Manny Needs To Be Eve’s Co-Captain on ‘Fire Country’

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Fire Country Season 2.

On Fire Country, it seems impossible for the characters to just fight fires without letting their emotional baggage cloud their judgment. No matter if it’s in the form of snide comments or genuine fistfights, there always seems to be drama between the heroes of Station 42 and Three Rock. But somehow, Edgewater hasn’t burned down just yet, and let’s hope it stays that way. One unlikely pair who have continued to dance around each other this season is former Three Rock captain Manny Perez (Kevin Alejandro) and current captain Eve Edwards (Jules Latimer), who somehow keep finding themselves paired up despite the tension that’s existed between them since Eve shadowed Manny last season. But these two would be much stronger together if they were on equal footing, and that’s why we think they should be co-captains at Three Rock going forward.

Fire Country

A young convict joins a firefighting program looking for redemption and a shortened prison sentence. He and other inmates work alongside elite firefighters to extinguish massive blazes across the region.

Release Date

October 7, 2022

Creator

Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Max Thieriot

Seasons

2

Manny and Eve Are Both Vital to Three Rock — and ‘Fire Country’

Since the pilot, Manny and Eve have been essential to this show. When Fire Country started, Manny was the boss over at Three Rock who doubled as Bode’s (Max Thieriot) mentor and quasi-father-figure, while Eve was a faithful firefighter at Station 42 hoping to advance her career. While Eve ultimately decided that she wasn’t sure she was ready, she got thrown into a position of power come Season 2 after Bode took the fall for a drug runner in Three Rock to help his buddy Freddy (W. Tré Davis) get out of his sentence for which he was falsely accused. While this was a heroic thing for Bode to do, it didn’t do Manny any favors as an official investigation removed him from his role as captain, ultimately replacing him with Eve.

Since then, it’s been understandable that Manny has a chip on his shoulder, but that’s not exactly Eve’s fault. Throughout the first few episodes of the second season, these two continued to butt heads until they finally aired their grievances and made up with one another. But that didn’t mean that all the problems at Three Rock just magically went away. In her time as captain, Eve has pushed reform through the inmate fire camp and has been a lot harsher on her firefighters than Manny ever was. Sure, some of this was Eve trying to assert her dominance, but she’s also trying desperately to make sure that Three Rock isn’t shut down by the folks over at Cal Fire in Sacramento, and that Bode isn’t sent back to prison before he can make parole.

Both Manny and Eve have been fighting hard to keep Three Rock afloat, and that looks different for both of them, but too often they find themselves fighting one another rather than working together––and that desperately needs to change. Frankly, Manny and Eve’s issues (which have admittedly gotten much better) have been a major reason for Cal Fire to shut Three Rock down rather than the other way around. But if they were to both become co-captains of the fire camp, with equal authority and a consistent game plan to keep their inmates in line, then Fire Country would be much better for it.

Manny Brings More to the Table on ‘Fire Country’ Than Eve Is Willing to Admit

Part of the reason so many of us connected to Manny early on was because he too was once an inmate firefighter. But after Sharon Leone (Diane Farr) took a chance on Manny, he became the new captain at Three Rock following the fulfillment of his sentence. This allowed him to serve and invest in others throughout Season 1 the same way that Sharon once invested in him, and, more than that, inspire them to overcome their past and present circumstances. Because of his own experience in prison (and his time as an inmate at Three Rock), Manny can empathize with the fire crew on a level that Eve will never understand.

Manny takes a personal interest in the inmates of Three Rock that Eve is only just beginning to do herself. In « This Storm Will Pass, » she is able to sympathize with Cole (Tye White), promising to be on his side concerning his sentence, but only after he first saves her life. Even then, she wasn’t willing to at first, but only after Manny’s encouragement was Eve able to move past herself and better understand Cole and where he was coming from. Manny, on the other hand, has been this way with his guys from the very beginning. It is because of this that Bode in particular has grown so much as both a firefighter and a man since his time at Three Rock, and there’s no one better to thank for that than Manny.

Frankly, once Bode is out, he should probably be the next Three Rock captain just due to the sheer amount of time he spent there under Manny’s guidance. He carries a respect with the other inmates that’s unparalleled, and his close relationships with those at Station 42 would make him an invaluable bridge between the two firefighting units. But at this point, that still seems like it’s a far way off. Until then, Manny is still the fire camp’s best bet, and Eve would do well to accept that, not as an admission of failure, but of understanding what’s best for Three Rock in the long run.

Eve Has Potential as Captain, but She Still Has a Lot to Learn

Of course, this isn’t to say that Eve doesn’t have any leadership potential at Three Rock. With Jake (Jordan Calloway) now moving up at Station 42, it makes sense that Eve would pivot to Three Rock. Not only is she more than qualified for the work, but she is motivated, driven, and willing to do what it takes to make the fire camp a better place––even if it sometimes makes her the bad guy. If Manny is the captain who can personally relate to his firefighters, then Eve could be the one who garners unwavering respect because of her sheer determination and willpower in the face of danger. Eve has that potential, she just needs to realize that.

It’s clear that the others at Station 42, namely Vince (Billy Burke) and Sharon, believe in Eve this way. Bode too believes that Eve will make a great Three Rock captain, even if she’s still finding her footing right now. What Manny struggles to understand is that Eve’s ability to remain by the book and neutral is an asset, and when properly paired with his unique brand of experience and care for the inmates, Three Rock will be better because of it. That doesn’t mean that all the hard decisions should fall on Manny’s shoulders, or that Eve should never have to sympathize with her crew, but that each of them has strengths that Fire Countryshould utilize going forward––especially if we want Three Rock to remain open and thriving.

If Manny and Eve were co-captains at Three Rock, it would admittedly take a little time to get used to, but the end results would far outlast the uncomfortable growing pains it would take to get there. Fire Country is great at setting up characters to take positions of power. They did so with Jake and Eve last season, and even with Bode throughout both seasons so far. But what the show needs to understand is that just because some members of the fire crew are rising in the ranks, doesn’t mean others have to fall. Whether the idea of co-captains at a fire camp is a legit one or not, I’m admittedly not sure, but given that Fire Country is a television show that already asks us to forgive some inaccuracies, this one would be well worth it for the characters moving forward.

‘Fire Country’ Loves Drama, but This Three Rock Rivalry Doesn’t Have to Be

The likely reason for all the tension between Manny and Eve this season is that Fire Country loves soapy drama. That was a major factor in why the show just killed off Sabina Gadecki‘s Cara after first introducing the idea that her daughter Genevieve (Alix West Lefler) might actually be Bode’s biological daughter. We’ve seen this time and again on the show as it pitted Vince and Sharon against one another, Bode and Jake against each other, and now Manny and Eve. While drama is unavoidable on television (and it would be pretty boring without it), sometimes it can feel unnecessary and cliché.

But pairing Eve and Manny together as the co-captains of Three Rock would push both characters to better themselves as leaders and firefighters. It would also help the inmate firefighters see the potential they could have after their sentences are complete. From a pure audience perspective, it would also stop the show from constantly repeating the same beats week in and week out, opening the door for true reconciliation and teamwork. Yes, Manny and Eve have made up and aired their grievances, but the healing process isn’t done yet. In order for things to be fully set right, Fire Country ought to do the right thing and reinstate Manny as captain, while keeping Eve on alongside him.

Fire Country airs Fridays on CBS and is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Watch on Paramount+