In the first season of Fire Country (now available for streaming on Netflix), the show wasn’t afraid to pull any punches. Characters came and went, and the firefighting show proved to itself and its audience just how dangerous the job can really be. For the inmates of Three Rock Conservation Camp, this becomes clear early on, perhaps most notably with the death of Rebecca Lee (Fiona Rene). First introduced in the fourth episode, “Work, Don’t Worry,” Rebecca appeared in only five episodes before her untimely death, and out of all those featured in Fire Country’s first season, she deserved a more thoughtful ending.
‘Fire Country’ Killed Off Rebecca Too Early
When we first met Rebecca, it seemed as if she was going to be a foil of sorts to Bode’s affections for Gabriela Perez (Stephanie Arcila). Not only was Rebecca on the inside of Three Rock with Bode, but she had plenty of backbone. Rebecca challenged Bode from the get-go, and unlike his aspirations for a relationship with Gabriela — which were both unfounded and out of reach — something could actually happen between these two. So when the pair finally kiss at the end of Rebecca’s second appearance, “Happy To Help,” fans thought that maybe, just maybe, Bode could learn to move on with someone else. Maybe he would stop looking at what he couldn’t have and focus on what was in front of him. Sadly, he never quite learned that lesson.
Not only did Bode sort of lead Rebecca on, but he used her skill with the law (she was a lawyer before being sent to the fire camp) to help Freddy (W. Tré Davis) with his wrongful conviction case. While Rebecca was happy to do so, it seemed like their arrangement was always predicated on her interest in Bode in the first place. And why wouldn’t it be? But when Rebecca was soon discarded, only to be noticeably absent for a half dozen episodes, everyone knew her demise was imminent. When it finally did come in “False Promises” (a fan-favorite that truly lived up to its title), fans were rightfully distraught over the development. Sure, Rebecca went out like a hero, but we didn’t have to like it. To justify the decision, executive producer Tia Napolitano told TV Insider ahead of the episode’s premiere, “We have life-or-death stakes baked into the show and we’ve been gentle with the death side of that coin.” This time, they weren’t gentle at all.
Of course, main characters are relatively safe on a show like Fire Country. The ensemble is a part of the show’s charm and a large reason viewers continue to tune in, which means that it’s the side or supporting characters we have to be leery of. Season 2 killed off Cara Maisonette (Sabina Gadecki) in an episode that was increasingly hard to watch given the consequences, but it was only following the footsteps of Season 1, which killed off Rebecca Lee without remorse. Fiona Rene was a presence on the show who could have easily grown into something bigger. No doubt, Rebecca would’ve found a way to shave some time off her sentence and would’ve been able to make a life for herself, presumably in Edgewater. Sadly, Fire Country killed all her chances of a happy ending.
Rebecca Opened the Door to the Female Side of Three Rock
Part of what made Rebecca’s time on Fire Country unique is that it gave us a glimpse at the female side of Three Rock. Before she appeared in the fourth episode, it was implied that Three Rock was a men-only camp. There were no hints that female inmates were present, nor that they would ever work alongside male ones. Rebecca was the bridge between the sexes here, and between Bode and herself, was one of the camp’s strongest leaders. There was clearly first-saw potential in her. Since Rebecca’s death, Fire Country has yet to really tackle the concept of female inmates again, as if having Gabriela, Eve (Jules Latimer), and Sharon (Diane Farr) at Cal Fire Station 42 was more than enough.
This isn’t to say that Fire Country has a problem with its female characters. In fact, quite the opposite is true. But with Rebecca, the show had an interesting opportunity to say something unique about the differences between incarcerated men and women, but instead dropped the ball. With Rebecca out of the picture, Fire Country went back to focusing heavily on the overtly male conflicts within Three Rock, particularly those involving a potential drug ring. It wasn’t long before the character was generally forgotten about, and we have yet to see another female Three Rock firefighter in a supporting role. It’s a shame too, because for a character whom Fire Country’s own showrunner deemed a fan-favorite, the CBS series was quick to do away with the entire concept once Fiona Rene was written off.
Bode and Rebecca Had a Likable Dynamic
But the idea that women too might choose fire camp over a longer prison sentence is a compelling one, and it’s no wonder that’s what Rebecca did. In many ways, Bode and Rebecca had more in common than the former ever did with Gabriela, especially early on. They both made major mistakes in their past lives only to try and make up for them by saving others. Rebecca’s struggle with substance abuse (the thing that got her sent to prison in the first place) was a nice touch that added an extra layer of depth to the character, preventing her from being just a stock character. Both Bode and Rebecca ultimately wanted to do the right thing (with helping Freddy being a common denominator) and each had a clear interest in the other. It was almost as if, with Rebecca, Fire Country gave us a glimpse into what we might have had if the show wasn’t so fueled by the will-they/won’t-they between Bode and Gabriela.
Frankly, it was just fun to see Bode and Rebecca together in a way it rarely was between him and Gabriela. There wasn’t nearly the same amount of relationship drama between these two, nor were there other people involved as collateral (such as Jordan Calloway’s Jake Crawford, who Gabriela had to break up with in order to focus her emotional energies on Bode). Their shared Three Rock experience combined with their respective desire to better themselves, moving past the demons that brought them together, was a firmer foundation for a relationship than anything between the show’s main leads. Sadly, Bode was too hung up on Gabriela to see that, which contributed to Rebecca’s backsliding.
Of course, the truth is that, because of the direction Fire Country has always flowed, there was little hope for a lasting partnership, romantic or otherwise, between Rebecca and Bode. She was a character conceived strictly because of her ability to distract Bode from Gabriela, only to be eventually killed off when her usefulness had ended. It’s a sad situation in television, but this often happens with likable side characters who come into their own, despite the impressive talents of the actors and actresses who play them. Fiona Rene did a marvelous job with Rebecca Lee, and though she didn’t get the ending the character probably deserved, that doesn’t mean the actress hasn’t thrived since.
Fiona Rene Has Moved on From ‘Fire Country’
Aside from appearing in a few episodes of The Lincoln Lawyer, some video games, and The Keepers of the 5 Kingdoms, Fiona Rene has made a name for herself since Fire Country on another CBS series, namely Tracker. Playing a lawyer once again, this time Rene’s Reenie Greene is on the other side of the law, working alongside rewardist Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) to help find lost people, objects, and other possessions. While there’s no denying that Fire Country short-changed the actress by killing Rebecca off so early in the show’s run, it did open the door for Rene to make a new name for herself on the network’s other biggest breakout hit, and as a main cast member no less.
As Fire Country prepares to enter its third season, we can’t expect Fiona Rene to return again in any capacity. The Rebecca Lee ship has clearly sailed, and there’s no looking back. But just as Fire Country was renewed, so was Tracker, which will be returning for a full-order Season 2 this fall. Knowing that Rene will be back as Tracker’s Reenie Greene is a comfort in light of her devastating demise on Fire Country, and should hold us over until another character can step in and fill her firefighting boots. Hopefully, Fire Country will learn from its mistakes in killing characters so quickly, and instead take the time to search out their narrative potential just a bit longer.
