Yes, Jake Needs To Leave Edgewater but Not ‘Fire Country’

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Fire Country Season 3, Episode 17.

To say that Fire Country has been struggling with how to handle Jake Crawford's (Jordan Calloway) arc for much of its third season would be an understatement. He went into the season as Gen's (Alix West Lefler) father and sole guardian, still grieving the loss of his fiancée and her mother, Cara (Sabina Gadecki). The season has since taken Gen away to live with her biological family whom she just met, and has mostly just been using Jake to further other characters' storylines along, like having him and Bode (Max Thieriot) become roommates, and having him briefly backslide with Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila).

Now, though, Fire Country is finally doing something interesting with Jake this season – and no, it's not his underwritten romance with Violet (Nesta Cooper). As of the last two episodes of Fire Country, Jake started opening his eyes to the inherent nepotism of Station 42 and the ways in which the Leones are often unable to separate their family issues from their work. As such, Vince (Billy Burke) and Sharon's (Diane Farr) recent poor treatment of Jake is leading him to consider leaving Edgewater to go work at another station (and honestly, who can blame him?). Fire Country needs to keep Jake around, but he should leave the station for now, at least long enough for the Leones to understand how important he is to the 42.

'Fire Country' Is Finally Calling Out the Leones' Special Treatment of Bode Over Jake

In Fire Country Season 3, Episode 16, "Dirty Money," Vince makes a throw-away comment in front of everyone about Bode being the future of Station 42. Jake is quite literally the captain of the station while Bode is just a probie, so this naturally hurts his feelings and causes himconcern. Jake handles this maturely by taking it up with Vince directly, but Vince just gets defensive and dismissive, leading Jake to start thinking more seriously about his own role at 42. While it's great that Bode has gotten the chance to become a firefighter after Three Rock, Jake has been around for a number of years, putting in the work to get to where he is. It is wildly unfair that Bode can just show up and already be expected to surpass Jake at 42 one day, simply because he is a Leone.

The Leones' special treatment of their son at work has always been noticeable, but since Bode has been working at 42, it is even more glaring. Bode is constantly breaking the rules, making choices that go against protocol, and speaking disrespectfully to his parents while on the job. Nevertheless, Bode gets away with it every single time because he is a Leone. The Leones made it a point on their fishing trip to call Jake an honorary member of the family when it suited them, but Jake is not a Leone, and he does not get treated as such. The special treatment and measures in place to protect and support Bode are just not given to Jake.

In Fire Country's most recent episode, "Fire and Ice," Sharon and Bode are fighting about the Oxalta situation, and they let it affect their work. They get into a screaming match at 42 during work hours, and Jake has to intervene by reminding Sharon that he is Bode's Captain, and Bode that Sharon is the Division Chief. Then, while dealing with an avalanche, Bode comes up with a decent plan that Jake wants to use. Sharon refuses the plan because she's mad at Bode, but Jake uses it anyway, because it's the right plan. The plan works, but Sharon angrily suspends Jake for a week for disobeying her orders, even though she knows that she made the wrong call. Meanwhile, after Jake calls Sharon out, she immediately goes to apologize... to Bode. Jake, on the other hand, is still suspended.

'Fire Country' Needs To Give Jake a Break From Station 42

When Audrey (Leven Rambin) expresses her enthusiasm to Jake about the job in Fire Country's latest episode, he warns her that 42 has an unbreakable glass ceiling, and that she should leave if she wants to move up in her career. Jake later apologizes for saying this, but he is not wrong. For those without the last name Leone, there is only so far to go at 42. Jake was already considering leaving before getting suspended, and hopefully, this will be what leads him to really take some time away. The Leones have been taking Jake for granted for a long time. They make very little effort to separate their personal and professional lives, often disregarding pretty much anyone but each other when they are dealing with a family problem.

With Jake gone for a while, the Leones can get a taste of what it is like when he is not the Captain, and can see first-hand that Bode simply does not have the training, experience, or respect for rules that it takes to lead the firehouse. Some time away will be good for Jake, too. He can see who he is outside of the Leones, and be given the respect and appreciation that he deserves on the job. It can also give him the time to think more deeply about his future outside of work as well, and could possibly be the push he needs to go fight for Gen and finally bring his daughter back home. This suspension is the last straw, particularly because Jake was punished for behavior that would have gotten Bode rewarded. Jake should not immediately return to 42 after this suspension, and should let the Leones see what it's like to do this job without him there. They will certainly be in for a rude awakening.