There’s been so much chatter about the future of Fire Country after some significant departures that I forgot Sheriff Country was gearing up for its launch during the 2025-26 season.
All we knew about the spinoff was that Morena Baccarin would be at the wheel in the role of Mickey Fox.
We already met Mickey on Fire Country, with the mothership series revealing she is Cal Fire division chief Sharon Leone’s stepsister.
It was a compelling way to connect these two universes, but beyond that, there were many questions about who else would be on Sheriff Country.
Now, we have our answer. Deadline reports that CSI: Vegas veteran Matt Lauria has scored a series regular role in the upcoming offshoot.
Matt Lauria Is The Lead the Fire Country Spinoff Needs
Lauria will play Boone, Sheriff Mickey Fox’s “smart, tough and capable deputy and longtime partner. Originally from Oakland, he’s used to a different kind of policing,” the outlet teases.
“Their contrasting law enforcement styles make their partnership both complex and occasionally tense.”
It sounds like just the right hook for a CBS procedural and one I know will deliver in the drama department.
Procedural dramas are never the most innovative dramas, and lead characters who are opposites isn’t a new concept.
Christopher Gorham and Michele Weaver will round out the rest of the cast. More casting announcements are likely over the summer.
Fire Country has been rough around the edges the last two seasons, and I’m convinced it’s because the creatives bowed over backward to get the spinoff on the air.
There hasn’t been too much of a rush.
Sheriff Country was announced over a year ago, so it’s hard to tell whether CBS decided to delay the series or if it was a case of waiting for the right time to kick off.
Given the current trajectory of CBS, I wouldn’t be surprised if Fire Country was somehow canceled before the spinoff debut.
Could Fire Country Fall Prey to CBS’s Cancellation Streak?
The network has habitually canceled veteran shows in favor of spinoffs. From a business standpoint, this makes sense, but these decisions risk alienating fans.
That said, Fire Country may already have alienated too many of its fans and could lose their support.
The numbers have cooled off quite a bit this season, and the reaction to some of the storylines has been less than warm.
Friday’s two-hour Fire Country Season 3 finale marked the end of Billy Burke (Vince) and Stephanie Arcila’s (Gabriela) as series regulars.
There’s no telling whether Vince or Gabriela will appear on Fire Country Season 4 in any capacity, but hearing their portrayers are gone from the show doesn’t give the fuzzies they will be.
What happened to shock value? Keeping viewers questioning what would become of the characters over the summer would have been fun and drummed up interest.
My best guess about the decision to nix at least two series regulars is that the budget is being trimmed or that creatives know the series needs a jolt of life.
The Show Has Gone Too Far Off the Rails
Fire Country Season 1 delivered high-octane fiery encounters, underpinned by stellar character development.
It was a real hoot, but the show deviated significantly from that greatness in the following two seasons.
From a quality standpoint, I know it can do much better, and I hope it can return stronger than ever next season, alongside Sheriff Country.
What are your thoughts on the Sheriff Country casting news and the current state of Fire Country?
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