‘Fire Country’: Billy Burke Talks Vince’s Hand Tremor, Singing Again & More

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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Fire Country Season 2 Episode 8 “It’s Not Over.”]

It’s a mix of good and bad news throughout the latest Fire Country, which does end with Three Rock in a better place but also with us worried about one of the Leones.

The gala and attempt to impress the governor (Catherine Lough Haggquist) does end up being a success, thanks to speeches from both Eve (Jules Latimer) and Bode (Max Thieriot) and the latter being among those who leap into action when a fire breaks out. But, as everyone learns, it was actually Luke (Michael Trucco) who recommended the fire camp be shut down (for financial reasons). In other Leone family drama, Vince’s (Billy Burke) hand tremor is a serious (heart-stopping) concern, but one only Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) knows about, and he plans to keep it that way for now as everyone’s rolling out to help with the campaign fire.

Below, Burke explains Vince’s secrecy, teases how he and Sharon (Diane Farr) will handle it, discusses singing again on the show (in the May 10 episode), and more.

Congratulations on Season 3!

Billy Burke: Thank you very much. Yeah, I mean, it’s a real TV show. [Laughs]

Sergei Bachlakov / CBS

Vince says the hand tremor is probably a temporary side effect of being electrified, but Gabriela argues it could be nerve damage. Does he truly believe he’s right, fear that she is, or is it a combination of both?

Vince is Vince, and Vince is just willing himself to be right. It doesn’t really matter if he’s right or not, he’s going to make it right in his head. That’s the way I look at it. If she turns out to be right—and he probably thinks there’s a slight chance that she might be—that’s not going to matter either. He’s going to press on.

What can you say about what’s causing the tremor? Is that something we find out this season?

It’s brought upon by the electrocution, of course, but it triggers some sort of heart condition that I don’t really want to name, and I don’t even know if we name it. There will be a procedure coming up.

Vince decides not to tell Sharon about it, which given last season and earlier this season and their previous communication problems with her off to the campaign fight, then the Liam (Jason O’Mara) of it, probably not the best idea. Why doesn’t he want her to know at this point?

He’s got two big fears: having his family fall apart again and again, and losing his passion, which is his work. And if she or anybody finds out that he has a potential condition of any kind that takes him off the job… he is not willing to risk that. So, as it goes in relationships, sometimes even Vince and Sharon, not always perfect in sharing stuff.

She’s obviously going to find out. What can you tease about when she does?

Yeah, she’s going to find out, and I don’t want to say how she will treat it, but Vince and Sharon are, as always, the sort of bedrock of Edgewater, and I don’t think that the result of this will break that down.

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Max Thieriot Teases How 'Fire Country' Season 2 Ends

How would you describe their relationship the rest of the season compared to at the beginning? This was a really rough start of the season for their relationship.

Yeah, I like to think that by the end of the season, there is some shimmering light on the horizon and the sun will rise again.

Vince threatens Gabriela’s job to keep her quiet as his health provider, but at least he acknowledges he shouldn’t have done that. But it also feels like he’s continuing to manipulate her by telling her that he wants to fight fires with Bode and she knows what it’s like to wait for Bode… Is he?

I don’t think so. I think he’s being honest. If that manifests itself in some manipulation, seeming manipulation, then that’s the byproduct of him just being honest and true to himself.

Luke was the one who recommended Three Rock be shut down, and we’ve seen the problems that the brothers have had in the past. Where does this fall in terms of a betrayal for Vince?

Hard to say at this point, but Luke’s that character who comes in and starts some trouble, but it’s somewhat, somehow redeemable always. They are family. It always goes back to that. And I don’t think that will absolutely make or break the family’s solid standing in Edgewater. Luke is not going to be the downfall.

Once Luke saved Sharon’s life… 

Well, yeah, I mean, he gave her a kidney, for God’s sake. [Laughs] That gets him a lot of cred.

Is Vince worried about Bode right now, given the fact that Gen’s not his daughter and he almost lost Three Rock?

Vince is constantly worried about Bode—constantly, constantly, constantly. That will never change. I don’t expect that to change throughout, however long this series runs and however many episodes we do. He’s a dad, and you never stop being a dad.

Do you think he’s more worried than usual though?

No, I think ironically, he’s more hopeful than ever. I think that he has seen and has felt their relationship crackling back to the life and gaining momentum, even small increments. And I think Vince, this season, is kind of the hopeful one, whereas Sharon’s kind of taken on the cynical role.

Eike Schroter / CBS

Photos from Episode 209 show you with a guitar. I’m assuming you’re singing again.

That’s a good assumption to make, I suppose. [Laughs] Yeah, they told me about what was going to happen in 209. We originally talked about maybe just doing a cover song for this campfire scene, and then we sort of tossed it around back and forth and I said, “Well, I got this other thing.” I’ve got a bevy of songs that I can poke into once in a while and see what’s appropriate. Anyway, I went and found this song, and I pitched them the song and they said, “Yep, that’s awesome. Let’s do that.” And then we went into the studio again and recorded a whole song. Now, I haven’t seen the episode. I don’t know how much we’re even going to use of the song in the episode. I just know that it’s in there, and then the song will be released on all the streaming venues as the episode comes out, which is just lovely. I love that the show’s giving me the opportunity to do that.

What’s the name of the song?

It’s called “History.”

I hear campaign fire, I think Liam. Is he coming back? Will he come up? Because we saw what that did to Sharon and Vince earlier this season.

That would’ve been great, wouldn’t it? But no, that’s not happening. I’m not saying he’s not going to come back at some point in the future, I don’t know. But on the campaign fire, we will not be seeing Liam. Sorry to disappoint everybody.

What can you preview about the campaign fire itself?

It’s one of those ones that we hear about not just in California, but all over the world. California wildfires rage out of control, and this is one of those. And yeah, it’s a big deal. So all hands on deck—not all, but many of the Cal Fire outlets go to this campaign fire, and we do the best we can, as always.

What can you say about where the finale leaves Vince?

Everybody’s left with a big question. Vince’s question mark, of course, will carry over from what’s happening with his health and the dynamic between him and Sharon and how they’re going to push through that omission of truth. But the season ends with question marks all over the place.

What are your hopes for Vince in Season 3?

I would love to see Vince having a renaissance of fun in his life, enjoying his work, getting to see that work relationship with his son come to fruition and getting to fight fires together. And overall, I would love to tip to scales more towards not the emergency and tragedy and danger. I want to see him and the rest of these people enjoying themselves a little bit more. That would be nice.

Yeah, they get to dress up in this week’s episode, but everyone’s so focused on saving Three Rock, there’s Vince’s health… There’s so much going on that they can’t enjoy it.

That’s right. And they work so hard and they go through so much, day-to-day struggles, that it would be nice to give everybody a glimpse into just how they cope with that, with whatever it takes—with gallows’ humor, with a brush off of something that could seemingly be tragic. First responders of all kinds have ways of dealing with this stuff that we don’t get to see, and I think it would be great to see some of that.

Fire Country, Fridays, 9/8c, CBS