Fire Country season 2 episode 5 recap: [Spoiler] doesn't survive the ambulance crash

Hello, Fire Country fam! Welcome to my first recap of our beloved show. What you should know about this article is that it's split into three sections that equate to the three main storylines that take place in season 2 episode 5, "This Storm Will Pass," that way it's easy for you to jump to the recap of events that you're most interested in.

I'm going to start with Eve and Manny's plot with Three Rock, before moving into Station 42's rescue of a group of kids and their coach, and then end with the aftermath of the ambulance accident. Below, you'll find a table of contents for your convenience, just click on a link and it will take you directly to that section.

Now, without further ado, here's what happened, including the life changing event at the end of the episode.

Tensions are high as Three Rock shelters at Smokies

When a fire tornado forms after the chemical plant fire (from "Too Many Unknowns"), Station 42 and the Three Rock crew split up. Eve makes the decision for the team to head back to camp since all they have are Pulaski axes and that's not going to be enough to combat the effects of the weather phenomenon. It doesn't help matters that the inmates aren't seeing it for her right now because they all know that she plans to send Cole back to prison.

Seeing the rising animosity, Manny asks Vince if he can ride with Three Rock. He wants to help keep the peace since it's only Eve and a single correctional officer (Murphy) holding things together with a very disgruntled team of inmates. Vince gives the go ahead and tells them to seek shelter if the fire tornado gets anywhere near them.

Of course, that's exactly what happens so the crew try to ride out the storm in Smokies. Too bad Don, the owner, doesn't make that easy at first. He draws a gun on them, acting brand new as if he's never served Eve or Manny in this establishment or is familiar with the Three Rock firefighters. Murphy is also present but this man seems not to care. Fear is a powerful stimulant.

The situation at Smokies gets handled rather quickly thanks to Cole. He grabs the gun from Don and clearly states his intentions so that Murphy doesn't shoot him when all he was doing was de-escalating things. The men of Three Rock continue to stick up for Cole, as they should, asking if Eve is really still going to send him back to prison since he saved Bode and now he just saved them.

Having calm down and now slightly embarrassed, Don explains himself. Smokies is home to him so he was basically going go down with his ship like a captain would. He couldn't stand the idea of leaving only to return to a demolished building. This doesn't explain why he thought they were looters or why he continued to train his gun on them after they identified themselves but the episode moves on, so we have no choice but to do so as well.

Even as the crew is working together to reinforce the windows at the restaurant, they still have time to air their feelings about Eve's decision making. Cole, ever the instigator, tells them he wishes he could help but he's still in solitary, which comically is a table for the time being.

This prompts Manny to have an aside with her because he's worried she's about to lose the crew. She, however, is concentrated on the family of Cole's victim who don't think he deserves to be working a program like this. The thing is, Eve is being incredibly shortsighted and focusing only on what Cole has been charged with and not on his story. Manny points this out but her mind is on what the victim's family could do to Three Rock if they decide to go to the press and the camp gets shut down.

Manny cuts right through her reasoning because he's worried that the camp is going to shut Eve down. She is steadily losing her authority with the men of Three Rock and that is highly dangerous. However, regaining it would mean Eve has to change her mind, which in this context would look weak to the DOC (Department of Corrections). Again, Manny doesn't care about any of that because if this ship sails, Eve could be in deeply troubled waters.

Eve only has a moment to let Manny's words sink in because the fire tornado has made its way into town and the restaurant's glass windows are breaking from the force of the wind. For some reason, no one reinforced the entrance to Smokies so that door swings open like it's got nothing better do. Eve goes to pull it close and then winds up clinging to the handle for dear life as she's lifted off her feet.

Cole goes charging over to the door to pull her to safety but he's only able to ground her at first. Manny comes up next to help, while he's doing so, however, Cole briefly gets flung away into a car's side mirror (ouch!) before they're both pulled to safety. With his injury, this is the perfect opportunity for him and Eve to talk since she's got to patch him up. And we finally get the story behind Cole's third degree murder charge.

