it is. Personally, I try not to dwell too much on how individual shows are doing. All TV shows inevitably decline, and FC is no exception. Plus, given Hollywood's recent struggles with scripted TV (and movies, for that matter), it seems like they have bigger concerns that the quality of an individual series.

I really don't understand why shows rely on soap opera plots. Nightmate S.W.A.T. is doing the same thing and it's dragging that show down too. I get that characters are what drive a show, but I say leave the soap opera plots for the soap operas, because they can better handle those plots and better develop them. Character drama for "shock value" has never worked, especially on shows that are not designed for them.

This is part of the problem with litigating cases after so much time has passed- memories fade, and memories become garbled. Trauma can exacerbate these effects. The sad truth is, she may have been really assaulted that night but because so much time has passed, her memories of the event may have become so distorted that she has messed up or maybe even outright forgotten many of the actual details. I'm not sure Diddy's parties would be so rigid with their security systems. They likely had doormen, there may have been a list of people who were actually invited to attend the party, but I'm sure- because his parties were unregulated events- that if there was someone Diddy or one of Diddy's trusted associates wanted inside the party, they could be brought in. This could include a woman who may look 18 even though she's actually 13, because she could be brought in and all they may care about is her word that she's of age.

I like this idea and I believe you're correct in your interpretation. I just feel that, if we're supposed to have this interpretation as an explanation for Bode's heroic recklessness, the show should better explain and establish this. This episode had a perfect opportunity when Bode could have had a picture of Riley in his firefighter hat instead of a picture of his entire family (though that picture may have had all four of them). I also feel like the show's "Flanderized" Bode in this way, in that now his entire character is about him being recklessly heroic. Now, I'm not sure how well developed Bode was before and Bode having one identifiable trait seems more than most characters on this show, but it does feel like Bode does nothing else except trying to be a hero. Gabriella, too, seems to be similarly reduced to simply being the whiny, petulant child. She doesn't seem to do much else any more now. The show doing this is not a good sign, especially because- rarely- is there any way back.

There'd be no drama either. He's a producer on this show and the main character...unless there's something big we don't know about with Shemar Moore, there's no way Hondo is leaving the series.

Would it actually be safe, with the fires burning around you, to stick your head out of the water from time to time?

Another addendum: Perhaps any of our resident firefighters can clarify this for me, but ChatGPT told me that it is, in fact, legal for firefighters to break a car's window to fit a fire hose to a hydrant or make any other modifications to a car if there's an emergency and the car is obstructing the fire hydrant. Evidently, too, Cal Fire and the state are exempt from liability in this case. Stealing the car's gas...that might be harder to defend, though perhaps Gabs could argue (or should have argued to Jake) that her stealing gas allowed someone else to evacuate.

I'm not sure it's exactly the same comparison because De'Vondre Campbell had been on the bench and refused an order to go out and play whereas Gabriella was already out on the field, let her emotions get the better of her and walked away, but I'd agree it's equally as unprofessional. If Gabs isn't dead to start the second half of the season she should be reprimanded severely by Cal Fire for what she did.

Beyonce says she met Jay-Z- who is 12 years older than her- when she was 18, which was in 2000. Beyonce says, further, they didn't start dating until she was 19, in 2001. These allegations stem from the 2000 MTV Awards, which aired on September 7, 2000. So, according to the timeline, Jay-Z was not attached to Beyonce at that time. Make of that what you will. If Jay-Z actually committed the act, I wouldn't say he cheated on Beyonce (though I'm not sure that's really relevant given the grievous nature of the act in question).

