That Fire Country Season 2 has much to fulfill would be an understatement.

Season 1 delivered a stellar season, but a last-minute decision made the show feel it was not worth watching anymore.

Bode's decision to make himself the sacrificial lamb was asinine; anyone who watched the finale can attest to its ability to invoke strong feelings.

But now that the second season is just around the corner, we have started pulling ourselves back together as we prepare to dive back into the story.

There are some expectations about the season that need to be met if we'll keep tuning in and if the show is to live long and prosper.

We Want a Toned-Down Bode

Just how important it is to have a likable main character can't be overstated. While viewers will tune in to have their fill of exhilarating emergencies, the stories told through the characters have the most significant impact.

When we met Bode in the series premiere, we immediately sympathized with his plight. To be thrown in the middle of everything he had spent a long time running away from was not fun.

We identified certain traits about him that made him a great character, but as the season progressed, Bode became a disappointment.

He would ignore fundamental logical orders and act irrationally several times. He made some of the worst decisions that affected other people.

It stopped being understandable, and he became a nuisance. His actions in Fire Country Season 1 Episode 22 were the perfect example.

Bode's actions don't just affect him. They affect other characters and us, the viewers. No one wants to spend an hour watching someone with so much screen time making an absolute ass of themselves.

It's not lead behavior, and many shows have been known to succumb early because of unlikable leads.

Bode needs to have his head screwed straight next season because his over-the-top bravado makes him appear like someone with multiple complexes, and if you've ever dealt with someone with a complex, they are not fun at all.

We Want the Story Saved

Fire Country Season 1 was a redemption story. It was a story of hope about rising again after falling down hard, no matter where you find yourself.

It stressed that people deserve the benefit of the doubt even when they've used up all the grace anyone is afforded.

We expected that in the end, Bode would redeem himself in the eyes of the law and then begin the journey of redeeming himself to those he'd hurt.

No one wants to see a prison drama, and with Bode heading back to prison, it seems like the only logical path the story will take.

A prison drama denies us time with other characters we like, including Sharon and Eve.

The show must return to its original idea about family, conflict, love, heartbreak, and sacrifice.

I struggle to see how the writers will pull that off, but since I know they're good at what they do, it can't be hard to save the story.

We Don't Want Bodiela … Not Yet

It takes two to tango, and Gabriela was tangoing alone while with Bode.

She risked everything, and the least she needed from Bode was acknowledgment. If he had acknowledged her, he would have known how his decision to blow his parole hearing would have affected her.

It felt like Bode didn't deserve Gabriela because he couldn't think about anyone beyond himself. This ties into one of his complexes where he feels he needs to save everyone.

He treated Gabriela as an accessory, so he doesn't deserve her now, if ever.

The worst decision would be to have them jump into each other's arms.

Regardless of the reason that Bode comes up with to explain what he did, Gabriela must be aware that she will always be second to him unless Bode makes an effort to get out of his own desires.

It would be vital for them to date other people and learn from those relationships. If they find someone else who is compatible with their persona, they are not cursed to be with each other, no matter how much they want to be currently.

We Want Eve Not to Be Constantly Traumatized

Eve is one of the few characters on the show with a functioning brain, yet the writers can't give her a break from the traumatic things she must go through.

Her rescues come at a tremendous personal cost to her physically and mentally, and she can't seem to meet a woman who sticks around.

It can seem unfair to dump everything traumatic on one character, but even worse is that the decision leaves no room for anything else to happen in her life, which can be a disservice to the show.

Going into the season, the show must give her some happiness.

We Want the Bond Between Bode and Jake Developed

After spending most of the season at each other's throats over petty stuff, the show finally rekindled Bode and Jake's friendship on Fire Country Season 1 Episode 17 in one of the most impactful displays of male friendships on TV.

They had shown time and time again that they were better as a unit, and keeping them at loggerheads was taking away from the show.

But since Fire Country has developed notoriety for mining drama in the short time it has been on the air, nothing better touch this friendship.

I know Max Thieriot has been hitting the gym hard to get even more jacked than he already is, and Jordan Calloway has the body of a Greek god.

Would a better scene exist than them working out together and flexing gains? I know both of them shirtless in the same scene would make a lot of people's Friday night.

We Want Manny to Remain at the Camp

Manny had been toying with the idea of joining private firefighting.

It seemed to be the right decision for him with Bode on track for parole, but after Bode tanked his hearing, the reality might be very different.

Bode needs someone who understands and can lasso and bring him back to the right path, and Manny does that perfectly.

He also has excellent jokes, and that is needed.

We Want Sharon to Get Her Kidney

Sharon's kidney seemed to be the dominant story for a long time in season 1, and then it became subterranean, only to pop back up in the final episodes.

Sharon is another character on the show who could use a proper storyline that doesn't leave her going in circles or waiting for the worst to happen.

It is irrelevant that the kidney comes from the worst person, as TV Fanatic's Jasmine Blu said in our Fire Country Season 1 Episode 22 Roundtable. Give. Her. The. Darn. Kidney!!

We Want Great Emergencies.

If there's one thing the show has gotten right is the emergencies. They are unique and well-crafted.

Our Fire Country Season 1 Report Card crowned The Mudslide as the best emergency, but that doesn't mean the rest were terrible.

Emergencies are a relief when the story gets too tense, dull, or annoying, and their entertainment value can't be overstated.

Over to you, Fire Country Fanatics. Did we leave out something that you would love to see addressed? Chime in the comments section.

Fire Country Season 2 returns on Friday, February 16, 2024, on CBS.

Denis Kimathi was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.