'Bay of Fires' centers on a female protagonist navigating crime and intrigue in a remote Tasmanian town. While identity elements are present, the show generally maintains engaging, flawed characters and prioritizes plot over box-ticking. Forced representation and hyper-competence are kept to lower levels, making the narrative feel mostly organic.

The series does poke fun at traditional roles and established rural communities, sometimes portraying institutions and masculine figures as outdated or problematic. Still, it generally avoids outright mockery or full-on subversion of foundational values.

Some alternative perspectives within the town are played for laughs or as stereotypes, and the tone can lean toward urban, progressive viewpoints. However, there remain authentic, if exaggerated, depictions of rural and traditional characters, providing a minimal veneer of diversity of thought.