There is perhaps no fiercer mama bear than Sharon Leone on Fire Country. As the mother to Bode Donovan (Max Theiriot) and the take-charge chief of Division 1501, Sharon is a force to be reckoned with. But she's not just fighting for resources for the 400 Cal Fire stations she oversees—she's also fighting chronic kidney disease.
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The drama surrounding Sharon Leone's fate has been building ever since her diagnosis. And the fact that she's made it clear she's content to live out the rest of her days as the matriarch of Fire Country only adds to the suspense. In the Season 1 finale, fans watched her collapse after learning about Bode's positive drug test— causing viewers to wonder if this was the beginning of the end of Sharon's story.
So, is Sharon—played by the talented Diane Farr—leaving Fire Country? Here's everything we know.
What happens to Sharon in Fire Country?
Sergei Bachlakov/CBS
Once we learned that Bode's mother was struggling with her health, many speculated that she may be the first major figure to die. After all, most of the main characters are out fighting some of the most intense and dangerous fires in California. An untimely demise is always a possibility.
But while the Season 1 finale left us on a lot of cliffhangers, Sharon's health isn't one of them. In fact, things finally seem to be looking up.
Towards the end of the season, there was a ton of secrecy surrounding Sharon getting back in touch with her brother-in-law, Luke. Even though fans were worried that it was something more scandalous, it turns out that he's a match for a kidney transplant.
The news was met with relief from fans; it seems like Sharon might actually make it out alive after all. And while Diane Farr's character might still face some adversity in the upcoming season, it seems less likely now that she'll be leaving Fire Country in Season 2.
Did Sharon on Fire Country get a kidney transplant?
Not yet. We've only just learned that Luke is a match, and Sharon hasn't undergone the surgery yet. That's something we will probably learn more about in the upcoming season, which will debut sometime in the fall.
Fans will remember that she almost received a kidney from fellow firefighter Jake Crawford, but doctors couldn't go through with the procedure after he had a bad reaction to the anesthesia. Let's hope that the second time is a charm and Sharon can finally get the kidney she needs.
Farr is Hoping to 'See What Happens'
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After the Season 1 finale premiered, Farr went public with her thoughts on how her character reacted to Bode failing the drug test. Fans will remember that she not only collapsed after learning that her son tested positive but lied to the parole board that he had relapsed and was dealing drugs at Three Rock.
This shocking twist of events may look like a total betrayal on Sharon's part at first. But Farr told TVLine that her actions may make more sense to people who have experienced loving an addict.
"I think so much of addiction is that the people in your life have to live in denial, and we get into trouble when we believe an addict," Farr said. "The truest way to love them is actually to let them fall down.
"Her reaction was totally shocking to me, also. It's so out of character. I was like, 'Maybe this is the evolution of what happens when you actually have a drug addict in your life.' Watching someone lie to your face is a hard one, and the only chance for survival is to let them fall down and pick themselves up."
But the actress is adamant that letting Bode fall down isn't really a betrayal, nor is it a sign that Sharon no longer loves or stands by her son. In fact, a telling line in the finale speaks volumes about how the fierce mama bear truly feels.
"The most interesting thing to me was Vince (Billy Burke) has a line where he says, 'I need him to not be on drugs,' and Sharon says, 'Why, because you need him not to be on drugs in order to love him?' It was so moving. Sharon, meanwhile, is going to love him no matter what his choices are."
An Uncertain Future
At this point, fans can rest comfortably knowing that Sharon will return for Season 2 of Fire Country. What happens to her throughout the 22 episodes is still a mystery, but Farr was open about how she wants her "codependent" character to evolve in the upcoming season.
"She's always jumping into, like, Vince's life and Bode's life, everybody else's life—and I found in my own life that if you put down one of those addictions of trying to save other people, it'll pop up in really strange places," she says. "So, I'm hoping to see what happens when Sharon has to focus on herself. What's going to go wrong from there."
One thing's for sure—Diane Farr and her character will continue to fight the good fight for the 400 Cal Fire stations she oversees.
