Spoilers ahead of Fire Country episode 3
Coming off of the Fire Country season 2 finale, fans weren't sure what to expect from the firefighter drama's lead romance. Gabriela Perez and Bode Leone have been circling each other since the series opener despite Gabriela starting the show in a committed relationship with Jake Crawford and ending season 2 at the altar with Diego Moreno.
Granted, it was pretty clear those nuptials weren't going to go the way Diego hoped. This was proven in the season 3 premiere, but nonetheless it remains true that Gabriela keeps setting fire to her romantic partnerships over Bode. She acknowledged this fact in the third episode of this season, "Welcome to the Cult" and posed a question to Bode. I'm paraphrasing but it essentially boiled down to "Are we addicted to the thrill of each other?"
It's a valid question. As Gabriela pointed out, Bode has an addictive personality and while he's been clean for years, he can't help chasing thrills. He even admitted to his uncle Luke that firefighting is his new addiction. It wouldn't be a wild leap to consider that he might be addicted to Gabriela as well, to the way she makes him feel which ties into his compulsive need to be better and do better for other people rather than himself.
Now Fire Country doesn't talk about this much but Gabriela has also been accused of having an addiction to the rush of emotionally rescuing people. Jake had caught on to her seemingly boundary-less need to be there for Bode in season 1. Resentful and dealing with the demise of their romance, he said as much to her which was backed up by Gabriela being unable to resist taking a call from Three Rock Con Camp right in the middle of their conversation.
When Gabriela brought up all she's done for Bode while speaking to him at the end of "Welcome to the Cult," it was obvious how much she's put on the line in her desire for them to be together. She wants them to slow down before they burn everything down in their wake but can they actually do that? She doesn't believe Bode can be "boring" but I also don't think that's what she wants. It's not why she loves him after all.
Gabriela loves that at its core, Bode's impulsiveness and reckless sense of heroism is about his want to help others. He cares deeply about the people in his life and he wants to be of service to the citizens of Edgewater. Bode is kind, thoughtful, and good. He also listens to, respects, and believes in her. In turn, Bode is in love with Gabriela's heart. She empathetic, cares about others, is quick to help, is a big ole hero herself, is just as daring as he is, and believes in him, too.
To me, they're a good match and what I think the writers are trying to do is establish that, yes, the two of them are addicted to each other but that doesn't mean they can't grow out of that and have a healthier relationship. It, however, is going to take time. Bode said he's working to be worthy of Gabriela, but I think she needs to do some work herself.
Gabriela has a vision of how her life should be and who she should be in it. Yes, she was all in on Bode in the second half of season 1. She had these big dreams for what their relationship would be like when he got out of prison but she was also moving way too fast. They both were. Slowing them down in Fire Country season 3 makes sense. I just hope that by the end of the season they're finally making a go of it because the two of them in an honest to goodness, stable relationship has been a long time coming and at some point the back-and-forth is going to get old.
I will note, however, that it was funny that Gabriela pumped the brakes on her and Bode while they were sitting in her Mustang. Hilarious visual storytelling right there. No notes. It was an indicator that even with this pair figuring themselves out there's always going to be some element of speed and danger in their bond. It's who they are, they just need to find a way to not to go careening off the road which is something they've yet to master. I'm rooting for them. I hope they do.
Stay tuned to One Chicago Center for more Fire Country coverage. New episodes air Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. Next day streaming is available on Paramount+.