Fire Country Finally Delivered On Bode & Jake's Famous Friendship After 3 Years

Warning! SPOILERS about Fire Country season 3, episode 11 ahead.

Ever since Bode received the extraordinary conduct credit at the end of Fire Country season 2, Bode and Jake have been inseparable, but for the first time in years, Fire Country season 3 finally showed how important the two’s friendship is instead of just talking about it. Walter asking Bode not to tell Vince about the tests led Bode away from his family home, forcing him to hide at Jake’s place in a bid to reduce the time Bode would have seen Vince, as more time together would have made it likelier for Bode to spill Walter’s secrets to Vince.

Bode and Jake’s moments together in Fire Country season 3, episode 11 showcased their relationship at last, after years of the firefighting drama sharing tales about their famed bond without proof to back it up, as Bode and Jake could only be seen together in Fire Country with Eve. Even Bode’s return to Edgewater started with Eve and Jake, but it did so in the worst possible way as Bode saved Jake’s life only to punch him the moment they were safe, as Bode partially faulted Jake for Riley’s death given they had broken up just before the car crash.

Jake & Bode's Friendship Was Always Talked About But Never Fully Shown In Fire Country

The Timing Wasn’t Right For Them To Salvage Their Friendship In Seasons 1 & 2

Bode’s return to Edgewater in Fire Country season 1 didn’t make it easy to show his and Jake’s friendship, because of how Bode left town and his being part of Three Rock. If seeing Eve brought back the good memories of their friendship growing up for Bode, seeing Jake only reminded Bode of how he broke Riley’s heart on her 16th birthday. This led to Jake unwittingly playing a hand in the car crash that killed Riley, since Bode got distracted after Riley tried to open the car door, pleading to return to the party, needing to speak with Jake.

Between Bode punching Jake the first chance he got and his being in Three Rock, there was no time for them to patch things up properly in Fire Country season 1. Bode and Gabriela’s evident feelings for one another, at a time when Gabriela was dating Jake, also hurt any chance of Bode and Jake to try and salvage their friendship. Despite all of that, Fire Country offered glimpses of what Bode and Jake’s bond was, as it was Jake’s choice to tell Bode about Gen possibly being his daughter that convinced Bode not to take his revenge on Sleeper.

Fire Country Season 3, Episode 11 Shows Bode & Jake Genuinely Want To Spend Time Together

All Their Exchanges Proved They Both Need Each Other’s Friendship

Bode finally earning his freedom tipped the scales in favor of his and Jake’s friendship in Fire Country season 3. Indeed, Jake losing Cara and Gen put him in a vulnerable position, but enough time had passed from the moment Cara died in the ambulance with Bode, making it easier to think of Bode as just his friend instead of the person who got to be there for Cara as she died. Jake offering Bode a roof over his head as Bode kept Walter’s secrets from Vince gave them a chance to share their daily life and rediscover their friendship.

Fire Country season 3, episode 11 went even further in showing Jake and Bode’s bond, as Jake tried to shield Bode from the heat after Vince discovered Bode was keeping Walter’s secret and even became a target of Vince’s anger because of it. Jake’s ideas for dinner turning into a proposal for Bode to move into his apartment full-time showed how much they both needed the change and wanted it. This proved a first for both, as Bode and Jake rarely showed enough vulnerability to admit their friendship’s importance, with Fire Country season 3, episode 11’s ending finally doing so.

Gabriela Secretly Revived Jake & Bode's Friendship

Jake Coming Clean About Hooking Up With Gabriela Pushed Them Closer

Gabriela leaving Jake for Bode in Fire Country season 1 established herself as a contentious point between the two, making her and Jake hooking up in Fire Country season 3, episode 7’s ending a fuse waiting to be lit up. However, Jake’s insistence on wanting to come clean with Bode actually revived their friendship, because it led Bode to admit he would always see Jake as family. Jake’s confession, aided by Bode’s feelings for Audrey, effectively turned the matter from a weak spot to Bode and Jake’s biggest strength because it highlighted how steadfast their bond was in Fire Country.