Fire Country fans tuning into Sheriff Country will see the darker parts of Edgewater in the spinoff. Sheriff Country will star Morena Baccarin as Mickey Fox, who was introduced in Fire Country season 2, episode 6, “Alert the Sheriff.” While the procedurals are set in the same small town, the overall feel of the series will be very different. Sheriff Country season 1 premieres October 17 on CBS.
Fire Country gave viewers a taste of Mickey’s style of handling Edgewater’s citizens with care, kindness, and a bit of snark in two guest spots. But her own show will throw us into the deep end of what she deals with on the streets and at home.
In an interview with TV Insider, Sheriff Country showrunner Matt Lopez spoke about the difference between Mickey Fox’s approach to policing and that of law enforcement in big cities. The human aspect of her job takes the series into “very interesting places” that draw a distinct contrast from the flagship show, which deals with the element of nature.
It is very much a salute to small towns. One of the things we talk about is, I live in Los Angeles, and if I call the police and they come to my house, they don’t know me, and I don’t know them. It’s a very transactional sort of exchange. So what is it like to police a community in which you know everyone and everyone knows you? In part, that’s Mickey’s superpower. But we’ll also see that it can be a little bit of a blind spot for her.
I don’t discount the focus on community, but starting in Episode 2, one of the things we will do in Sheriff Country is show viewers some of the darker corners of Edgewater that [viewers] may not have seen before on Fire Country. It is a crime show, it is a police drama. In Fire Country, the enemy or the adversary, if you will, is the elements, right? It’s fire. It’s fire and nature in many ways. Here, it is human beings. And as soon as you enter that into the equation, it takes you to some very interesting places.
What Sheriff Country’s Darker Storylines Mean For The Fire Country Franchise
While Sheriff Country will maintain the same family-centered narratives that the flagship is known for, the fact that the series is a cop procedural means it’ll likely be less soapy. However, that doesn’t mean the series won’t have heart. Lopez mentioned that Mickey’s superpower is connecting with the people of Edgewater.
It will give her a blind spot, but it also ensures that she’ll meet folks where they are and not jump to conclusions. She knows their circumstances and their families. Having that type of knowledge can mean the difference between saving a life and losing one.
Our Take On Sheriff Country’s Darker Tone
A darker, grittier storytelling comes with the territory of a police procedural. Sheriff Country will involve drug-running, as addiction and narcotics sales play a significant role in the characters’ lives. Mickey’s father, Wes, grows marijuana illegally, while her daughter, Skye, is in recovery.
Fire Country has touched on these topics, but that’s not the point of Bode’s journey. His series is about redemption and second chances. It seems that Mickey’s will focus on doing the work of healing while in the thick of a complicated career. Comparatively, she’s also in a position of power and leadership, while Bode is not.
The contrast between the two shows will help set them apart for viewers, giving Sheriff Country the ability to find its own audience without being considered a copy-and-paste of the flagship. But a darker tone doesn’t mean CBS is shooting for a prestige drama. Sheriff Country will still have the lightness commonly found on network TV that balances humor and compelling storylines.