Eve shares that personal history has colored her view of him. Her parents moved the family to Edgewater for many reasons but a big one was the murder of her cousin. He'd been walking when a man on the street robbed him, but the thief didn't stop there. He shot her cousin for no other reason than that he could and the criminal was never found.

So, she asks Cole to tell her what happened so that she knows more than what's on his record. Apparently, Cole was at his kid's game. Another parent in attendance, grabbed his son by his arm. The man was screaming at him about his defense. Seeing that he put his hands on his son, Cole shoved him hard enough for him to fall.

When the man fell, he hit his head. He died at the hospital and it was revealed that his victim had an underlying condition. But Cole does recognize that despite that, he never should have shoved him. He's aware of his temper, it's also how he ended up on A block. He has been working on his anger, that's how he got the green light for being a part of the Three Rock program. He's still working on it.

Hearing his story, Eve states that the victim's family had the right to write a letter but so does she and she's going to write one on his behalf. She's going to share what he did at the chemical plant and at Smokies. Also, Eve will tell the DOC that she made a mistake. She's firm and supportive as she says to him that he's not going anywhere.

Presumably, this means that Cole is not going to be the inmate who runs away from camp in season 2 episode 6, "Alert the Sheriff." This storyline wraps with Eve earning back the respect of the crew for reversing her call.

The fire tornado brings a BIG reveal for Vince and Sharon

Elsewhere, the members of Station 42 are easing their fire truck through a destroyed residential area. They're on the lookout for anyone they might need to help but, as Vince puts it, what they're seeing looks like a "war zone." On the radio, it's reported that Memorial Hospital is in the path of the fire tornado. This ups the concern Vince, Sharon, Jake, and Gabriela are feeling since that's where they think Bode, Cara, and Diego are.

This is the kind of scenario where secrets start spilling out and that's exactly what happens. Sharon tries to reassure Gabriela by reminding her that she's getting married and then tacks on that Jake is, too. Gabi didn't know this but, regardless, she's happy that he's going to be proposing. The conversation, however, triggers an anxiety induced blab of the facts from Jake who explains that when he says that his relationship dynamic is complicated, he means that!

Jake shares that Genevieve is Cara's daughter not her sister and that Bode maybe the preteen's dad. With him not knowing where any of them are, he felt the need to tell someone what's been going on and now three people who have been left out of the loop have been brought up to speed. Interestingly, Gabriela seems stuck on the fact that the girl Bode had been referring to could possibly be his daughter not another love interest. As Gode shipper (I'm not using Bodiela, y'all. I'm just not.), I was quite pleased with her reaction.

It was back to business for the quartet when Jake noticed a fire near an electrical box at the park. They got to work knocking it down with Gabriela and Jake on hose duty, while Vince and Sharon released the water. The latter got a moment to talk about their feelings regarding the Genevieve situation and here is where Billy Burke had teased the two have differing perspectives on the issue.

Sharon is scared because so much has happened to their children. Riley passed. Bode developed an addiction and though he doesn't use anymore that will always be a part of his history. He's also incarcerated. In contrast, Vince can't quite believe they've been grandparents for 12 years without their knowledge but learning that he has a grandchild is a dream come true for him.

Though the fire is put out, 42 isn't able to leave because Jake hears crying children. Lo and behold, there's a group of them hiding out with their coach in a storage cabin. Sharon goes to comfort one little girl who lets out a sob in fear. The young soccer player is concerned they're going to get blown away. She's seen The Wizard of Oz, she knows what's up! But Sharon reminds her there are flying monkeys in that movie and that it's fictional which gets the girl to smile until the cabin slats start rattling with the wind.

A new tactic is necessary to calm her down and Sharon has just the one. She tells her that her daughter was terrified of thunder at her age. Riley would cry in the bed as the storm raged outside but Sharon would tell her, "Every storm passes. The sun always comes back out," because it's true. No matter how scary it is in the moment, eventually the weather will break.

