Fire Country boss teases [spoiler]'s heartbreaking presence and how it'll affect Jake in season 3

Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for the Fire Country season 2 finale

Fire Country’s season 2 finale had a lot of wild moments and that includes heartbreak for Jake! How does this play into Season 3?

Jake has been through a wringer in Fire Country season 2. He and Cara had been doing great only for Cara to drop the bomb that her "sister" Genevive was actually her daughter…and she thought Bode was the father. This had complications when Bode returned to Three Rock and he and Jake were not sure how to handle this.

It led to Cara dying after a car crash, leaving Jake to try and raise Genevieve on his own while dealing with his own grief. It got worse when a DNA test confirmed Bode wasn’t the father. Still, Jake and Genevieve were doing well with the Season 2 finale having Bode finally released from prison. 

The pair ran into Rick Stengler (Adam Aalderks), an old friend from high school described as major trouble. He’d been the one leading Bode into drugs and now offering him a job working construction. It went badly with Rick accidentally setting a fire and Bode having to save a kid from it. He accused Rick of being high with Rick firing back that he’d been clean for two years and, like Bode, was trying to turn his life around. 

Jake met Rick at a bar to apologize only for Rick to reveal he didn’t come back to town for Bode. He’d read about Cara’s death and remembered how they’d had a fling years before. Yes, Rick believed he was Genevieve’s real dad and, unaware of Cara and Jake being together, told Jake he was hoping to connect to his daughter. 

Jake’s face spoke for many fans at how this could ruin his plans to adopt Genevieve and likely to be a big part of Season 3. 

Speaking to TV Line, showrunner Tia Napolitano discussed Jake’s feelings in the final scene and what this means for Season 3. 

"If Rick’s been incarcerated, just like Bode has, and is claiming to be clean now, just like Bode, it tests our people’s belief in redemption. Is redemption just for Bode or is it for all people? Is Rick redeemable? Can we open our hearts to him? But Jake’s heart is going to break over and over. This Gen thing just got settled, and for it to be ripped open by Rick’s presence is going to be heartbreaking for him. Jake looks at Genevieve just sipping that milkshake and he knows this bullet is coming for her, and he can’t protect her from it."

Obviously, Jake is caught in the middle as denying Gen a chance to know her true father isn’t good. At the same time, while Rick claims to be clean, Jake may feel himself doubting it although that could be influenced by how he just doesn’t want to lose Genevieve. 

Bode will be affected, too, given his belief he was Genevieve’s father and still unsure of Rick’s intentions. Rick himself is likely to be a recurring character and might be getting a new job around town. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds, especially as it’s not completely confirmed if Rick is, in fact, Gen’s dad or not.

The focus is on Jake, who already lost Cara and might now lose his last link to her. The firefighter's struggle with whether he’ll be denied more happiness makes the wait for Fire Country Season 3 even harder. 

Fire Country Season 2 streaming on Paramount+.