Fire Country Season 4 Episode 11 Review: Elite of the Elite

Bode must put his feelings aside to focus on his tryout for REMS on Fire Country Season 4 Episode 11, “Elite of the Elite.”

Along with Bode, the town of Edgewater is left on edge when new details about the Zable Ridge fire are released. That unease grows tenfold when Tyler’s name leaks to the press.

Meanwhile, Eve and Three Rock focus on replanting their crops after learning their soil is poor. It’s not that easy, though, as Eve’s father shows up unexpectedly, causing strife between the two in leadership tactics.

This outing is a very character-driven episode that effectively pushes the plot forward while giving adequate time for character relationships to evolve.

Focusing on the Future

This situation is so devastatingly tragic because Bode does all he can to reform Tyler and help him, but all he can feel now is guilt for not recognizing the signs right in front of his eyes.

It’s hard to imagine what it would feel like to help turn someone’s life around and then find out they’re the reason why your father is dead. Nonetheless, Bode takes the news with a grace that’s almost scary. Not many people would be able to do what he does and set his feelings aside to focus on his future.

Ultimately, it’s his bravery in the field and his ensuring that Eleanor completes the course after being injured that secure his spot in REMS. Luke is also to thank, as he advocates for Bode after his heroic save.

Luke is one of those characters who was initially introduced to create further conflict in our main characters’ lives. As the seasons have progressed, though, he’s quietly becoming that much-needed supportive figure in Bode’s corner.

Vince’s death affects the entire town of Edgewater, but Luke is one of the few people we’ve had the opportunity to check in with. That’s what makes the entire scenario a truly heartwarming moment.

The episode ends with Bode coming face-to-face with Tyler behind bars, previewing an explosive outing next week.

Don’t Be Quick to Judge

Sharon’s mother, Ruby, makes a stop in Edgewater after hearing the news about the Zable Ridge fire developments, and in true Ruby fashion, she makes everything worse.

Rather than just being there for her daughter, Ruby has to constantly try to make up for her past mistakes, often leading to further conflict. In this case, it leads to Tyler’s name being leaked to the press and to chaos in town.

Honestly, the entire scenario begins on an offhand note for me. Sharon is right to be upset with Tyler’s confession, but to automatically assume Chloe has been lying the entire time and judge her parenting skills? That’s low.

Blaming Chloe for being a bad mother and not raising Tyler right, when Bode has done multiple prison stints for drug-related charges, has been an addict, and just within the past few years got his life together, is quite the contradiction.

Thankfully, her attitude shifts when she learns that Ruby is to blame for the leak. No matter what Ruby seems to touch or involve herself in, it always ends in an unfortunate manner. Sharon putting her in her place is absolutely warranted, and I hope that her frustration keeps Ruby at bay for the remainder of the season.

A Heartwarming Gift

Something I continue to mention in my reviews is the consistency in there not being enough Eve, but “Elite of the Elite” remedies that. Bringing her father into the fold not only helps advance Three Rock but also peels back another layer of Eve’s background and familial relationships.

Their interactions begin on the wrong foot when her father shows up unannounced at Manny’s request. The innocent visit quickly transpires into a breeding ground of family drama when he tells Eve he’s gifting the tractor to Three Rock.

It’s a selfless donation that will make a genuine difference to Three Rock’s day-to-day operations. However, in Eve’s mind, his impromptu gift is another way of highlighting her failures and faulting her in front of her crew.

Eve’s thought process about the situation skews drastically when her father reveals he’s the one who accidentally crashed into the chicken coop, not Tex. Their conversation inevitably leads to the reveal of his glucama diagnosis, and his request to have her by his side when he shares the news with the rest of the family.

To me, we don’t necessarily get enough time allotted to focus on their relationship dynamic, but it does provide one heck of an emotional outing. Jules Latimer and Phil Morris take home the medal for best performance this week. I look forward to potentially seeing more of Eve’s family.

Stray Thoughts:

• With Jake witnessing Manny’s panic attack, hopefully, we’ll start to see some progress in exploring what’s going on with him. His sudden episode presents itself as a potential panic attack, but knowing this show, it could be anything.
• Chloe has a point when she tells Bode it’s hard to believe a kid who just helped put out a forest fire could be behind one of the most devastating fires in Edgewater history. There has to be more to the story, and if so, I hope Bode can work it out of him.
• Tex taking the blame for Eve’s father so she wouldn’t flip out on him is such an admirable move. Eve is clearly making a positive impact on him and the rest of the teenagers.

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Fire Country airs Fridays at 9/8c on CBS.

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