Have you ever read or watched a story and thought a character seemed just a little too conveniently perfect for the obstacles and struggles they face? Well, if you’ve been keeping up with Fire Country, you certainly have.
In literary terms, this kind of character is referred to as a “Mary Sue” when they’re a female character and a Gary, Larry, Marty Sue/Stu when male. Either way, their presence denotes a lack of quality writing.
In the case of Fire Country, almost every character can fall into this bracket of characterization. However, no one else is the poster child for this trope like Max Theriot’s (SEAL Team) Bode.
Before we get into this, let me preface this fun article by saying I love Fire Country and I actually find Bode to be a great character a lot of the time.
That said, let’s call a spade a spade.
Unlike Us Mere Mortals, Fire Country’s Bode Is So Amazing That He Can Get Over Things That Other People Spend a Lifetime Trying to Fight
If you’re unfamiliar with the term Gary Sue, they’re basically a character that has very few flaws. They also seem to pick up new skills without previous training, they’re desired by many suitors, they come from a distinguished lineage, and they are heroic to a fault. Sound familiar?
The list goes on and on, but suffice it to say, it’s the character that everything always works out for no matter what circumstances they place themselves in.
Fire Country Season 1 was blatantly guilty of constantly having Bode save the day by not listening to the chain of command.
No matter what the catastrophe, Bode always knew better than his superiors, and the episodes usually ended with Bode being thanked for not following protocol. Because that’s exactly what happens in the real world, right?
Also, didn’t Bode have issues with drugs and booze? Isn’t that one of the things that led to his incarceration? How has that never come up again? Is Bode so amazing that his addictions just vanished into thin air?
If Bode Should Fall, Another Character Must Fall Harder And Longer
Do you know what would have made Fire Country a world of good? Some flashbacks to Bode struggling with his addiction.
There was that one shot in Fire Country Season 1 Episode 19 of Sleeper giving Bode something for the withdrawals, but that was it.
There was never a scene of him in any kind of counseling or group therapy to deal with the trauma of losing Riley, nor what tools he used to overcome his addiction. He just came out of prison clean as a whistle and ready to save the day.
For whatever reason, the series decided to give the main character a volatile backstory without any real follow-through on internal struggles — real struggles.
Bode’s only issue has been getting out of his own way to become a firefighter, but every disaster is written, so he has to think outside the box.
Then it seemed like the writers were trying to course-correct Bode in Fire Country Season 2 by having everyone only see him as a screwup.
Of course, the show couldn’t let Bode be the biggest mess, so Gabriela’s ongoing self-destruction was kicked up a few notches.
Despite What Fire Country Wants Viewers to Think, Always Wanting to Save The Day Is Not a Real Flaw
I’ve given the Fire Country writers a lot of grief for the way Gabriela has been developed, but it all ties back to Bode and his hero’s journey.
Bode was constantly pushing Gabriela away to keep her out of the messes he created, and he acted like he was her white knight, treating her like a damsel. It’s no wonder Gabriela just about lost her damn mind.
Thankfully, Fire Country Season 3 is giving Gabriela back her due justice while Bode slips further into his “Gary Sue” status.
The only difference now is that the series is trying to paint Bode’s heroics as an addiction because wanting to always save the day is toxic, right?
Yeah, the writers are struggling to give Bode real development because they’ve built him up into the “Hometown Hero” so much that if he strays from the savior path, it will devastate every other character.
Seriously though, enough is enough.
He almost got Audrey killed in Fire Country Season 3 Episode 9 because he refused to follow his orders after promising a resident that he would save their house. There’s noble, and then there’s just plain stupid.
One thing I’ll say about Bode is that he has a good heart, and his character is hellbent on helping those around him. It would just be nice if he was more relatable as a human who made genuine, lasting mistakes.
Wanting to do whatever it takes to save the day is not a real flaw. At best, it’s a cry for help. But no Leone man would be caught dead asking for help — just ask Walter.
Hopefully, as CBS‘s Fire Country Season 3 continues, the hands behind the show will give Bode a real obstacle other than finding a shirt that fits properly.
Those buttons would be screaming if they could talk.
He could just go shirtless, which would be fine with me. The character may be as dull as watching paint dry, but he’s not too hard on the old peepers.
Do you think Bode is too perfect as a character?
What do you think needs to happen to make the character more relatable?
Drop a comment below to let me know what you think, and join me again when I bring you more fun questions and opinions about Fire Country!
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