How ‘Fire Country’s Major Character Death Changes the Show
It’s not often that a hit procedural series like Fire Country kills off an important character. Sure, tragedy often plagues these sorts of first responder shows, but given that the main cast has been safe from any permanent damage thus far, we weren’t too worried. But the sudden death of Cara (Sabina Gadecki) in Season 2’s “This Storm Will Pass” is a seriously tough pill to swallow, and feels like it came out of nowhere, even if the entire episode centers on Bode (Max Thieriot) and Diego’s (Rafael de la Fuente) attempts to keep her alive. Cara’s death is bound to have some major ramifications for the folks at Station 42 and Three Rock going forward. With Season 3 of the hit CBS series already announced, we know that an episode like this will continue to affect the story well into the next season.
Cara’s Death in ‘Fire Country’ Season 2 Is a Game-Changer
“This Storm Will Pass” directly follows the cliffhanger at the end of the previous episode, “Too Many Unknowns,” which ended with Diego’s ambulance being tipped over with Bode and Cara in the back. As a result, a fire-tornado forms due to the uptick in wind and the out-of-control flames from the last episode, disrupting all cell phone signals and putting everyone on edge. Unable to call for help, Bode and Diego are forced to stabilize Cara on their own, who has been impaled as a result of the crash. While they keep her awake and talking for a while––she even tells Bode that she believes he will be a good dad to her daughter, Genevieve (Alix West Lefler), who may also be his––she eventually flatlines.
Cara dies as her boyfriend Jake (Jordan Calloway) races to get to the scene. But they’re too late, and other Cal Fire staples Vince (Billy Burke), Sharon (Diane Farr), and Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) comfort Jake as Bode and Diego are forced to stop their attempts to revive her. It’s a heart-wrenching moment that’s made worse by Jake’s attempts to calm Cara, telling her that he loves her as he desperately attempts to propose through the tears. The episode doesn’t end there, though. Next, we’re at Cara’s funeral where Bode and Gen share a small moment as Jake helps his “niece” say goodbye to her mom. Of course, Genevieve didn’t always know she was Cara’s daughter. For most of her life, she was raised by her grandparents while believing that Cara was her older sister, but the truth was far messier than that.
Gen was conceived during a time when Cara and Bode were on-again/off-again, and so her exact parentage is up for debate. The knowledge that he could be Gen’s father has changed Bode’s life, but now that her mother is gone, it will only make their relationship harder moving forward. Cara’s death puts Genevieve’s fate up in the air. With Bode in prison, he can’t exactly care for her. She’s been living with Cara and Jake (whom she calls “Uncle Jake”), but that might not last long after Cara’s death. In the best-case scenario, now that Vince and Sharon know that they might be grandparents through Bode and Cara, Gen could go and live with the Leones until Bode can get himself out of fire camp. It’s not ideal, especially since she doesn’t know her potential grandparents terribly well, but it’s better than her being alone and uncared for.
Bode and Jake’s Relationship Will Be Put to the Test on ‘Fire Country’
While Cara’s death will undoubtedly affect her daughter’s life the most, Gen isn’t the only one who is going to struggle through Fire Country now that she’s gone. In the past, Bode and Jake have found themselves at odds over certain relationships. Back in Season 1, it was revealed that Jake once dated Bode’s sister, Riley (Jade Pettyjohn), back before Bode left and ended up in prison. To make things even worse, his cheating on Riley incited a horrible break-up that ultimately resulted in a highly emotional brother-sister ride, which ended when Bode crashed their car. Cara isn’t the only girlfriend of Jake’s who died in a car wreck where Bode was involved, and while Cara’s death isn’t on Bode at all, Jake may have trouble seeing it any other way.
Although these two have worked so hard to build trust back with one another, Cara’s death might put a wrench in the whole thing. Not only did Jake and Bode both lose Riley when they were young, but the entire first season of Fire Country chronicled the relationship between Bode and Gabriela, who was first Jake’s girlfriend. After becoming infatuated with Bode, Gabriela eventually left Jake behind for him, which only made things more estranged between the two friends, who were once as close as brothers. Again, Cara’s death here might not result in such a dramatic shift between Bode and Jake, but given their track record and complicated romantic histories, it seems likely that this will blow up in the near future. Even if it’s just a short bout of grief these two throw at each other, Bode and Jake could butt heads again now that Cara’s gone.
