Major spoilers ahead for Fire Country Season 2. If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the series with a Paramount+ subscription.
As Sabina Gadecki told CinemaBlend, her character Cara’s death “doesn’t not hurt,” in fact, it was incredibly painful. Along with her, both Max Thieriot and Jordan Calloway were saddened by the news that this important woman in their characters’ lives had unexpectedly died. However, through tragedy, people can grow and become even better. I think that’s what is going to happen with Bode, especially when it comes to his relationships with Jake and Gen, and Thieriot agrees.
While Cara’s Death Is Tragic, I Think It Well Send Bode Down A Good Path
Following the scary ambulance crash on Fire Country, Cara sustained major injuries that led to her death. This meant her daughter Gen was left with Jake, Cara’s boyfriend, and Bode, her maybe (probably) biological father.
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In her final moments, Cara told Bode to help Gen surround herself with as many people who love her as they could. I think he is going to take those words to heart and really step up as one of the parental figures in Gen’s life. That means working really hard toward parole, working on his relationships with Jake and his parents, and continuing to be the standup guy we know he is.
Throughout Season 2 we’ve seen Max Thieriot’s character try and step up. He hasn’t been as rebellious as he was in Season 1, and really the only reason he’s gotten in trouble was over a miscommunication when he tried to save a lost kid who had wandered into camp. Every time he had interacted with Cara, he showed how much he cared for her and Gen, and I think that will continue as he starts to grow a deeper relationship with this girl who he thinks of as a daughter.
Overall, learning that he might be Gen’s dad impacted him greatly. Therefore, everything seems to be pointing toward him grieving the loss of Cara, and then working to become the man she knew he could be. In her final moments, it felt like Cara had come to terms with the idea that Bode was Gen’s dad (even though we don’t scientifically know), and I think he feels the same way.
Obviously, loss is never good, and I’m so sad for Bode and his loved ones. However, in the grand scheme of the show, I think this moment will be pivotal, because it will help push him to be the best man he can be.
It turns out, Max Thieriot agrees, and he told CinemaBlend why he’s looking forward to seeing how his character handles this tragic situation and how it impacts his relationships with Gen and Jake.
Max Thieriot Agrees That Cara’s Death Could Help Bode And Jake Come Together
While speaking with me about this tragic episode of Fire Country, Max Thieriot teased what’s next for Bode. Considering Jake was playing a big role in Gen’s life while Cara was alive, it makes sense that he’ll still be one of her primary parental figures. It also feels like Bode will start to play a bigger role too, because the actor said he hopes to see his character grow from this loss into a better man and guardian:
I'm just looking forward to exploring how they deal with the aftermath of losing Cara, and how the two of them are going to continue to put aside any differences they may have, or whatever it may be in the best interest of this girl and figure out how they navigate that.
I truly don’t think Cara’s death is going to cause regression for Bode, I think it will motivate him to push forward. Gen has seen so much loss in her life, and she needs to have a strong and stable support system behind her. Thieriot’s character has the opportunity to do that, and it sounds like he wants to, especially when it comes to helping raise the young girl with Jake. Speaking about what he hopes to see when it comes to Bode and Jake’s relationship and friendship following this tragic event, the actor told me:
There are times when the two of them can work really well together we've seen. And then there are times where they just like, they're, it's like any almost brother relationship, right? It's like, you know the person better than anyone and, you can almost know what they're thinking without them saying anything. But, then at the same time, there are those moments where brothers end up fighting.
While the road ahead for Bode, Jake and the Fire Country cast will no doubt be bumpy, it sounds like they all have Gen’s best interest in mind. Max Thieriot reiterated that point to me, and he noted that moving forward his character will have to put Gen’s priorities before his. He said:
I think that that's going to continue to sort of be their journey, but just watching them try and put somebody else over both of their issues or priorities or whatever it may be, that journey I think, is, frankly, what I'm really excited about.
Bode has always been selfless, however, I think this new development will push him to truly mend his relationships with Jake and his parents, and it will set him on a journey toward real self-improvement.
He’s going to want to do what’s best for Gen, and I think that also means he’ll do what’s best for him.
As Fire Country keeps airing on the 2024 TV schedule, and everyone rises out of this tragic situation, I can’t wait to see how they grow, specifically Bode. To see how this story moves forward, and how Cara’s death hopefully positively impacts Max Thieriot’s character, you can catch new episodes of Fire Country every Friday on CBS at 9 p.m. ET or you can stream them the next day on Paramount+.
