Spoilers for Episode 17 – “A Cry for Help” – of Fire Country ahead. Read with caution.
In true cliffhanger fashion, Episode 16 of Fire Country left us believing that one of the show’s main characters, Jake, might be the series’ big bad. That allegation was the primary plot point of Episode 17, as the crew tried to solve the mystery of who the serial arsonist was, and Jordan Calloway’s character was the prime suspect. However, the mystery was quickly solved, and Jake’s name was cleared, thanks to Bode. But while we might have figured out whodunnit, there are bound to be ramifications surrounding everyone, except Max Thieriot's character, who thought one of the show’s primary characters was the man behind all these fires.
Turns Out It Wasn’t Jake Who Started All Those Fires, It Was A Probie
Throughout the entire episode, evidence was building up against Jake. He was in Drake County the night a fire was started there, a fire starter was taken from the department’s inventory, and he has a history of arson. However, it turns out, there was another firefighter among the Fire Country cast who had a history of arson, and he’s way worse. This is because he lied to the department to get the job, and ratted Jake out during the investigation of the wildfire from the previous episode. Although, thanks to Bode, the fake firefighter was found out, and quickly taken in.
As the crew fought the episode’s fire Bode was multitasking and conducting his own investigation into the wildfire from the last episode. He swiftly learned that Collin O’Reilly isn’t who he says he is, because the firefighter Collin claimed to be the son of doesn’t have any kids. Max Thieriot’s character gets Manny to do some sleuthing, and they find out that the probie’s real name is Alex and he has a history of starting fires. The 3 Rock firefighters quickly get the ball rolling with Sharon, and Alex is taken away. However, Jake still feels betrayed.
How Will Everyone Blaming Jake Impact Their Relationships With Him?
While no one wanted to believe Jake was the serial arsonist, they all found reasons to blame him. Sharon and Vince covered up Jake’s fire from when he was a child, and Eve told Gabriela that Jordan Calloway’s character had lied to her for a long time about dating Riley. With all these past experiences, plus the (planted) evidence, it seemed like all roads led to him. However, it didn’t and the firefighter was understandably upset about his crew not having his back.
As Season 1 wraps up on the 2023 TV schedule, I’d assume the ramifications of blaming Jake will ripple through the rest of the episodes, in both good and bad ways. The negative ramifications will be all around Jake’s relationships with the Leone parents. Building that trust back up will take time, and things might get awkward moving forward. However, I’m sure he’ll forgive them eventually. I'd also assume that the legal ramifications of employing an arsonist will also be an issue the crew has to face as the season moves forward.
While there are going to be ramifications, there was also a bit of good to come out of all this. Bode and Jake have had a turbulent relationship, to put it lightly, all season between their messy love triangle and past trauma. However, they had a meaningful heart-to-heart at the end of the episode, where Jake confides in Bode, and he tells him why he started the fire when he was kid. Jake Calloway’s character also revealed that he was in Drake County to find the kid his dad had after leaving him and his mom to see if the child could be a donor match for Sharon. The conversation ends with Bode comforting his friend, saying he “has a brother in me, always.” This moment showed true growth for both characters, and hopefully, it means they’ll start to become real friends again as the series continues, while Jake and co. deal with the ramifications of the serial arsonist.
Calloway teased on Instagram that “the truth and Jake and his actions” would be revealed in this episode, and they sure were, now, I’m curious to see how everything that went down in Episode 17 will impact the rest of the series. In the past, character deaths have been teased, we’ve lost members of the crew and many have had to deal with past trauma. It seems clear that this situation with the serial arsonist is something that will change the crew forever, especially Jake, as he works to trust his friends and loved ones again after they all thought he did it.
To find out what happens to the Cal Fire crew next, be sure to tune into new episodes of Fire Country every Friday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, or stream them the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.
