Heat wave episodes are usually a God-tier-level trope in episodic television.

It’s a physical manifestation of any tension that’s been bubbling before

the AC breaks down. The desperate need to cool off leads characters to

make impulse decisions. If there’s a slow-burn romance you’ve been waiting to see ignite, a heat wave episode is the perfect excuse to get those two stubborn lovebirds together. In the case of Fire Country, where our main characters consistently make rash judgment calls and have agreed multiple times that they need to stay away from each other, a heat wave pours kerosene on a fire that’s already out of control.Insufferable temperatures hit Edgewater in this week’s episode of the CBS firefighter drama. Shockingly, no fires break out, but there are problems with the electrical grid that force Ladder 42 and Three Rock to work together. That’s bad news for Gabi (Stephanie Arcila) and Manny (Kevin Alejandro), who are still playing chicken with who is going to talk to the other first. Neither Vince (Billy Burke), who is offered early retirement from CalFire HQ at the top of the episode, nor Jake (Jordan Calloway), who is projecting a hurt ego that Gen (Alix West Lefler) wants to go spend the rest of the semester in Idaho with her biological dad and siblings, nor anyone within shouting distance. The person in shouting distance of Jake for most of the episode is Bode (Max Thieriot), who I must admit takes the abuse pretty well. However, short tempers and a stressful day at work lead to decisions that are going to have repercussions down the road. Let’s get into it.