Fire Country executive producer and showrunner Tia Napolitano answered every burning question fans might have about season 2 after that shocking character death.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Napolitano discussed the major offscreen character changes that took place at the beginning of season 2.
“I felt really confident that our premiere was going to grab the audience. I think we had 22 [episodes] last year. We had such a good stretch of time to let the audience really get to know our world and our characters,” she recalled. “We wanted to grab them — especially after such a long time off the air.”
Napolitano had confidence in how viewers would react to the changes, adding, “We felt like it was a great way to just energize and jump start the story. And I had a feeling our audience would be really excited about that.”
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The CBS series follows inmate Bode (Max Thieriot) as he gets a chance to shorten his prison sentence by volunteering for the California Conservation Camp Program. Bode gets assigned to his hometown where he reconnects with his family, former friends and continues to make attempts to redeem himself.
When season 2 premiered in February, Bode was now back in prison after taking the fall for drugs that weren’t his. Jake (Jordan Calloway), meanwhile, took over as Cal Fire captain while Manny (Kevin Alejandro) started working there after being relieved of his role running Three Rock.
Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) is now doing paramedic training with new trainer — and her fiancé — Diego (Rafael de la Fuente) while Sharon (Diane Farr) announced her decision to step down as division chief. As for Three Rock, Eve (Jules Latimer) took over after the drug investigation cost Manny his job.
According to Napolitano, the writers’ room deserves all the credit for their creative approach to storytelling.
“We really try to get a diverse group of voices in terms of lived experiences — but also what you geek out over. We have people who love action more than others, people who love soaps, people who love the drama, love the intergenerational stories, people who are deeply invested in the authenticity of firefighting,” she continued. “I think everyone loves the show and everyone shines in special ways. So it’s about listening to the group and using the wonderful people who work here to make sure the episodes come out balanced for all of our fans.”
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Napolitano also noted that the show would be nothing without its audience. “We love to hear fan reactions. It’s really satisfying to know that the surprises land and the comedy lands and the action lands,” she shared with Us. “We’re doing our job and making America feel deeply when they watch our show. So it’s always really exciting. We love the feedback.”
Fans had plenty of thoughts when the Friday, April 5, episode ended with Cara’s death just as Fire Country continued to gain momentum. Keep scrolling for Napolitano’s explanation for that decision — and some hints at what the rest of season 2 has in store:
How Did the Decision to Kill Cara Come About?
Napolitano opened up about how Cara’s death was always the plan for season 2.
“It’s very hard because Sabina Gadecki is so sweet and such a wonderful actress and we love having her on our show. But when I pitched this season originally, Genevieve was really the soapy center of it. Then we want to lean into and complicate that as much as we possibly could,” she explained. “When there’s only one known biological parent left standing, it complicates everything.”
The screenwriter confirmed that the characters will feel Cara’s loss deeply, adding, “If that person dies tragically — and we’ve made her and Jake so much stronger — [after] it really feels like she’s going to stick around and be in the fabric of our show [it is hard]. It’s always sort of the intention to rip that away from the audience so that they feel the loss like the characters do.”
In response to a question about Gadecki returning as Cara in flashback form, Napolitano used Bode’s late sister as an example, saying, “There’s always a chance. We’ve seen Riley on screen, haven’t we?”
How Will Bode’s Role as a Father Shape Him?
During the season 2 premiere, Jake told Bode that he could be the father of Cara’s daughter Genevieve — whom he originally thought was his ex-girlfriend’s sister.
“It shapes his arc a lot in that obviously it comes out of nowhere. He is a person who has lost his sister [and] his family has lost a young woman. So to sort of have the chance at — it’s not a perfect comparison — but to have a chance to influence the life of a young girl sort of feels like a second chance in our show,” Napolitano said. “Bode’s so much about redemption so it has a lot to do with his arc.”
She continued: “Bode of course is great at stepping up when it’s for someone else. He does not blink to help someone else to be better, to want to get out so he can be there for Gen. He wears that so well. So I think it’s a great motivator for him.”
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Is Bode Actually Gen’s Father?
Despite Bode being a frontrunner as Gen’s father, the show has yet to actually confirm the paternity, which might actually be intentional.
