Among the relationships that Bode (Max Thieriot) had to repair when Fire Country first premiered with him returning to Edgewater at Three Rock — besides with his parents Vince (Billy Burke) and Sharon (Diane Farr) — were the friends he’d left behind, Jake (Jordan Calloway) and Eve (Jules Latimer). The show has shined since Season 1 when it’s focused on that trio, and, to be honest, we haven’t gotten enough of the three of them together. The midseason premiere, however, was a great episode, with Bode and Jake stepping up to help Eve save her family’s ranch from an out-of-control fire.
Season 3 has already been a good one for Bode and Jake’s relationship, with the latter having to balance being the former’s friend and boss while he was training earlier, especially when it came at a time he was struggling with his late girlfriend’s daughter spending time with and ultimately moving in with her biological father. Then, something Fire Country wisely did is not have a hookup between Jake and Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) — both his and Bode’s ex — be about the restart of the love triangle. It happened once and neither is interested in getting back together, which is good because while it may seem like something’s poised to happen with Bode and Audrey (Leven Rambin), we all know he and Gabriela will eventually get back together. (Also: Gabriela helping Audrey as a firefighter and teaching her to swim? Love it.)
Instead, as Episode 10 highlights, right now, it’s about how Bode will react to the news, and when better for Jake to break it to him than during the family camping trip — and yes, Jake is family, as pretty much every Leone has to remind him during this episode. (That trip also ends up leading to Vince’s father Walter, played by Jeff Fahey, accepting that he might have some sort of cognitive issues as he’s been having memory problems.)
Ahead of that trip, Gabriela doesn’t think they have to tell Bode, but points out that since Jake said he wants to own it, he should go ahead. Jake hesitates, since Bode’s talking to Audrey. He’s then about to tell him while they’re fishing, only for Walter to interrupt to get them to move to what he deems a better spot. Jake later tells Luke (Michael Trucco), who sympathizes; he fixed things with Sharon and Vince after his really bad decision to hit on her, however, by giving her a kidney. Jake wants his advice, but all Luke can offer is that he broke the bro code, so he has to own it. Whatever else is going on, he is still family, Luke emphasizes, and families forgive.
It’s not until they’re back at 42 that Jake tells Bode he and Gabriela slept together “consensually, drunkenly, regrettably.” Bode’s not sure how to react, but Jake reminds him of how he reacted when it was the other way around. Jake tells him they’re brothers, and what he and Gabriela did was a mistake and he just wants to own it. He backslid on Bode and his integrity. Bode assures him that when he told him he was part of the family during the trip, he meant it. What happened is hard to swallow, but they’re good, he says. With that, the two hug.
Something this episode highlights and not just in that last conversation and which we started to see a bit of at the end of the midseason premiere when Jake watched Sharon, Vince, and Bode together, is that Jake doesn’t seem like he thinks he’s part of the Leone family. Plus, Sharon had just asked Vince about what’s going on with him and Jake when they were interrupted by Walter showing up and thinking it was time for Bode’s graduation (which had already happened).
Jake tells Bode he’s surprised he was invited on the camping trip since it’s a family thing; Bode reminds him he’s family, and Jake says he’s not sure everyone (presumably Vince) would agree. Later, when Luke reveals he got a job out of the country (new Cal Fire program to train firefighters in Japan) and Vince argues with him about who will look after Walter, Jake tries to leave since it sounds like a family thing. Bode again reminds him he’s family, and Walter agrees. Then, upon hearing about Walter’s terminology for an improvised rescue (Swiss army job) and Luke calling it Leone lingo, Jake remarks that he’s still not fluent.
Thieriot told TV Insider around Episode 5 of Bode and Jake, “Over the course of the season, we get to—which I’ve been really looking forward to—really kind of explore their friendship more and more and more and get to see a lot of that, which I think is something the audience is going to love getting to experience. It’s always been sort of at a distance and now we get to see the two of them together a lot, which is fun.”
This feels like just the start of that, which is a good thing because anything that highlights their brotherhood and all its complications — like in this episode — makes for great TV. We’ve seen how well these two can work together, even when they’re at odds, and we’re just starting to see that when they’re not. It’s seeing them get past the rough patches, like this one now about Gabriela, that makes the moments they’re firmly on each other’s side all the more special. And given what “The Leone Way,” and the issues yet to be resolved between Jake and Vince, something tells us there’s much more coming.