CBS's series, Fire Country, now in its fourth season, has been a huge success for the network. And when a show starts generating such a positive response from its viewers, it's not uncommon for that to be the signal to the creators that it's time to try and expand the universe the show is set in.
They ultimately chose Sheriff Country as their first foray into expanding this world, which premiered in October 2025, and has so far received a mixed response from viewers as it establishes itself. Of course, one of the benefits of doing a spinoff is that you initially have a built-in fan base who enjoyed certain aspects of the original show. However, the series is also attracting new viewers who may wonder if they need to go back and watch Fire Country in order to understand Sheriff Country.
The world of Fire Country
Set in Northern California, in the fictional town of Edgewater, Fire Country follows the story of a young convict, named Bode Donovan/Leone, who joins a prison release firefighting program in which they have to work alongside elite firefighters. As an area known for being highly susceptible to wildfires and with personal challenges within the town, there is no shortage of drama.
As the title suggests, the show largely focuses on natural disasters and firefighting. The story is centered around the Leone family, who are a multi-generational firefighting family, and how this connects them to each other and the community.
How does Fire Country connect to Sheriff Country?
In Fire Country season 2 episode 6, the show introduced Mickey Fox, played by Morena Baccarin. Mickey Fox was a deputy in Edgewater, and just so happens to also be Sharon Leone's step-sister.
When deciding what the first spinoff of Fire Country should be, the show's creators decided that expanding the world by diving deeper into the life of Mickey Fox and the relationship that the Sheriff's office has with the town would be the perfect direction (via TheWrap). Now with Mickey as the Sheriff, Sheriff Country opens a whole new branch of the universe to explore.
While there are characters and relationships from Fire Country that show up in Sheriff Country, you don't have to watch Fire Country to understand Sheriff Country. It's true that Fire Country can provide you with deeper context and background for some of the relationships in town, and the two have a lot of connections, but ultimately, Sheriff Country is intended to be a standalone series with its own identity.
What to expect from Sheriff Country
Sheriff Country goes deeper into the life of Sheriff Mickey Fox. She has to manage complex relationships with her daughter and estranged criminal father, as well as the demands of being in charge of local law enforcement.
The series is intended to be a crime procedural, giving the audience plenty of exciting weekly cases to follow. And for fans of Fire Country, it will show a darker side of the town of Edgewater, as well as a taste of the town's politics and complex community.
Will there be crossovers?
If you're a Fire Country fan, you can rest assured there's going to be plenty of crossover action happening between the two shows. As the shows are set in the same universe and the same town, it's intended for the two to be closely intertwined.
The showrunners have expressed that they plan for characters and stories to go back and forth, and have already had minor crossovers taking place at the beginning of the season. A big official crossover event involving the casts of both shows is already in the works, planned for later in the season, according to Us Weekly.
Sheriff Country airs on Fridays at 8/7c on CBS, followed by Fire Country at 9/8c.
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