Episode Guide
Episode 1: The first episode of the show. It introduces the characters and the setting. Episode 2: The second episode of the show. It follows the story of a group of people who are trying to escape from a prison. Episode 3: The third episode of the show. It follows the story of a group of people who are trying to find a way to escape from a city. Episode 4: The fourth episode of the show. It follows the story of a group of people who are trying to find a way to stop an evil organization from taking over their city.
Belgium’s Under Fire (Onder Vuur) immediately feels under fire to try and keep up with its two big competitors, Station 19 and Chicago Fire. While it excels in some areas, it underwhelms in others. ..
The show has a lot of potential but it’s hampered by its cliched characters and lack of innovation.
Dominique is a hard-working and ambitious young officer who is determined to make a name for himself in the department. He quickly realizes that the fire department’s reputation is not what it should be and he sets out to change that. He works closely with Patrick, the lieutenant, to try and improve things and eventually becomes captain. This story tells the story of one young officer’s journey to become captain of East Bank Station’s fire department.
Orlando and first-in-command, Toni Morrison, have a rocky start to their relationship. They differ on how best to deal with incidents in the city and eventually clash over their values.
The supporting cast is a mix of familiar faces and newcomers, with each character having their own story to tell. Nina is a brave and determined firefighter who’s plagued with issues at home. Steve, the other firefighter, has a drinking problem and hasn’t been showing up at work. This really takes on a dramatic turn around the middle of the series, and Steve’s presence is a constant thorn in the side of East Bank for most of the run-time.
There are several characters in “East of Eden” who have their own motivations and conflicts. Vincent, for example, has a rivalry with Orlando centered around an assistant exam Dominique suggests Vincent take. Gio starts off as abrupt and cocky before being faced with some harrowing choices, while Tom – the new guy at East Bank – has more than a few secrets lurking away in his past. ..
The 10-episode run time does a great job of developing the characters and the drama around them, but there are no surprises to be found. The development is straightforward and there are not many surprises to be had. In fact, the only surprise may be what happens to Orlando during the final episode.
Under Fire tries to be clever with a consistent motif of orange running through the night-time scenes, which, of course, links back to the color of fire. While this does help to visually tie everything together, it actually has an adverse effect at times, as some of these scenes are crying out for more depth and vibrancy. Likewise, the soundtrack is pretty run-of-the-mill for a series of this nature. ..
Under Fire is a show that’s not particularly great, but it’s better than most shows on TV. This isn’t the level of something like Grey’s Anatomy during its earlier seasons, but it’s much better than Station 19. If you’re in the mood for some soapy drama mixed in with firefighting, Under Fire is a good choice.