“I don’t think it matters to Bode or the Leones that blood connects [them to] a girl who’s already had so much loss. Her grandparents who had raised her as if they were her parents are already dead,” Napolitano noted. “And I think we know the Leones wouldn’t even blink before stepping up to be there for that girl.”
How Will Cara’s Death Affect Everyone?
Jake is going to find himself “at a crossroads” in the second half of season 2 after he nearly proposed to Cara before her tragic passing.
“When you have children, everything that you used to be able to [do such as] getting sick or grieving or being disappointed, you don’t get to anymore,” Napolitano said. “When there’s a kid around that relies on you, [they become the priority]. So I think Jake is going to be caught between wanting to feel all of his grief and also care for and worry about Genevieve, who’s already been through so much. He will have to balance that and find his path to the right way to feel his feelings and make sure that he does right by this girl.”
Napolitano also hinted that Jake and Bode would develop a “new normal” as Genevieve’s primary caretakers.
“It’s a messy situation in the best way,” she shared. “And with Genevieve, we’ll see all of our people embrace this girl and show her found family the way that our show does so well. So it will not be easy, but they will struggle their way through it.”
Should Fans Be Worried About More Deaths?
“No one is safe. I think what we learned with Cara is we held her very close before — unfortunately — she died. So when we do have a death on our show, we want it to mean something emotionally,” Napolitano explained. “Unfortunately, that means you probably have to love that person very much before their death. So no one is safe is the short answer.”
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Could Bode and Gabriela Have a Future Together?
Bode and Gabriela were torn apart by his decision to get sent back to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, Bode is back but Gabriela has moved on with Diego, which creates more conflict but doesn’t take a reconciliation off the table.
“We really wanted to start Gabriela off this season really in a place of strength, which I think is what you’re cluing in on,” Napolitano told Us. “She is an Olympian [so] she knows how to collect gold medals and she is just doing that. Becoming a paramedic [and] being very determined in terms of hope for Bode.”
Napolitano went on to offer some hope for fans of Bode and Gabriela’s romance, adding, “You’re watching the show and you see the way those two look at each other. She might be about to walk down the aisle with another man, but the way they look at each other is still there. I think the fans can make of that what they will, but there’s still heat there from what I’m watching.”
Gabriela’s family will also be at the center of the season.
“We are going to get to know Gabriela’s mom to some degree and a lot more about what happened with that original family of three,” she concluded. “How did it dissolve? How did it come to be that Gabriela was raised mostly by Manny? What romantically happened between Manny and Gabriella’s mom? We’re going to lean in all the ways to hear about all that and present conflict between all three of them.”
How Will Sharon and Vince Step Up as Grandparents?
Bode’s parents dealt with a bump in their marriage that is now in their rearview mirror. Sharon and Vince’s next challenge will be stepping into the role of Genevieve’s grandparents.
“Again on the theme of redemption, it feels like a potential second chance [for them]. They’ve had a little blonde girl in that house before and I think we’ve seen them actively mourning it in the way that mourning is real and evolves with you. But they’d be so excited to be grandparents,” Napolitano teased. “I think they recognize the last time they had a girl that age, they were also a lot younger. So what does it look like? Are they wiser? Do they have more tools in their belts to be in a grandparent role to her? I think it’ll revitalize the romance there and create a warmth for them.”
How Will Eve and Manny Deal With the Three Rock of it All?
“Manny cannot seem to let go of the wheel when it comes to Three Rock, which I love. In the beginning of the season, it was really a sore spot, especially between them. But he has since come around in a more collaborative way, which I love,” Napolitano noted. “Three Rock is going to go through a lot in the upcoming episodes and I think Manny and Eve will find some common enemies to sort of have conflict with together.”
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Will ‘Fire Country’ Only Grow From Here?
Before season 2 premiered on CBS, multiple outlets reported that Morena Baccarin was cast in the role of a sheriff named Mickey. Baccarin would be playing the character in one episode of Fire Country — with an opportunity to become the star of a new spinoff series.
Us asked Napolitano whether the news could mean an entire Fire Country universe down the line, to which she responded, “I think the sky’s the limit.”
Fire Country airs on CBS Fridays at 9 p.m. ET.
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