S03.E06: Not Without My Birds

[Danielg342]

Quote

When a fire breaks out in a park containing an eagle nest, Station 42 and Three Rock work to rescue the protected species and prevent the fire from spreading into town

Via Paramount Press Express

[possibilities]

Calling Bode "Broody" made me laugh. 

Good episode for Eve.

And I called it on the hot flashes!

[Danielg342]

Let's start with the positives.

First, nothing says "this is a small town" more than an entire bar getting excited about the imminent hatching of some eagle eggs in the woods. For fans of SimCity, that sure reminded me a lot of Dullsville and their paint drying event, so I was happy to see the show really lean in to a storyline like this and give the episode some much needed levity.

It was just great, all of it.

Secondly, good to see Vince be protective of Bode with regards to Camden and set Bode's mind straight. I might have appreciated Bode being a bit more assertive and tell Camden, "you always told me to trust my instincts and that may mean going against orders, so, sometimes, I'll disobey you", but at least the show is recognizing Camden may not be the best influence for Bode.

Thirdly, Levin Rambin was great again as Audrey and she should be in the main cast next year. That, or she gets her own show. How many more times can she hit it out of the park before the producers realize what she's worth?

Lastly, nice to see the show remember that Eve's a lesbian and we get a bit of light shed on her previous loves. Seemed like she even rekindled that old flame and, while I might have appreciated a kiss (9-1-1: Lonestar did it, why not Fire Country?), I'll take what I can get.

Oh, and one small one- as much as "Bodiella" gets on my nerves, at least Bode was right to call out Gabriella and tell her he's tired of waiting. If only he could get that assertive elsewhere in his life.

That's about it for the positives.

I can't really say there were a whole lot of truly bad negatives, but a lot of the episode's events felt very contrived.

Honestly, we had the perfect episode where you have a situation where the crew had to make some hard choices and, as in real life, you're going to wind up with something that is merely "the best possible case" and isn't ideal.

...but...baby eagles. Gotta save them, even if you've got to contrive the events to make it all work.

Perhaps the show wants to wait for the fall finale before doing something "really big" and finally have Bode's "instincts" screw up an incident so bad that he'll hit a major snag in his comeback.

Perhaps the show also wanted to wait for the right moment, too, to really ignite the Leone vs. Camden feud regarding training Bode and have that feud blow up spectacularly in an episode, setting up a future arc.

I get that.

However, if so, why not use this story- which was tailor made for such scenarios- for that moment and use another story for this airing? Or, since too many people would be upset about baby eagles dying, don't put the eagles in the episode's main plot and have something else be that proverbial "rock and a hard place"?

Of course, the episode's main problem was really that everything felt very forced and hardly anything really flowed. The only moment that really felt like it had some kind of authenticity was Manny's fight with Cole, but even those two acted like overgrown schoolchildren.

"You took what was rightfully mine." Really Cole?

Maybe the real takeaway is that we may finally see Bode face some real consequences for his hero antics, which is one thing the show has shied away from too much. Certainly the feud between the Leones and Camden is developing a real, um, slow burn and I'm actually looking forward to how it ignites.

Of course, knowing this show, it'll just blow up in their faces. Again.

[Dowel Jones]

59 minutes ago, Danielg342 said:

The only moment that really felt like it had some kind of authenticity was Manny's fight with Cole,

And you were right; fights between inmates, or even crews sometimes, can erupt over nothing and go from 0-60 in a flash.

I side with Camden in re Bode.  If you're going to be a firefighter, get your head out of your ass and pay attention to your boss.  Ignoring his orders, whatever the immediate gratification, is the quickest way to get fired.

Sorry Sharon, you don't put a firefighter trainee in charge of the Command Center.  It takes a fair amount of training and experience to do that job, and you put a lot of people at risk doing that.

I really hope they settle their personal issues (and that means everyone) by the time the show returns.  It's getting more and more absurd.  Sure, let's talk about it while I'm driving the fire engine Code 3 to a wildland fire.  Let's take a break from this fire that's threatening the park and go inside the tent to talk about it.  Get to work, people!

By the way, Johnny Cash started a fire is the Sespe Condor Refuge outside of Santa Barbara back in 1968, I think.  His wheel bearing overheated and away it went.  Steep, rugged country there.  Anway, the fire killed something like 80 California Condors, but when he appeared in court, he reportedly snarled at the judge and said, "I don't care about your damn birds!"  Way to impress them, Johnny.

