Diane Farr talks about Vince and Sharon & Bode and Gabriela’s relationships

(Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Fire country Season 3 Episode 3 “Welcome to the Cult.”)

Bode (Max Thieriot) faces his next obstacle as a cadet in the final episode Fire country: to drill. And Diane Farr, who directed the episode, admits “that was the scariest day.”

Those practices also set the stage for a lot of family drama, with Vince’s (Billy Burke) (Jeff Fahey) father giving Bode a tip he doesn’t want. And speaking of drama, Bode and Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) confess the mistake they made during the helicopter rescue that interrupted her wedding, and then they move on and take a moment to talk about their relationship. It’s always a bit dangerous with them, she insists, though he insists he can be boring. He offers to wait for her, but as she puts it, they keep playing with fire and have to stop before they burn their lives.

Below, Farr takes us inside, directing some of the episode’s memorable scenes and teasing what’s to come.

Talk about leading those exercises. They were intense.

Diane Farr: That was the scariest day. Thanks for noticing. Okay, so that was my fire day. It was all in this brick building that was totally tiny. You couldn’t even fit all the crew members in there one by one. And we had to burn it all day. And what worried me the most was having an actress wearing so much gear, because it was literally grueling. I did it at her age and I’ve done it at my age and all I kept doing was trying to redesign the shot so I could get that stuff off her again and again. And the other directors kept saying to me, fire is like a new day. It’s actually not harder than it seems. It’s like an extra element. I didn’t believe them at all, and I still don’t think it’s entirely true, because it’s hot and you have to be careful and we’re designing a shot and then someone comes in and says, that’s unsafe, and then we have that done. to undo it. That was terrifying and I was so scared of wasting their time when it was tough and hot, but we got through it on the day we had to do it. So I guess that means control, I did the work.

Sergei Bachlakov / CBS

It looks great on the screen.

The shot when Bode stands there and the fire rolls over his head? That felt pretty good.

I love the moments we got from Sharon and Vince at Smokey’s: the scene with the hug from behind and then the one at the end. What was your approach to those quieter moments that really highlight their relationship?

He and I have always had a thing for them getting together physically. We block out a scene like normal people. And in season 2, I feel like what used to happen is we’d get done blocking and then I’d be like, oh wait, but they have to do their Vince-Sharon thing because they’re physically tied to each other, so we have the habit of blocking the scene from what we say and then figuring out where we physically meet. So I think originally that scene probably started out as a hug, but it just felt like you could see more of his expression when I stood behind him and we could actually see his face. That was the genesis of it.

Then comes that last scene with Bode and Gabriela in the car – and great job directing that. What can you say about what will happen and will their decision make it easier or harder for Sharon? Considering Manny (Kevin Alejandro) asked her to keep them apart…

Manny asked Sharon to keep them apart, and I’m not sure Sharon agrees. I don’t know if people would have liked Vince and I getting together when we started. I found that scene in the car so exciting. It was like seeing Bode in regular clothes. He held his head outside the window for a second. He has won in everything. He becomes a cadet. He goes to get the girl. He’ll live a normal life for a while, and in the end all I can really sit on is the melancholy of two people who love each other and can’t keep working. That was my greatest feeling when I was sitting there. And if I can honestly say, I wouldn’t go back to 31 years old if my life depended on it. You’re going to die soon. Am I going to breed? Am I getting married? Am I going to do what my parents did? Will I get a house in the suburbs? Everything is so charged on top of a relationship. That was the feeling in there. Can we do everything or do we do nothing?

Sergei Bachlakov / CBS

I’m really enjoying the Sharon and Eve (Jules Latimer) scenes we get to see this season because I like seeing two women at the top of their jobs, both doing well, but then the moments where they can actually talk to each other.

Yes, it’s so much fun. They really found Eve’s flow this season. We meet her whole family and she’s not just a boss. She’s like a full-fledged person in an all-male world. I think you’re right, the two characters are doing the same thing in different locations, but then can come together because, hey, that’s what it feels like in my male-dominated world, which is what she and I do in real life. (Laughs)

There’s talk of how Jared Padalecki’s character Camden might bring out Bode’s dangerous side and have unconventional tactics when it comes to firefighting. What does Sharon think about that?

I think you already know how Sharon feels about that. They won’t be fast friends. Well, we’ll see if they ever get there, but it’s not a home run from the top.

We’re going to see Mickey (Morena Baccarin) again Sheriff country is launching and I’m excited about that because Mickey and Sharon’s relationship is better now. So what do you hope to see from the sisters there?

I’m excited to see them argue. My favorite thing is that there is no syrup in it. They are not emotionally affectionate sisters. They are not cuddly and kissy. I like the little sparring between them. Morena is so much fun to work with. She is so smart and prepared and knows exactly what she wants to do and she is also a woman with a very powerful job to boot. I’m excited for the scenes in the car. She’s so funny. It’s non-stop like someone is pushing you in your game all the time.

And it’s a whole different side that we hadn’t seen of Sharon before, which I like.

Me too, that she has someone with whom she can be a little vulnerable, with whom she is not in charge at all, where she is not loved, where she has made so many mistakes. That’s really a pleasure to play.

What else comes next for Sharon? Will we see you in the middle of a major rescue operation?

In the next episode there is a rescue that is very wild and a bit Stanley Kubrick-esque. Our next director did something very interesting. It will probably be the best save of the season.

Is that the elevator rescue you’re talking about?

It is. It’s like a shaft. Most of the episode takes place in the shaft. It looks great. Nicole Rubio is the director of that.

I spoke with Tia Napolitano this season about redemption for Luke (Michael Trucco). We’re starting to see that. What can you say about what’s going to happen there and what does Sharon think about Luke now, because it’s been back and forth?

The back and forth continues. Sometimes I say things to him that are so sarcastic. I say, guys, remember he gave me the kidney. I feel bad as an actress. Come on. He and I never stop sparring at any point. The whole family is there, everyone is sitting in a room and he says something slightly unpleasant to me and I repeat it to him as if I were five years old. They face each other equally. That’s the closest brother-sister relationship I have on the show and it continues.

Will you be directing again this season?

No, I have a day job. Other people need jobs, so definitely not. I hope to be asked again next year.

Fire countryFriday, 9/8c, CBS