S03.E09: Coming In Hot

[Danielg342]

Quote

With the Chezem Valley fire blazing out of control, Bode and Audrey must find a way to save themselves; Manny risks his freedom for his missing daughter; and Eve tries to protect her father (Phil Morris) and their family's ranch

From The Futon Critic

[Danielg342]

"Are we digging our own graves?"

Is that the show's characters talking, or is it the writers talking about the show?

I can't quite figure it out.

Maybe it was the slow pacing. Maybe it was the fact the story went in many different directions all at once.

Maybe it was all the bad CGI that was used to recreate the Chezem Valley fire.

Or maybe it was Gabriella's Emmy-baiting scene in a cringeworthy performance.

I don't know.

I mean, I will say this episode wasn't completely a trainwreck, because there was some nice touching moments between father and daughter in Eve and her dad, the brief moment between Vince and Bode and the long overdue moment between Manny and Gabby.

...but...this episode was a real slog. Kind of like a lot of Fire Country episodes of late.

Now, a word about Gabby.

I did some thinking...though it's easy to blame the actress, the problem isn't really with Stephanie Arcilla. No, Arcilla is simply doing what she is told, and she's selling the heck of what she is doing.

The problem is how she's being directed.

See, either the writers or the directors- or both- are telling her that to perform her character properly, she needs to act like a whiny child...and Arcilla is doing that.

In fact, she's going over and beyond...I mean, she's certainly noticeable, isn't she?

The only thing I might say is that she's not seasoned enough as an actress to learn that there are times when you need to dial it down and not always go all out, but she'll learn that with experience.

Of no doubt is that she certainly has the ability to be a great performer...the problem is the direction she's being told to project her performances.

It's like Jake being the drill sergeant earlier this season. Jordan Calloway sold the performance extremely well and absolutely delivered on what the script called for him to do.

Except that the script should never have gotten him to do that in the first place, because it was the wrong writing choice...but, that's not on Calloway, who can only portray the character that he's given.

Why this rant? It goes back to a long recurring theme with this show in that the writers seem too content to force the characters into the narratives the writers want instead of taking what the actors and the stories give them and build from there.

I'm not sure what the show would have looked like if they stuck to that principle but I sure know it would look a lot better than the mess they're left with now.

[Artsda]

Wish Gabby would have just died already. 

She should be suspended for all her actions at least, instead they just let her get away with it all.  She needs less coddling.  Hopefully Bode moves on forever. 

 

[buckboard]

Too many problems to comment, but it comes to mind 1) that no one is wearing a mask against the smoke.  2) Sharon & Vince and Jake are supposedly the people in charge, so who is directing the rest of the forest fighters whille the fire is still pretty widespread?  3)  Where was Sharon driving the truck to?  Did she just hope she'd run into Manny & Gabriela by chance?  4) How is Sharon going to explain the burnt fire truck?  5) They got that ginormous fire under control pretty quckly.

I'd love to hear what real fire fighters think of this stupid show.

[Dowel Jones]

 It's been a long while, so I'd forgotten who incomprehensibly stoopid these people are.  Who is in charge, exactly?  Doesn't Eve have a fire crew to boss around?  Anyone can spray water.  But they have to save that barn!  Judging from the acreage of green pasture around the place, I don't think that should have been a problem.  I'm not surprised they ran out of water, with their undirected water streams that only occasionally contacted the fire. 

Gabby can't untangle herself from some barbed wire?  Gasp!  

Manny is going to skate from the escape charge because his daughter was out there in the woods?  CDC has entered the chat, by the way.  But Gabby gets some disciplinary action instead.

Yeah, that 10 miles of flaming front sure ran out of fire fast to where they could cancel incoming units and go home.  Yet they leave the engine filthy dirty and just go off to eat.  IRL, they would be out on that line for another 2 weeks at a minimum or so mopping up and doing rehab.  

"We're coming in hot!"  At 2mph.

What's the deal with Jeff Fahey's character (forgot his name)?  Early dementia?

[Danielg342]

10 hours ago, buckboard said:

1) that no one is wearing a mask against the smoke.

One thing I'll say about this is that Hollywood has an unwritten rule about never covering the faces of the actors and actresses who are the "stars of the show". This is because Hollywood directors and actors feel an uncovered face makes it easier for the audience to connect with the characters, plus it's easier to portray the emotional nuances of a performance with the face uncovered.

Of course, this policy can reach absurd levels, like unmasked forensic lab specialists or surgeons, or in this case. In this case, it's particularly bad because the policy directly affected the plot, when it shouldn't have.

See, usually I can just handwave the absence of masks when the characters should be wearing them because, at least, the show never makes it an issue. Yeah, it's a pretty big groaner that Bode, Jake, Vince, Sharon, Eve, Manny, et all aren't wearing masks, goggles and lots of other protective gear- because doing so in real life means high exposure to smoke inhalation, among other things- but, aside from their faces getting absolutely drenched in ash and soot, you never hear of any negative effects to the characters for their maskless choices.

This episode violated that rule and violated the principle of the "suspension of disbelief" with the ridiculous scene of Bode and Audrey in the swimming pool.