Edited Saturday at 07:03 AM by Dowel Jones
The Man in Black!

[Danielg342]

1 hour ago, Dowel Jones said:

I side with Camden in re Bode.  If you're going to be a firefighter, get your head out of your ass and pay attention to your boss.  Ignoring his orders, whatever the immediate gratification, is the quickest way to get fired.

Not that I inherently disagree with you here, but Camden's problem is his hypocrisy. He made a point of telling Bode to trust his instincts and do what is right, ignoring orders and protocol if he has to, but then turns around and gets offended when Bode does that to him.

Cam, it's either you want Bode to follow procedures and rules or you don't. You don't get to say, "you don't follow the rules, unless I'm the one giving them to you."

Of course, no doubt, Bode should be following the rules regardless, but- pardon the pun- Cam shouldn't be stoking the flames if he's not prepared to get burnt.

[Madding crowd]

I’ve decided I really don’t like Gabby. She wants Bodie if she thinks he might be interested in someone else, but once she has him she doesn’t want him again. I did like the story with the eagles and hope Eve can reconnect with her ex. And Sharon, you are over 50 you know what menopause is and that you have it. 

[cameron]

Give that over the top eagle adoration a rest already!!

[possibilities]

I have a feeling the show has decided that Bode's antics are never going to bite him in the ass, because he is The Hero. So it will be Leones Win Over Other Guy Who Hasn't Faced His Own Demons.

I watch 911, which is glorious for its absurdity. So I can handle some absurdity. Campiness for campiness is okay with me.

My problem with this show is that it's mopey and that doesn't work well with the absurd.

I did not know about "I don't care about" [the mass condor death]. Just thinking about it raises my blood presure.

 

[Dowel Jones]

9 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

Not that I inherently disagree with you here, but Camden's problem is his hypocrisy

Point taken.  I think they're setting up the titanic fight between he Leonis and Camden for Bode's soul.  That sounds so absurd the way I wrote it but, hey, it's Fire Country, right?

[possibilities]

On the one hand, his parents want him to follow the rules and not be impulsive. 

On the other hand, they were in favor of him disobeying his trainer in this episode.

The show wants it both ways. Much like Gabriella.

Btw, Gabs seems depressed. I find her annoying, but the show seems to be treating her depression as an annoyance, rather than taking it seriously. I wonder if THAT will blow up in anybody's face. 

The show seems to be trying to tread a line bewteen fire/rescue drama adrenaline and soap opera angst. I personally prefer the f/r drama and wish they would get rid of the angst. But I don't think they are sincere in breaking up Bode-Gab, even though I think it's the worst part of the show. 

Eve's on the job empowerment and personal growth are enjoyable for me to watch. The lucidity of the New Love Interest Who Is Just Friends With Bode is also enjoyable for me. The wallowing and repetitiveness of both Bode and Gabriella is draining. 

I find Manny to be a credibly fucked up father for Gabriella. That's all the commentary I think he deserves right now.

[Danielg342]

So we have references to "demons" and "Bode's soul" with regards to comments about Jared Padalecki's character on Fire Country. Say, @possibilities and @Dowel Jones, are you two making Supernatural puns? :P

With regards to more serious discussion around the topic...the battle for Bode's soul seems to, once again, relegate Bode to the role of spectator in his own show. Which has happened far too often on this show. I can think of maybe only a small handful of times where Bode did, well, anything to drive a story or a plot and very rarely did he ever do so in a major way. He's mostly just done things in reaction to what other people have done, and most of the time those reactions are just him moping about things.

Which is bad enough for any character, but it's even worse when that character is supposed to be the main character, like Bode is.

@possibilities, you're probably right that this show may never made Bode actually pay for his recklessness and hero antics in a major way. Which I think is unfortunate from a narrative perspective, because I don't know what else you do with Bode's character from a narration point of view (we don't speak of "Bodiella" here because that's really just silliness masquerading as a storyline). Perhaps the writers are too afraid that making Bode fail in a meaningful kind of way would hurt his character too much, with these same writers failing to realize that there are ways to make Bode fail meaningfully without having to sacrifice the integrity of his character.

I mean, I think the show's done a wonderful job (albeit with a few hiccups) crafting an organic, natural storyline of the elder Leones and Manny struggling with the events of their past and trying very hard to rise above their own demons. Vince and Manny are great examples of characters who have failed meaningfully- spectacularly so for Manny- and their characters are still intriguing and interesting.

