Loved and Hated: 10 Things That Make Fire Country So Divisive

CBS has aired two seasons of Fire Country with a third one coming in the fall of 2024, but despite decent ratings, the TV series hasn’t received the best reviews from viewers and critics alike. The CBS action drama, created by Max Thieriot, Tony Phelan, and Joan Rater, depicts the California Conservation Camp Program, which features prisoners volunteering for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, aka Cal Fire. Fire Country focuses on Thieriot’s Bode Leone and his journey of redemption with Cal Fire once he is assigned to his hometown while serving a prison sentence for armed robbery.

Thieriot’s drama TV show is trending on Netflix and performs well for CBS, but that hasn’t stopped the audience from giving Fire Country scathing reviews. Unfortunately, many reasons account for the divisive reactions to the series, all of which are seemingly recurring problems for viewers. Fire Country seaosn 2 seemingly did not improve upon season 1’s shortcomings, but there’s always hope that things can turn around as long as people keep watching and CBS continues to renew it.

Fire Country Is Inspired By Cal Fire

While the show’s story and characters are all original, Fire Country‘s Cal Fire draws inspiration from the real-life fire department in California. Unfortunately, there is some controversy surrounding Cal Fire and Fire Country. Before the action drama debuted on CBS, Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler released a statement condemning the series and denying that Cal Fire was involved in the making of Fire Country in any way. Per ABC News, Tyler’s statement reads:

“This television series is a misrepresentation of the professional all-hazards fire department and resource protection agency that Cal Fire is. The dramatization of inmate firefighters fighting members of Cal Fire is a poor reflection of the value of our Camps Program and the incredible work and leadership of our Fire Captains who supervise our hand crews.”

Cal Fire’s criticism of Fire Country has undoubtedly aided in the CBS show’s poor reception, especially concerning those who have firefighting experience or are connected to Cal Fire. Many are unhappy with how the series portrays the fire department in California, and Cal Fire even attempted to pursue legal action. Nothing came of it, but the controversy put a dark cloud over Fire Country, resulting in further criticism of the action drama’s accuracy.

Fire Country’s Storylines Are Predictable

The Episodes Seemingly Reveal What’s Going To Happen At The Beginning

While the Fire Country writers seemingly try to incorporate various twists to shock viewers, many have made it known that the episodes are easy to predict. Some fans voiced their frustrations with the CBS show in a Reddit thread. One Reddit user explained, “There’s just so many predictable things that I can call out long before it happens,” while another agreed and wrote, “There’s just too much predictability in my opinion and just a lot of side stories.”

Over the course of Fire Country‘s 32 episodes, the action drama has not been able to surprise many people because endings can typically be decoded by teases at the beginning of episodes. Of course, the writers have showcased the ability to somewhat shock viewers (like with one character’s death in Fire Country season 2). However, that does not always mean that the twists make sense. There is a delicate balance between being capable of surprising the audience with twists that they can look back on and understand why they happened. Unfortunately, not many believe that Fire Country has this ability.

Fire Country Barely Focuses On Its Firefighting Aspect

The Show Has Too Much Drama

Despite having “fire” in its name, Fire Country does not prioritize firefighting enough for some viewers. They complain that the CBS TV series focuses too much on the drama between the characters and their personal stories instead of the action sequences. Firefighters and their risky jobs are the backbone of the show, and one would think firefighting would be at the forefront of a series titled Fire Country.

Of course, the characters’ drama is important to the CBS series, as well, because without it, Fire Country would not be very interesting. However, some viewers seemingly just get upset because it contains an unequal balance of drama and action, even though it is technically an action drama TV show. Perhaps this will change when Fire Country season 3 premieres in October 2024.

The Characters In Fire Country Are Stereotypical & Lack Depth

It’s Hard For Some To Connect With The Characters

One of the most important aspects of any TV show is its characters and how well-developed they are. If a series features one-dimensional characters who lack depth and intrigue, there is not much that draws viewers in. Audiences want to be able to relate to the people they see on the screen and see them as well-rounded figures, and unfortunately for some of those who watch Fire Country, the CBS show’s characters left much to be desired.

One audience review on Fire Country season 1’s Rotten Tomatoes page expressed their frustration with the show’s characters. It reads, “Characters are okay but lack depth,” while another review claimed the CBS action drama contains “stereotyped characters.” Some who watch Fire Country are unable to connect with the people on the screen, even Max Thieriot’s Bode, which is partly why the series is so divisive.

