As we wait for the highly anticipated third season of the hit CBS series Fire Country, it’s a good time to go back and re-examine some of our favorite characters. Bode Leone (Max Thieriot) might be the main protagonist of the hit television series, but is he the best character in the series? Bode Leone has certainly been on quite the ride throughout the first two seasons, and things are only getting more interesting for Bode in Season 3 now that he’s a free man and is working to become a legitimate firefighter in Edgewater, California. Although Bode Leone is indeed a great character, the title of the best character in Fire Country goes to Bode’s father, Vince Leone (Billy Burke). We’re going to unpack why Vince Leone has taken the crown of the best character in Fire Country.
Billy Burke Shows Incredible Gravitas as Vince Leone
Billy Burke has been an underrated acting talent for years in shows such as Zoo and Revolution. He is likely best remembered for playing Charlie Swan, Bella Swan’s (Kristen Stewart) father, in the Twilight film series. Burke has been a tremendous, hardworking talent who has been at the grind for decades, so it’s great to finally see him as part of the lead cast for a great hit drama series.
Burke’s performance as Vince is so impressive because he visibly wears all his emotions and the weight of his experiences. Vince Leone is not only a firefighter, but he’s a father and a husband as well. He lost a daughter and struggled with his son going to prison, and his marriage to his wife, Sharon (Diane Farr), has undergone extreme turmoil. Burke masterfully portrays all these aspects of Vince Leone’s life while also handling Vince’s role as the Battalion Chief of Battalion 1508 in Edgewater. Burke’s character looks realistic during the firefighting scenes, and he always maintains incredible poise and believability as Vince.
Vince Leone Is a Salt of the Earth Individual
Despite all the emotional heartache Vince Leone has experienced throughout the series so far, he never loses his integrity as Battalion Chief. He commands respect through his actions rather than his title. Whenever there is a fire, Vince Leone takes command of the firefighters under his supervision and maintains order within his ranks. He implicitly knows how to de-escalate and diffuse volatile situations. In Season 2, Episode 2, “Like Breathing Again,” things get heated when Sharon grows upset with a teenager who nearly drowned while diving through some dangerous caves. Vince instantly recognizes that Sharon is projecting some of their issues with Bode onto the teen, and he separates Sharon from the ailing victim to help calm her down.
In the next episode, “See You Next Apocalypse,” Sharon must stage a daring rescue, driving some refugees out of a dangerous wildfire with absolutely no visibility. Also on the scene is Liam (Jason O’Mara), a drone pilot firefighter who was vying for Sharon’s affection when she and Vince’s marriage was in flux, and she contemplated a breakup. Not only does Vince have to deal with the nerve-wracking life-or-death situation, with the lives of both his wife and colleagues in certain peril, but he must work with the man who, at the very least, was in an emotional affair with his wife. Vince puts aside his differences with Liam, who he was arrested for fighting in a bar earlier in the episode, to help Sharon through a death-defying ordeal. Sharon nearly panics in an extremely stressful moment, and Vince maintains a cool head. Vince provides Sharon with the calming voice she needs to drive out of the deadly wildfire, saving the lives of Sharon, the wildfire victims, Gabriela Perez (Stephanie Arcila), and Jake Crawford (Jordan Calloway) in the process.
These scenes depict Vince as a stand-up, salt-of-the-earth individual, willing to put aside petty differences for the greater good, and they also demonstrate how well Vince knows his wife. Although Liam wanted a relationship with Sharon, these scenes prove he could not connect with her on an emotional level, and neither did her husband. Vince’s love and understanding of Sharon, plus his ability to maintain a level head in a dangerous situation, ultimately saved the day. Vince proves his mettle as both a husband and a born leader.
Vince Leone Demonstrates His Emotional & Physical Vulnerability
Despite Vince Leone repeatedly demonstrating his courage and bravery daily as a firefighter throughout the first two seasons, Season 2 of Fire Country proves that Vince is still human and incredibly vulnerable. During Season 2, Episode 7, “A Hail Mary,” Vince suffers an electrocution while helping to rescue a protester at the Three Rock Conservation Camp. Later, Vince experiences health issues due to the electricity he absorbs, and he suffers from a hand tremor and heart arrhythmia. Vince attempts to hide his health issues, not wanting to be a burden while supporting his son Bode at a pivotal time.
Throughout the season, Vince and Bode’s relationship strengthens immensely, and Vince’s only wish is to fight fires with his son. The subplot for Vince shows that he’s still human, and despite Vince’s strength and composure, he’s not invincible. The heart arrhythmia nearly kills him and takes him out of commission during the governor’s ball. Vince is not perfect and exhibits his flaws throughout the season, reminding us that even Vince makes mistakes from time to time. Sometimes, Vince’s choices lead to bad outcomes, even if they don’t come from a place of malicious intent. For now, it seems that Vince is getting treatment for his health issues during the Season 2 finale. It remains to be seen how the tremors and arrhythmia will affect his quality of life in future episodes.
Season 3 of Fire Country debuts on CBS on October 18. The first two seasons of the series are streaming now on Paramount+ in the U.S.