The show could easily do the same for Bode (and, admittedly, the other younger characters like Gabriella, Jake and Eve) but they have chosen not too. Frustratingly so, too.

4 hours ago, possibilities said:

Gabs seems depressed. I find her annoying, but the show seems to be treating her depression as an annoyance, rather than taking it seriously. I wonder if THAT will blow up in anybody's face. 

The show seems to be trying to tread a line bewteen fire/rescue drama adrenaline and soap opera angst. I personally prefer the f/r drama and wish they would get rid of the angst.

The show's writers seem to have fallen into the trap where they think "struggle" has to mean some kind of suffering or sadness befalling a character, when it doesn't have to. Now, I do appreciate, on a level, the deep dive into the characters' personal lives and the attempt to actually show these characters interacting outside of work, but I'd agree the soap opera angst just doesn't fit within the show's dynamic all that well.

It's like, as you say, @possibilities, that the writers want it "both ways". They want a fire/rescue drama but they also want one that's a soap opera beneath the surface, instead of picking one or the other. Shows like S.W.A.T. show that you can still have a procedural- and sacrifice none of the procedural elements- while still having good, even great, characters with lots of depth.

You don't need soap opera elements and awkward on-the-job interactions to accomplish that either.

As for Gabriella- and, as someone who is, admittedly, suffering from depression- it's unfortunate that the show isn't treating Gabby's depression all that seriously. I think it might be interesting if Gabby's depression blows up in someone's face (or at least leads to some appreciable character development for her), but I don't trust the show to treat Gabby's depression with the dignity it deserves. They just seem to want us to be sad that she's not yet shacking up with Bode, even if that drama falls very flat.

[buckboard]

Dowel Jones, that was my thought exactly about Sharon putting a trainee in charge of the Command Center.  It takes a fair amount of training and experience to do that job, and you put a lot of people at risk doing that.  Furthermore,  Sharon has lived there all her life and knows the land, while Audrey is new to the area and is nevertheless asked to choose the best route.

Also agree that it is absurd to be discussing personal issues as the fire rages around them.  This is completely typical of this show, however.

[Sake614]

11 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

you are over 50 you know what menopause is and that you have it. 

I dunno, I had no idea I was having hot flashes for weeks until I finally asked a coworker who’d already gone through it. I thought I was getting sick. Middle of winter, I’m in a turtlenecks sweater and started feeling really warm. Had to splash cold water on my face, neck and chest throughout the day. NOT FUN! Although I am surprised Sharon’s doctor didn’t mention it or run any tests. 

[Dowel Jones]

Well, what do doctors know when they're up against screenwriters?

[DanaK]

I half expected one of the baby eagles to push its sibling out of the nest as some bird species will do, but I guess that would probably be too much for this show

[possibilities]

4 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

So we have references to "demons" and "Bode's soul" with regards to comments about Jared Padalecki's character on Fire Country. Say, @possibilities and @Dowel Jones, are you two making Supernatural puns? :P

God, no. I never watched Supernatural and I find Padalecki and his co-star from that show repulsive. Their presence here and on Tracker sets off a massive aversive response in me. I have no idea why anyone likes either one of them.

I thought Vince was saying what's his name (Cameron?) is acting unwisely as trainer because of his unprocessed feelings about the death of his brother and their crew, hence my comment about his demons. 

But thanks for crediting me with more cleverness than I actually exercised...

---

I do think the show is invested in the idea that outsiders are antagonists. Hence the arsonist firefighter they had briefly last season. And now this guy. I don't know why shows do this. There is enough challenge in the fundamental premise of the show-- the firefighting and rescue operations, as well as the prisoners working toward freedom, without manufacturing cheap drama from transient villains they introduce and then knock down.

It's like they set up a great idea and then ignored it in favor of shallow stunts.

---

I agree it's good if they develop the characters beyond their professional roles. Sometimes I think they do that well. I like Jake's relationship with Jen. But then they sent Jen away. Why? Did the actress want out? 

I also like that they really have done an excellent job of not being sexist or in any way showcasing gender inequality or leaning into those kinds of stereotypes or writing tropes.

The main problem seems to be their main character, honestly. And I wonder if that's because Max T is dictating that stuff because he likes playing it that way?

That, and the transient opponent and triangle stuff. I mean-- I liked Diego. And they disposed of him and gave him thug friends. Why? 

