Season 3, Episode 17 of Fire Country, “Fire and Ice,” is a packed episode with many exciting moments and interesting developments. It features the acting debut of singer-songwriter Jason “Jelly Roll” DeFord, whose brand new single, “Dreams Don’t Die,” soundtracks during the episode, providing the emotional soundtrack for a montage sequence. He plays Noah, a medical professional who helps Vince (Billy Burke) make a breakthrough in his relationship with his ailing father, Walter (Jeff Fahey). But that’s just one of many things that happen in “Fire and Ice.” Let’s break it down storyline by storyline.
The fight against Oxalta
The episode starts at Smokey’s, where everyone is celebrating Manny’s (Kevin Alejandro) release from incarceration thanks to Sharon’s (Diane Farr) deal with Oxalta, the chemical company that poisoned Three Rock’s water supply. Manny is happy to be home. But the terms of his release, which involved signing an NDA preventing him from telling the truth about what happened at Three Rock, aren’t sitting right with him. Bode (Max Thieriot) feels similarly, just with more anger at Sharon for making a deal that silences Manny and lets Oxalta get away with it.
So they’re interested when Renée (Constance Zimmer), Vince’s high school ex-girlfriend who grew up to be a crusading lawyer who takes on big corporations, shows up at the bar and tells Manny and Bode she’s trying to build a class action lawsuit against Oxalta. The company has poisoned water supplies in many towns and will do it again after Edgewater unless someone stops them. The boys are noncommittal, concerned about the NDA and not sure if they can trust Renée, but they take her business card.
(When Zimmer, a recognizable actress from Entourage and UnREAL, showed up in an episode earlier this season, it was surprising that she had such a small role. It turns out Fire Country was just introducing the character before her real storyline started.)
Later, Manny talks to Renée by himself. He tells her that he won’t join the suit, but she can tell that he wants to. And she talks him into joining the cause with a little bit of telling him he’ll make a difference in stopping Oxalta, a little bit of giving him permission to speak his truth, and a little bit of reverse psychology making him think she didn’t need his help.
