When it was first announced that there might be a Fire Country spin-off starring a Jared Padalecki character who was then yet-to-be-named, I was very excited, particularly as a fan of Supernatural and Gilmore Girls. This would be the second announced Fire Country spin-off, following the upcoming Sheriff Country, centered on Morena Baccarin's Mickey. Padalecki's three-episode arc on Fire Country as Camden Casey is officially complete (at least for now), but I'm feeling much less confident about his spin-off at this point than I was before we were introduced to Camden.
Initially, Camden seemed like he would be a good mentor to Bode (Max Thieriot), harnessing his raw talent and encouraging his penchant for impulsive behavior in a way that nobody else previously had. The second Bode went against one of his own decisions, though Camden became absolutely insufferable. The story arc may be resolved for now, but I'm not exactly champing at the bit to watch a spin-off about this character.
Camden Casey Too One-Dimensional to Lead a 'Fire Country' Spin-Off
Image via CBS
Camden Casey was first introduced in Season 3, Episode 5, "Edgewater's About to Get Real Cozy," as a bit of a Gary Stu, coming in at the exact right time to save the day. When Bode got ambushed by a group of Diego's (Rafael de la Fuente) friends, he tried to keep his temper in check so that he didn't violate his parole. This was when Camden Casey stepped in for his first appearance on Fire Country, where he then proceeded to single-handedly fight all of them off in a ridiculous scene that felt like it was more out of a cartoon than a firefighting drama.
While Camden was a bit too perfect, he was likable enough in his first episode. Things hit a bit of a snag, though, when he and Vince (Billy Burke) disagreed on how to handle the situation with the baby birds in the following episode and Bode took Vince's side. Since then, Camden has been downright unpleasant, taking out his insecurities and anger about that incident on Bode. Even though Camden initially told Bode to trust his instincts, he changed his mind the second those instincts conflicted with his own. Camden went from a one-dimensional hero to a one-dimensional villain, which is fine for a short arc but not for the lead of a spin-off show.
Camden's Backstory Is Not Enough to Center Him in a 'Fire Country' Spin-Off
In Camden's final Fire Country episode, "False Alarm," Camden decides to keep Bode from graduating from the firefighting program due to his own petty grudge. Camden changes his mind after Bode saves his life in a hostage situation, and then they end on good terms after Bode graduates. For me, this is too little, too late. The episode shows Camden messing with Bode's future and ratting out Gabriela's (Stephanie Arcila) night of drinking to Sharon (Diane Farr). Camden is still unlikable to me, and it feels like he has been making the lives of the characters I actually do like more difficult for no reason.
It is obvious what Fire Country is trying to do with Camden. Camden is grieving the loss of his brother, Patrick, to a fire a few years back. He even accidentally calls Bode "Patrick" in the latest episode. Fire Country is definitely planning to use Camden's tragic backstory to excuse his behavior and serve as the foundation of his character for the spin-off. This isn't enough to make me want to watch a spin-off about him, though. Aside from his backstory and his dedication to firefighting, there is nothing about Camden as a character that makes him stand out to me.
As it stands, Camden is not a unique or interesting enough character to root for in a spin-off, and Fire Country will need to make him more interesting and likable if he gets his own show. Even Jared Padalecki isn't enough to save this character (although the gruff voice that he's using for Camden certainly isn't helping). If the show wants to give Camden a spin-off, he can be redeemed, but that can't just be through exploring his past and making him a cardboard cut-out of a hero. The show needs to distinguish Camden as his own unique character with a personality outside of firefighting, and that doesn't just mean being from Southern California.
Fire Country airs Friday nights on CBS and is available to stream the next day on Paramount+.
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