It, however, is not going to break fast enough for them all to stay sheltered in the cabin, so 42 throws out a Hail Mary. They're going to take cover under the fire engine. I know, I know, but go with it. Gabriela uses her youth swim coach skills to get the kids motivated and focused on the task at hand. Energized and knowledgeable about the plan, everyone makes a run for the engine as the fire tornado bears down on them.

There's a close call when Sharon and the girl fall but Vince scoops her up and they're running again. They all make it to the engine but they have to crawl under it and hope that it's enough to keep them alive.

Vince, who happens to be King of Optimism this episode, chimes in with this being a story they could tell their grandchild one day. In contrast, Sharon is pessimistic but she channels those feelings into telling Vince that he's the best decision she's ever made and that he's the love of her life and whatever comes after this existence. He has been there for her even when she was chasing after Bode and then chasing after herself.

Not to be left to be the only one to make such a grand speech, Sharon tells Vince that it's his turn to say something, so he says that if he's dying, he's exactly where he wants to be, here with her. They exchange I love yous before the fire tornado passes over the fire engine. It does so without incident because if there's going to be a mass casualty on Fire Country it's not going to involve the deaths of four of the main characters. However, that does not mean that we're getting out of "This Storm Will Pass," without a death. And let me tell you, it's a move I wish the series did not make.

Tragedy strikes after the ambulance accident

We're immediately brought into the aftermath of the ambulance accident. Bode is banged up but this is Fire Country, so it's no surprise that he's the one that's going to get the ball rolling in the effort to help Cara who has been impaled through her torso but she's alive and checking her pupils with a flashlight and a mirror.

Diego is using the radio to call for help to no avail, but he's pinned by the steering wheel so he can't get out of the driver's seat to assist Cara. The correctional officer from episode 4 has died, which we all expected, and he's the one with the keys to unlock Bode from the gurney but Diego can't reach them.

While he's struggling to MacGyver his way out of this situation, Bode notes that "this is more than just a storm," highlighting how dire their situation is considering a fire tornado has made itself known. He vows to get Cara safely back to Jake and her daughter, but she corrects him by saying, "Our daughter." The shift in perspective stuns him considering she'd recently said that she didn't think it was a good idea to involve him in Genevieve's life. But the accident has changed things and she makes that clear to him.

Eventually, Bode passes the long pole he was able to grab to Diego. While doing so he attempts to make amends by cleaning up the mess he had made at the chemical plant incident. He explains to Diego, who'd overheard Bode tell Gabriela that he loves her, that he had been injured and out of it but her fiancé doesn't want to hear any of that noise. Understandably. As Diego points out, it's under those circumstances that people tend to tell the truth. It's a bit of a yikes situation but, as Cara reminds them, it's neither the time nor the place. Hello, she's impaled, y'all! Well...she was.

See when Diego got the keys and tossed them back for Bode to try to catch, Cara instinctively went to grab them when they flew past him. In doing so she yanked herself off of the piece of metal she'd been impaled on. To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, "Big mistake. Big. Huge!"

After Bode gives Cara gauze to put on her profusely bleeding wound, he goes to get Diego out because what she needs is someone with medical expertise and that is not him. The two have a needed conversation while Bode is trying to remove the tree branch from the steering wheel.

Diego informs Bode that he doesn't feel threatened by him and isn't jealous, he's protective of Gabriela because he hurt her. Bode acknowledges that Diego makes her happy and that's what he wants for her. With the branch removed, Diego's able to crawl back to help Cara.

She wants to get up and try to get to the hospital, but he disagrees due to the storm. He wants to sit tight and wait for help not to mention walking isn't an option for Cara because she'd bleed out. Bode says he'll carry her but Diego shuts that down, reading that what he needs is to be the hero right now but that's not what the situation calls for.

