After Bode Almost Made A Scary Decision On Fire Country, I’m Flashing Back To The Showrunner’s Comments About Addiction Being Present In Season 4

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Be warned: the following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Fire Country Season 4! If you haven’t watched it yet, proceed with caution, or make sure you have a Paramount+ subscription to watch it first.

Vince’s death is a major focus as Fire Country begins its fourth season in 2025. Everyone is dealing with grief, and past issues are resurfacing for several characters. Especially for Bode, played by Max Thieriot, the temptation of addiction is a recurring problem – he’s already struggled with it twice. After nearly relapsing in Episode 2, I’m wondering how the showrunner’s description of Bode as a “recovering addict” will affect his journey and the storylines moving forward.

The new season of Fire Country starts with Bode saying he’ll get rid of some pills, but he secretly holds onto them. Later, in the second episode, he briefly takes a pill before throwing it up. This shows that Bode is really struggling with his addiction, more so than he has in a while.

I spoke with showrunner Tia Napolitano to understand how addiction will affect Max Thieriot’s character throughout Season 4. Here’s what she told me:

That’s correct. Bode is working on overcoming addiction, and a core part of the show is that our characters are flawed and relatable. He’s introduced with a history, and we see him dealing with the challenges of addiction. This becomes especially poignant when his father passes away, and we want viewers to remember that this is an ongoing reality for him.

Wow, that moment at the end of Episode 2 really got to me. I was so relieved Bode didn’t take the pill, but it was still a really tense scene. You could feel how much progress he’s made trying to leave his old life behind, and it was scary to see him almost fall back into those patterns.

The episode doesn’t show what happens with the remaining pills, leaving us to assume he still possesses them and could potentially use them. This is unsettling and highlights the constant struggles faced by those battling addiction.

Napolitano assured me that while Bode will face challenges this season, he’s surrounded by a strong support system. She described the team that will help him navigate these difficulties, saying:

We’re going to focus on Bode’s challenges and really support him as he tries to make the right choices. Audrey and Manny will be key figures in helping him, and you’ll see everyone else rally around him and try to help him succeed.

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Bode has been using firefighting as a way to cope with his struggles, but now it’s clear he needs more than just work to overcome his addiction.

As a viewer, it was really good to see Manny there for Bode after Vince’s death, and I’m hoping the rest of the Station 42 crew, and even people from Edgewater like Skye, will step up too. Losing Vince is devastating, but this community feels strong, and I truly believe they’ll rally around Bode and help him heal and get back on track. It’s a tough situation, but I have faith they’ll get through it together.

You can continue the story by watching new episodes of Fire Country every Friday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS.

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2025-10-25 20:38