Fire Country’s Plots Are Often Unbelievable

The Fires & Accidents Are Far-Fetched

Some fans complain that the situations in which the Fire Country characters are often unrealistic, which automatically takes them out of the story and dissuades them from continuing to watch. Of course, the firefighters in the CBS series are supposed to be forced into dangerous situations. However, many believe that the execution of such scenes is far-fetched. One Reddit user explained:

“The story lines are so hokey and unbelievable just from the sheer stupidity of the people writing have no idea what they’re writing about. Most recent episode [Fire Country season 1, episode 13, ‘”You Know Your Dragon Best’] is a perfect example. A hybrid vehicle would not ever start that brush fire. A hybrid vehicle will not stay running longer than 2 minutes unattended.”

Many of the “case of the week” scenarios in Fire Country episodes revolve around scenarios that some believe would not happen in real life, like the hybrid vehicle example mentioned in the above quote. So, when a TV show’s plotlines are unbelievable, it is difficult to take said show seriously. Fire Country has fallen victim to this flaw time and time again, which partly contributes to the CBS action drama’s negative reviews.

Fire Country’s Poor CGI

Some Are Unimpressed With The Show’s Special Effects

Unfortunately, Fire Country is a network TV show, meaning that its production budget certainly is not comparable to series such as Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, etc. As a result, its special effects leave much to be desired. Some audience members have taken note of the poor CGI and used that as one of the reasons why they don’t like the CBS show. Being able to produce realistic fire is probably a main priority for the minds behind Fire Country. So, if fans can immediately spot when something is fake on the screen, it pulls them out of the story.

Nevertheless, Fire Country‘s popularity allows it to keep on getting renewed by CBS. Perhaps if it continues to perform well, CBS will invest more into the show, allowing the production crew to set aside more money to incorporate better special effects into the episodes. However, Fire Country still isn’t CBS’s most-watched or highest-rated series (it ranked fifth among the network’s dramas during the 2023 – 2024 season), making it unlikely for the show’s CGI to change any time soon.

Fire Country’s Acting

Some Are Unhappy With The Show’s Talent

Some of Fire Country‘s negative reviews have a problem with the CBS TV show’s cast. They claim that the acting is bad in the action drama, which feeds into the problem of one-dimensional characters who are difficult to connect with. A Rotten Tomatoes review explained, “[Fire Country‘s] storyline and acting were just awful, which I found disappointing as it did look like a very good cast to start.” Another person agreed, “The show is unreal, acting isn’t so good.”

Some disagree with this sentiment, though, with one fan writing, “Fire Country is addictive and has some amazing actors with amazing story plots.” Given that the show continues getting renewed and remains popular among consumers, it’s understandable how some people agree with the series’ negative reviews. Consequently, Fire Country and its cast are divisive.

Fire Country’s Bad Dialogue

The Show’s Lines Are Sometimes Cringey

A lot of complaints associated with Fire Country revolve around its writing, including the show’s dialogue. Some assert that the CBS action drama TV series contains cringeworthy lines that often result in the audience members getting secondhand embarrassment. Or, the show’s dialogue is completely unbelievable, which contributes to the argument that Fire Country is far-fetched and unrealistic. The writers still have time to turn this around and address this problem in season 3. However, only time will tell how the dialogue plays out in the upcoming episodes.

Fire Country’s Poorly Executed Fire Incidents

The Lack Of Urgency In Emergencies Is Comical

Another issue that some who have watched Fire Country have with the TV show is its poorly executed action scenes. For example, many scenes centering around fire incidents for some reason feature the characters having an in-depth conversation about their personal drama while someone is dying in the corner. One Reddit user voiced this complaint, writing:

“I really hate how in every emergency scene they seem to spend more time ironing out their personal drama than actually focusing on the task at hand. There is just no way you would stop and have a 20-minute conversation with your dad about something that happened years ago when there are two kids about to fall off a bridge.”

Hopefully, the producers and writers iron out this completely unrealistic characteristic of Fire Country in season 3. It makes no sense as to why the first responders in Fire Country would prioritize their own problems before tending to people who are in grave danger. If there is one complaint that the CBS action drama needs to address in the upcoming episodes, it’s the poorly executed fire incidents.

The Lack Of Good Supporting Characters In Fire Country

Anyone Outside The Main Cast Isn’t Interesting