Fire Country’s “Two Pink Lines” is a riveting episode for many reasons, but how it sets up second chances is a thing of beauty. It does this with multiple characters, but it does it exceptionally well with Bode Leone after everything we get in “Get Your Hopes Up.” And then, of course, there’s Bode and Gabriela’s first kiss.
Seldom does a first kiss come with this much agency at its belt. The tension and longing between Gabriela and Bode (Bodiela) is present in every episode, but it’s bursting into flames here, all puns intended. When we first watched them open up in “Get Some, Be Safe,” it was clear that they’re each other’s safe place, and now, here, away from prying eyes, that concept becomes the kind of reality that’s going to make them both better.
The stunning detail that makes Bode and Gabriela so perfectly fit to be a couple is that they don’t have to impress each other. That’s never been the case, even at the beginning. They were impressing one another by being the best versions of themselves beside each other because they were (and still are) longing for second chances to get things right. And in a nutshell, Fire Country’s “Two Pink Lines” is about second chances. It’s about transparency, vulnerability, and the decision to move a little forward when everything feels right. In light of Freddy’s second chance with a child, Bode’s with his family, and Gabriela’s understanding that she wants to do things to be the best version of herself, it’s about realizing that when the person is right for you, waiting is also worth the risk.
Gabriela’s self-worth, as well as Bode’s, is a step in the right direction to ensure that when the two get together, like Vince and Sharon, it’ll be an equal, lasting partnership. So much of the reason the show succeeds is that it allows Vince and Sharon to stand as shining examples of how love should be. Bode and Gabriela leave marks on one another without trying to because they’re both drawn to the innate comfort the other bestows, unwillingly and unabashedly. She isn’t judging him for being an inmate; he doesn’t care about her mistakes. With pink stuff in his hair and the admittance that he’s jealous, Bode’s transparency about wishing he was free is lovely because it tells us that when they’re together in the future, they won’t be afraid of admitting things aloud to each other.
And more than anything, Bode and Gabriela’s first kiss is a clear sign of the fact that it’s already so good. It’ll be great at the end of his sentence, without a doubt, but right now, this moment is something they could both carry to know that something ahead is worth the risk, throwing it all in the hands of their best selves to embark on something that’ll change their lives for the better. It’s lingering hands, refusing to let go because everything stirring within them from their first meeting has been about meeting a kindred spirit—someone with whom they can be better and braver.
If Fire Country’s “No Good Deed” proved that Bode and Gabriela are perfect for each other, then Fire Country’s “Two Pink Lines” seals the deal. It tethers them together with a first kiss, then a second. This first kiss is proof that the safe space they continue to build together isn’t merely emotional, but it’s physical and spiritual and beyond comprehension. It lets them be messy, bold, and vulnerable in admitting that they do want each other in ways they never thought possible, without words but with actions. It shows us that it’s not just about their brilliant chemistry but the profundity of their understanding of each other. It’s hot, hopeful, and so very agonizing because the longing between them continues to grow deeper and deeper with every move they make, which will make the coming episodes far more heated than actual fire could manage.
Now streaming on Paramount Plus: What are your thoughts on Bode and Gabriela’s first kiss in Fire Country’s “Two Pink Lines?” Let us know in the comments below.