Why Jake Telling Bode to Get Over Himself on 'Fire Country' Was So Satisfying

Jordan Calloway as Jake in 'Fire Country' Season 2

Bode Leone (Max Thieriot) is the hero of Fire Country, but he can be frustrating sometimes. OK, a lot of the time. He is self-absorbed and entitled and has a tendency to make things about himself. And in Season 2, Episode 7, his best friend Jake Crawford (Jordan Calloway) took him to task for it in a very satisfying way.

Usually when Bode behaves selfishly on Fire Country, someone calls him out, he apologizes and explains that his intentions were pure and acts charming, and they forgive him and immediately move on. But in “A Hail Mary,” Jake didn’t let him off the hook so easily, and the episode ended with their conflict unresolved. This is a good thing, because Jake was right, and Bode needs to experience discomfort like this before he can grow as a person.

Here’s what went down.

After Cara (Sabina Gadecki) died, it was decided that Bode’s parents Vince (Billy Burke) and Sharon (Diane Farr) would become Genevieve’s (Alix West Lefler) temporary guardians until Bode got out of prison and could take over. They were ready to sign the papers formalizing this arrangement, but Jake finally realized that he should adopt Genevieve. Neither he nor Bode are Genevieve’s biological father, but he at least actually has a relationship with her. He was going to ask Cara to marry him and become Genevieve’s father anyway.

When he told all this to Genevieve, she agreed, because she wanted Jake to be her dad all along, she just didn’t know how to say it. They were happy, and it felt very natural and right.

How does Bode react to Jake deciding to adopt Genevieve?

When Jake went to Three Rock to talk to Bode about what had happened, Bode didn’t take it well.

Bode wanted to know what had happened with signing the papers, and got defensive with Jake, demanding that Jake tell him if he doesn’t think Bode is right for the job.

“It’s not about you, Bode,” Jake replied. “Whether or not you’re right for the job, I have the job. She doesn’t know you. But I know her. I know that she hates the dentist and sleeping with her socks on. She loves thunderstorms. And when she says ‘eggs over easy’ what she really means is ‘eggs over medium.’ And that she needs to know what’s coming around the corner in detail, or else she gets really anxious.”

“OK, I just haven’t had a chance to get to know her,” Bode said, continuing to be defensive.

“I know. But I’ve been raising her. And I want to. And more importantly, Gen wants me to,” Jake said. “And I’m nervous, and I will need help, so I’m not trying to push you out, B. But I think this needs to be me. And you’ll be Uncle Bode.”

Bode said that when Jake told him that Gen was his daughter, it saved his life, because he was ready to die in prison. Jake gently but firmly (and correctly) pushed back on that assertion.

“I know you might think that, but before that your reason was Gabriela,” Jake said. “Before that, it was your folks. You went back to prison for Freddy. I don’t know, but Bode, you keep putting your reason for living on other people. And I don’t know if it’s because you don’t want to look at yourself, but you have to count on yourself.”

“That’s easy for you to say out there,” Bode groused.

“No. It isn’t,” Jake said. Because in case you forgot, I was counting on a future with Cara. But things change in an instant.”

And that was where their exchange meaningfully ended. They didn’t hug it out, and they didn’t agree.

Bode's much-needed attitude adjustment

Jake was totally correct in diagnosing Bode’s problem. Bode does not take responsibility for himself. He wants whatever he wants, and has trouble considering how other people feel or how his actions might affect them. He wants to be Gen’s dad, so it didn’t occur to him that maybe Jake would be a better fit, or to consider what Genevieve wants. He thinks he puts other people’s needs before his own, but he doesn’t. And considering his defensive reaction to Jake, he’s not quite ready to look at this character flaw.

But Jake didn’t back down. He didn’t soothe Bode’s wounded ego by telling him he’s a good guy and everything will be alright. He told him he needs to get over himself. Bode doesn’t really understand that other people aren’t just characters in his own story (they are in a meta sense—he’s the main character of Fire Country, after all—but in the world of the show, they are not). Hopefully Jake not giving him what he wants helps him realize that.

Fire Country airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ST on CBS. It’s available to stream on Paramount+.