Oh no! There's a hit on someone from 20-Squad! Who will it be? Tune in...next time! In January, when the series comes back! Uh...um... Different Bat time! (Friday, 10PM) ...but... Same Bat Channel! *sigh* Has S.W.A.T. passed into the threshold from "bad S.W.A.T. television" to simply "bad television"? I mean, I'm not sure this episode plunges to the depths of Season Four's "Crusade" or the ridiculousness of the first six episodes of Season Five...but those episodes failed more in their execution than in their crafting. This episode...while also failing to execute (obviously), failed in its crafting. Lazy writing abounded almost everywhere, and this was about as uninspiring a performance as you'll see anywhere on TV, especially by Hollywood standards. I mean, I'm not sure it's really worth it to get into the nuts and bolts of this episode because I believe this episode exposes the show's gashing wound, the kind of fatal wound that dooms all TV series eventually. When you get to the point, as you do here, where the show relies on cheap antics to generate drama, rests on contrivances, doesn't develop anything and talks more than it shows, then you have a show that's really just going through the motions. ...and when the writers get so lazy that they feel they can just rely on some kind of "formula" and put in little work to give their episodes any kind of depth at all, that's when you know the show is in trouble. People like to talk about when shows "jump the shark". I think, after reviewing so many TV shows over the years, it's better to talk about the moments it became clear the shows' writers and producers stopped trying. Just like the "jumping the shark" moment, the moment "the writers stopped caring" is also difficult to pin down. Calling it "in the moment" is even more difficult because, as long as the show is still airing, there's always a chance it can bounce back. However, I do feel pretty confident that, when I look back at S.W.A.T. as a whole, once it's all said and done, I'll look at S8 and think, "this is the moment it all started to really go downhill without any chance of turning back". There may still be some moments of brilliance later, but I think it's (almost) safe to say the halcyon days of this show are over.

I really thought this episode had a lot of potential...but man, did it become a dumpster uncontained wildfire in a hurry. We know Bode will live. Gabriella, being a main cast member, has a chance too. So that leaves Audrey James, who's just a recurring character. Which would be a crying shame, because Levin Rambin has more than earned her place to stay on this show or have a show on her own. ...and, honestly...though I hate to trash actors, I have to call out their performances when they're not up to par and, well... Let's be honest...pouty, whiny, childish and ridiculous Gabriella has more than run her course on this show. Rambin's Audrey James would be a significant upgrade over Gabriella. ...but... What do I know about running a TV show? Perhaps the only good part about this show was seeing an older Jackie Chiles Elroy Edwards (played by Phil Morris) tear Eve a new one after Eve and Vince could not save his ranch. It looks like a situation where the character is just there for a one-off appearance, though part of me hopes- if only for meta reasons- to have Elroy in a courtroom suing California and Cal Fire for the loss of his home. Oh, and the joke about "the stubborn old man" and Vince realizing it was him was absolute gold. Other than that...well, the show used the well-worn trope of the characters getting into trouble by simply being idiots. I mean, did Gabs owe that woman and her daughter anything? Yeah, Gabs is a dumpster fire herself right now, but an experienced firefighter knows not to get in too deep with strangers, especially on a call when things could go sideways. (...and Gabs is an experienced firefighter. She's been one for two and a half years now) Further to the point...can Cal Fire really break your car if you're parked in front of a fire hydrant? I figure there are less destructive methods to get a car out of the way. Still, Gabriella stealing gas, whining about it, whining about "why no one understands me" and then walking into the fire was...well, stupid. Of course, in true FC fashion, she's not the dumbest one on the show, surprisingly enough. Because there was Bode...oh, Bode, Bode, Bode. It's a broken record at this stage, Bode being heroic stupid. Maybe Audrey stands a chance because the writers won't want Bode's actions to have too serious of consequences. Then again, Bode facing real consequences for his actions would be the only meaningful narrative that he has, and I might enjoy watching Bode get knocked down a peg from his pedestal. I just wish he wouldn't take one of my favourite characters down with him.

Via Paramount Press Express:

Via Paramount Press Express:

Make of it what you will, but according to this timeline by ELLE magazine, Beyonce didn't start dating Jay-Z until 2001 and they didn't marry until 2008. The accusations against Jay-Z date to before they were a couple.