Because...if Bode and Audrey had masks (even improvised ones), they would not have needed to go into the pool at all. They could have ran into the house, found the tractor and beat an escape, all while still having functional radios.

Or...Bode and Audrey could have used their fire tents and wrapped themselves up in it while they wait out the fire and any potential rescue.

Yeah...the fire tents...you know, those shiny tarps that we saw way back in the first ever episode of this show?

Tarps specifically designed for situations like the one Bode and Audrey were in.

...and, for that matter, the situation that Vince and Sharon later found themselves in.

So while I can understand why the policy is in place, the writers failed spectacularly in forgetting that the policy should simply be a matter of the suspension of disbelief, not as something the characters are actually doing.

[JamieLynn832002]

11 hours ago, Artsda said:

She should be suspended for all her actions at least, instead they just let her get away with it all.  She needs less coddling

It will probably still be a slap on the wrist but when Sharon and Vince were talking at the station, she mentioned that Gabby's actions required disciplinary action.

Edited Saturday at 05:06 PM by JamieLynn832002

[The Wild Sow]

On 2/1/2025 at 3:16 AM, Dowel Jones said:

Manny is going to skate from the escape charge because his daughter was out there in the woods? 

Yeah...I'm wondering how they managed to sneak him back to the Three Rock crew without the actual guards noticing!  I mean, neither Sharon nor Eve (his cap!) reported him AWOL, but he was gone an awfully long time! Wonder how often they do a headcount?

On 2/1/2025 at 11:54 AM, Danielg342 said:

Yeah...the fire tents...you know, those shiny tarps that we saw way back in the first ever episode of this show?

Tarps specifically designed for situations like the one Bode and Audrey were in.

...and, for that matter, the situation that Vince and Sharon later found themselves in.

That's what they were preparing to do when they were digging in - er, digging their own graves! - right before the cavalry arrived!

Speaking of the cavalry - remember way back in Season One's "Get Some, Be Safe," the one where Super-Bode rescues the panicky horse from the barn fire? I wondered then how could they miss the opportunity to have Bode come out of the burning barn riding that horse!  OK, I guess they made up for it now!

On 2/1/2025 at 3:16 AM, Dowel Jones said:

What's the deal with Jeff Fahey's character (forgot his name)?  Early dementia?

Grandpa Walter, and and guess so. 

And now Vince & Sharon will browbeat him to come and live with them, instead of going to a proper assisted living or eldercare situation which knows how to  handle dementia, because families always do that on TV (lookin' at you, "Chicago PD"!) Shenanigans will ensue, most likely Walter setting the kitchen on fire.  Because that always happens on TV too. 

Yawn.

[Court]

I was rooting for Gabby to die. She never takes any responsibility for her dumbass decisions. Always the victims.

This show should lean into the friendship of Eve, Bode and Jake. I might be done with this show. 

[Danielg342]

4 hours ago, The Wild Sow said:

That's what they were preparing to do when they were digging in - er, digging their own graves! - right before the cavalry arrived!

I must have missed that part, because I thought Sharon, Vince et all were just going to bury themselves in the ground. Sometimes the dialogue is just too fast on this show (and the show's not engaging enough to keep me paying attention at all times).

Still, there's no reason why Bode and Audrey never thought about using them.

[DanaK]

On 2/1/2025 at 3:16 AM, Dowel Jones said:

What's the deal with Jeff Fahey's character (forgot his name)?  Early dementia?

I think he was showing signs of that in previous episodes, including setting the kitchen on fire

[Dowel Jones]

8 hours ago, The Wild Sow said:

That's what they were preparing to do when they were digging in - er, digging their own graves! - right before the cavalry arrived!

I have to give props to the camera folks who set up below ground with a glass shield so we could get a POV shot of Bode diggin' in.

[NJRadioGuy]

I lost IQ points watching this episode, and my fast-forward button on the DVR got one hell of a workout.

[jabRI]

I think Jake should just move on, go make his own legacy some place. He'll never be a 'leone' as they keep reminding him.  And no, he should not fight for his 'daughter' who has a whole family now.. He was just her mother's boyfriend for a while.  Sure, stay in touch, but he's got no business raising her when she'd be happier somewhere else, with siblings and parents.  Such a stupid storyline, one of fifty on this show.

[possibilities]

Station 19 folks often wore protective gear. They also got injured a lot. And suffered consequences from insubordination. It was still a hotbed of melodrama and not realistic. But it's possible to make a tv-crazy show where people at least nod to the job actually requiring safety gear and having some consequences.

I do like how Sharon drives while Vince rides shotgun. Forget that they were driving aimlessly into a fire. I liked their marriage dynamic. 

Blonde Love Interest seems to have forgotten that the only reason she and Bode were in a life threatening swimming pool was that he refused to evacuate when he should have, and she stayed to save HIM. Somehow it's been rewritten that he saved HER, because she was scared of water. COME THE HELL ON, SHOW! I really liked her. And now you had to make her into a freaking damsel who is not his equal, when the whole thing was his fault.

Jake is sad. Everybody is going home together and reconciling with family after the crisis and he's all alone. His supposed people don't notice and/or don't care.