---

I like watching people triumph over adversity, It's more fun when it seems like real problems, not inexplicable and stupid shit.

 

Edited Sunday at 04:00 AM by possibilities

[Sake614]

Well of course Gabriella and Casey are at the bar at the Sam time and will likely end up in bed. Why is she suddenly being written as a sex maniac? We saw it in the last episode where Bode texts her to come to the bar and she says come here. She also tried to coax him into leaving his shift because she was sent home. When he balked she said they’d be quick. I never liked her but this is just nuts. Also, now she says she drove Diego out of the country? Bish please you ain’t all that! 

[possibilities]

My guess is that she's using sex as a drug to deal with her depression? 

[Jillybean]

Chiming in to agree that it's ludicrous that Sharon, with all her medical issues, has never had a doctor discuss menopause with her. DF and I were born a few weeks apart -- you mean to tell me a 55-year-old woman is in denial? About the suggestion of perimenopause, which she likely went through for years, and is now in full-blown menopause? Doesn't she have any women friends her age? Either Sharon is supposed to be much younger than DF, or she's a medical marvel. I will say, I'm unfamiliar with joint pain as a symptom, though. 

Gabriela has become totally insufferable.

[possibilities]

I'm 59 and only had any symptoms of perimenopause about a year ago. Some of us are late bloomers? ceasers?

But yes, she should have had a guess, or someone her age (or a doctor) should have mentioned it.

I am liking seeing more references to menopause on tv, though. So I'm fine with the show working it into the story, even if it's a little silly that it took a youngster to point it out.

 

[Jillybean]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

I'm 59 and only had any symptoms of perimenopause about a year ago. Some of us are late bloomers? ceasers?

But yes, she should have had a guess, or someone her age (or a doctor) should have mentioned it.

I am liking seeing more references to menopause on tv, though. So I'm fine with the show working it into the story, even if it's a little silly that it took a youngster to point it out.

 

I am honestly amazed that anyone is still menstruating at my age. I'm no expert but I really didn't realize that could happen.

[Dowel Jones]

No more amazing than running around on firelines or driving the engine months after a kidney transplant.  🤣

[possibilities]

2 hours ago, Jillybean said:

I am honestly amazed that anyone is still menstruating at my age. I'm no expert but I really didn't realize that could happen.

One of my doctors has a patient who was still cycling at 60. I didn't know that was possible, either-- and it is defintiely rare. But I was regular as clockwork until about a year ago, and no other symptoms, either.

Of course, since then, all hell as broken loose. My hot flashes give Vesuvius a run for its money.

From what I gather, age of menopause seems to be mostly a genetic thing-- i.e. you can predict age of the change by looking at someone's elder relatives and their age of onset. 

I didn't think to ask my mother or grandmother, so I can't verify this with my own case, though. It's just what I read in one of the many tomes I've been consuming on the subject since my body went berserk.

 

[Danielg342]

On 11/23/2024 at 10:57 PM, possibilities said:

I do think the show is invested in the idea that outsiders are antagonists. Hence the arsonist firefighter they had briefly last season. And now this guy. I don't know why shows do this. There is enough challenge in the fundamental premise of the show-- the firefighting and rescue operations, as well as the prisoners working toward freedom, without manufacturing cheap drama from transient villains they introduce and then knock down.

You make a good point. It seems like the writers just don't trust the characters that they have to make good drama on their own, so they create cheap characters for cheap drama to compensate.

We've had the fake firefighter, Collin. We've had Sleeper. We've had Liam (the one Vince got into a drunken brawl with). We could probably throw in Diego too, even though he wasn't villain-like, because we knew he was just there to be a rival for Bode for Gabriella and thus had a shelf life on this show.

Now Camden (Jared Padalecki's character) is filling that role. We'll see how it ends up but given this show's history, it might not bode well for Camden.

It didn't need to be this way.

One of the things that struck me about the early episodes was the idea of Bode having let everyone down by going to jail and having to repair his reputation in front of everyone. I was also struck by the dynamic of Vince between his real son and his "adopted" son (Jake). I thought when Vince poured his heart out and admitted that he has to accept that his kids can fail and that they're not failures for doing so was one of the series' better moments.

All this really points to drama that works- when we care about the characters, the drama works. We don't necessarily have to have the main characters always at each other's throats, but the writers shouldn't be afraid to let them conflict every once in a while and delve into their personal struggles a bit more.