Fire Country season 2 has gotten off to a scorching start as the premiere, "Something's Coming," dropped us back into the changed lives of these characters we know and love without preamble. Everyone is navigating something different and that includes Battalion Chief Vince Leone, played by a fan favorite on-screen dad, Billy Burke.
The gruffly loving head of Station 42 started the series staunchly against his son Bode coming back into his and his wife Sharon's lives both personally and professionally. Much of this had to do with Vince blaming Bode for the untimely death of his daughter, Riley. In his grief, he pushed his son away and told him to leave, triggering an estrangement that lasted for years
Season 1 saw the father and son's relationship heal to the point that by the finale, Vince was the one championing Bode despite his (false) admittance of selling drugs while Sharon chose to wash her hands of the situation. Seven months down the road and Vince is still supporting his son despite the tension it's caused in his marriage and that's bound to cause more thanks to the impact of the possibility that he could be a grandfather.
In my interview with Billy Burke, we discussed the state of Sharon and Vince's marriage now that they've switched positions on their son, and how Genevieve could play into this dynamic further. So far only the premiere has aired but there's still so much to unpack and Burke also teases what's to come!
When we're reunited with Vince in season 2, he's trying his hardest to get through to Bode, but Sharon is noticeably absent for a good portion of the premiere because she's off working on a campaign fire. Burke referred to this switch up as Vince occupying the "softy, care taker" role while Sharon is "off on some sort of sabbatical finding herself."
It's a tough position for his character to be in but in Vince's mind he's putting his family first. That's not to say, however, that his perspective on things has shifted dramatically. Burke noted that his character isn't one to "flip his worldview or ways of thinking overnight." So, if you thought Sharon and Vince's reconciliation by the end of "Something's Coming," meant the tension and pressure they've been feeling due to their opposing view points has dissipated, toss that idea out the window.
Burke described their relationship as "crispier" this season. It's an interesting word choice as we saw how fiery the two could be in the beginning episodes of the first season particularly when Sharon found out Vince had sent Bode away all those years ago. So now Vince is wondering why Sharon "flipped so vigorously in the other direction." But fans of the strongest couple on Fire Country shouldn't be worried even in all this tension there's a well of love there between them and, as Burke put it, an "obvious undying commitment to each other."
These are the kind of moments that the actor likes the best which he elaborated on when I asked him about the coolest thing he's done in terms of the action. Burke turned the question toward the real bread and butter for him when it comes to his character and the show.
"I always go back to the family drama. For me, the action sequences are great, and they keep the intensity of the atmosphere going throughout but, for me, it's always the intimate scenes. It's always three or four of us together figuring out what we're going to do in terms of what happens next with the family. And then the one-on-one scenes with Sharon and I, of course, have always kind of been the sweet spot for me."
Part of this family drama might include Luke and Sharon's new found dynamic. Perhaps you noticed in the season 2 premiere that the two seemed to have some unresolved tension. Burke referred to it as a "sizzle" and you can expect for it to be touched on and explored a bit in the season.
As for when Michael Trucco will be back as Vince, Burke did say we will see him once more, but he doesn't know what will actually come of whatever underlying thing Vince's brother and wife have going on. He does, however, enjoy the relationship between the Leone brothers.
"The Luke/Vince relationship is super fun to play with. We've only seen [Trucco] back once this season but we hope and expect to have him back as much as we can get him. He's got other gigs, so we welcome him in when we can get him."
Spoiler alert, Luke isn't the only man that could cause some issues in Vince and Sharon's relationship. Ahead of the premiere, it was announced that Jason O’Mara had been cast in the role of Liam, a former colleague of Sharon's who is happy to see her when he bumps into her and Vince. The character's description included the words "hunky" and relaxed confidence.
Whether it's personal, or having to do with his family, Vince doesn't look like he's going to be catching a break this season on Fire Country. Sharon is out of the woods when it comes to her kidney since she was able to get the transplant she needed thanks to Luke. But the next focus for the Leone family will be Genevieve.
We know from the stills released that Bode and Genevieve come face-to-face in episode 2 of this season, "Like Breathing Again," and that he's aware she could be his daughter but she doesn't know he might be her dad. So when do Bode's parents find out? Don't expect it to happen in episode 2 as the news doesn't get out too early in the season but it will come out.
"Sharon and I both find out at the same time in a not so opportune situation. We're on the job and it just kind of gets blurted out. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that but that's what I know, and so we just now have started getting to that point in the story. So where it goes from there I don't know but I can tell you that Vince's attitude towards being a potential grandparent differs from Sharon's."
It will be interesting to see how the couple differ and why. Will it be because they have to reconcile having missed out on a significant portion of Genevieve's life? Or will there be an unwillingness to be open to the possibility of having an addition to the family only for that to potentially be snatched away if Genevieve isn't Bode's? Also, in considering this, one can't help but think about Riley and how her loss might play into this storyline. When I asked Burke about that potential, he shared the following:
"Whether or not we ever mention Riley's name, that particular storyline is always going to be colored by the fact that [Sharon and Vince] had a daughter who died young, that and their son went to prison. Everything that happens, at least in what I try to do with Vince, is colored by that loss."
What Burke hooks into when it comes to his character, as he described it, is that both Vince and Sharon are "anchor points" in Fire Country even with the plot revolving around Bode. He envisions that Vince probably had both dreams and aspirations that went outside of his family and his work, but he's 4th generation Cal Fire and that's all he's ever known, so that's his focus. The family he's made that he's holding onto come hell or high water.
As for Burke's other talent, which was on full display in season 1 with his song, "Burn," we're going to have to wait for him to step up to the mic again.
"We had talked about it early on before we started the season [but] it's obviously an abbreviated season because of the strike, so we haven't had time to cultivate how that might work in the story again yet. But if it doesn't happen this season, fingers crossed for next."
I'm hoping they are able to fit in another performance for Billy Burke before season 2 wraps because Vince's singing added another layer to his character. But, nonetheless, be prepared for Fire Country's sophomore run to be emotional and for Burke's portrayal of Vince navigating all of this drama to be a stand out.