Fire Country Season 3 Episode 10 Finally Fixes A Problem With The Show's Main Characters

Contains spoilers for "Fire Country" Season 3, Episode 10 — "The Leone Way"

Bad decision-making and immaturity have hung over the heads of nearly every single character on "Fire Country." Whether it's Gabriela Perez (Stephanie Arcila) ruining her life following her broken engagement and fumbling the show's biggest Season 3 storyline, Bode Leone (Max Thieriot) boneheadedly risking his new life outside of Three Rock with reckless actions and considering another assignation with a colleague, or even Gabriela's dad, Manny (Kevin Alejandro), risking his own potential release to rescue Gabriela, characters have spent the majority of Season 3 making terrible choices. Season 3 even threatened to give us more of the insufferable couple that must stay dead with a Gabriela and Bode reunion.

Episode 10, "The Leone Way," changes that up. Not only do characters actually talk to each other like adults and puzzle out difficult problems together, but they have to deal with issues that no fire axe and hose can fix. It's something completely different and more thoughtful in the "Fire Country" arsenal, and even reveals fresh angles to the character's personalities. It even manages to avoid plunging the characters into yet another love triangle, a tired plot device fans have been hating. The result is both a relief and fascinating to watch.

During "The Leone Way," Bode, his dad Vince (Billy Burke), his uncle Luke (Michael Trucco), and grandfather Walter (Jeff Fahey) go out on a fishing trip that soon goes sideways. It becomes evident that Walter's memory lapses are a sign of Alzheimer's disease or another illness that causes memory loss. Vince learns that Luke's accepted a job out of town, which means Vince will have to care for his dad solo, which is exactly what he doesn't want to do. Luke says it's about time he got to live his own life. It takes Walter disappearing in the middle of the night for the family to get its act together. While Bode realizes they can't brush off his symptoms anymore, Luke and Vince remain in denial — though their bond is fixed when the Leones find a man who crashed his car in the wilderness and has been trapped there for days.

Audrey James (Leven Rambin) and Gabriela, meanwhile, find themselves holding down Station 42 with Sharon (Diane Farr). A baby is surrendered overnight, and all the women become attached to the little boy. When the kid's mother returns to reclaim him, Gabriela thinks she deserves a second chance but Audrey — whose own mother abandoned her — thinks the baby belongs in foster care. Instead of descending into petty fighting, we learn a lot more about who Gabi and Audrey are as people. It's pragmatic Sharon who intervenes, pointing out they have to follow DCFS regulations. The baby will go into foster care, but the mother can reclaim him by displaying a bracelet given to her by Sharon. Gabriela and Audrey strike up a friendship thanks to the exchange.

Ultimately, Bode and Sharon take Walter to a doctor, while Jake (Jordan Calloway) confesses to Bode that he slept with Gabriela. But Bode's already moved on and tells his friend that family is more important than relationship shenanigans. Character growth and potential drama — "Fire Country" fans really can have it all.