Bode Donovan has survived prison riots, wildfire catastrophes, broken relationships, and the crushing emotional weight of his family’s trauma—but his most dangerous challenge may not come from the fire, but from within. Fire Country takes Bode on a dark new journey, as his past painkiller addiction suddenly returns to threaten all the progress he’s made. And now, the question that’s keeping the fandom up at night is: Will Bode relapse?
The story has come back at the worst possible time. Vince’s devastating death has plunged Edgewater into emotional turmoil, and at the center of that storm is Bode—who now has to deal with an unfathomable loss while also juggling a family that’s falling apart. Sharon is consumed with grief, Manny is lost, and Bode, who always felt the need to “fix things,” begins to take on too much at once. That chaos creates a dangerous environment—one where old temptations can easily resurface.
In recent episodes, Fire Country has planted many worrying signs. Bode is restless, sleepless, irritable, and increasingly caught up in familiar guilt. The scariest moment comes when he’s offered medication after an injury—and while he refuses, the look in his eyes tells another truth: the temptation is still there, alive and strong. Anyone who’s been through or witnessed the journey of addiction will recognize this immediately. It’s not weakness; it’s a reminder that recovery is never a straight line.
The fandom is sharply divided. One group believes Bode will inevitably relapse, because the shock of Vince was too great and he didn’t have the mental foundation to cope. The other hopes he’ll stand firm, that Bode is different now—after all the falls, he deserves a real victory. But regardless of which side you’re on, viewers agree that the writers are deliberately pushing Bode to the edge, where one slip could send his entire life crashing down again.
And what makes this story even more terrifying are Max Thieriot’s previous statements. He once said that Bode’s journey with addiction “must reflect the truth—both the wins and the losses.” Those words are now being parsed word for word by the fandom. Is Fire Country preparing Bode for another free fall? Or is it trying to show the power of standing up to temptation?
One thing is clear: if Bode relapses, it will be one of the most poignant and heartbreaking storylines of the season. It could destroy what he’s trying to rebuild, inflame tensions with Sharon, and put his future on CAL FIRE in serious doubt. But if he pulls it off—not by luck, but by sheer hard work—this storyline could be the character’s most powerful moment of growth.
Right now, Fire Country is deliberately keeping things in limbo. But with the way everything is coming together, one thing is almost certain: Bode’s battle with addiction isn’t going to stop. And it could be the twist that sets the season on fire.