Cara asks Bode if he thinks they should go, it's a panicked response because Diego's plan to pack her wound and start an IV isn't going to be enough. Her pupil is blown. She'd hoped it would go down but it hasn't which means she has likely has an epidural hematoma from the crash and she's got a bleed in her brain. She needs a hospital.

Cue a bucket load of sadness because I'm going to tell you right now, Cara's not going to make it. She has enough time to walk back what she'd said to Bode and explain why she said what she did. Cara had been scared, she'd only seen him as a prisoner and not the good guy she'd known when they were dating in high school before his baseball injuries and the drugs. She acknowledged that he's still that guy and apologized for letting her fear blind her to that truth.

Cara's speech tugs on the heart strings but it's also meant to get Bode to recognize that Genevieve is going to need him along with Jake and the community of good people that she's going to need to surround her. She's accepting that she's not going to make it out of this situation, and she makes Bode promise that he'll be there for Gen. The acting in this sequence with Sabina Gadecki and Max Thieriot is exceptional.

When Cara falls unconscious, Bode panics, but Diego doesn't have a drill to help relieve the pressure in her skull, he also notes that even if he did it would be "insane" to do something like that in the field. If you haven't caught on that Diego is a very practical paramedic, here's your neon sign. He has no tricks to pull out of his bag this is not New Amsterdam, The Good Doctor, or Grey's Anatomy. (Though I suspect if Gabriela were here this would be going down differently, but I digress).

Diego directs Bode to be Cara's lungs by ventilating for her. He also takes a moment to say that he was wrong about Bode, and basically that he was in his feelings about Bode's love declaration because Gabi has been having misgivings about coming over to 58 with him.

Bode, being Bode, interrupts him to be honest. He's always going to love Gabriela and that's his problem and no one else's. He gets why she loves Diego and that's because he's good for her. The moment is cut short when Cara starts to crash, of course, this is when the radio starts to crackle back to life triggering one of the saddest scenes Fire Country has ever done.

Vince answers Diego's call for help prompting the paramedic to fill him in on the situation. Jake asks to talk to Cara, but Bode has to inform him that she can't because she's unconscious. With the storm passing over the mountains, they can get a medivac to them but the problem is Cara doesn't have enough time.

The crew in the fire engine have to listen as Diego tries to save Cara. He's using a defibrillator but it's not working. Then he tries chest compressions, and we have to hear Jake give Cara a version of the speech he was going to give her when he proposed that night.

Jake tells her that it's okay and it's just the two of them, trying to get her to stay with him but she flatlines. At that point, Diego calls it and I'm sorry but as someone who has watched many a medical drama that did not sit well with me. My spirit was irked! Jordan Calloway's shell shock in this moment though was great, what a performance.

"This Storm Will Pass" ends with Cara's funeral. Her loved ones are all in attendance, with Genevieve sticking close to Jake as they stand before the grave site. When she looks over her shoulder, she sees that Bode was also able to come, and Jake acknowledges him as well.

Gen is the first person to place a white rose on her mother's casket after it's lowered in the ground. We, however, don't stay with this family unit because we've got to circle back to the Gode of it all. Do know, I love them but considering we lost Cara, I wish the focus remained on Jake and Genevieve.

As Gabriela and Diego are leaving the funeral, she lets him know that she's going to stay at 42 because they're the family she believes that she'll always have. He gets it because he knows that the team needs her and, for her, the silver lining is that she'll be able to come home to him. Though given the pull she has toward Bode, I do wonder how long she's going to hold onto the idea that it's her and Diego forever.

When they both notice Bode standing over yonder, Diego gives his silent agreement that Gabi should go talk to him. In a bit of unsubtle framing, Sharon and Vince are a ways behind Diego looking over at the conversation their son is having with the woman he loves.

It's about Bode possibly being Genevieve's father. They're both hopeful that he is, and Gabriela thinks the preteen would be lucky to have him as a father. Bode tells her that he believes Gabi is lucky, too, because she's found the man for her, someone who deserves her.

When Bode brings up what he said in the triage tent, it's unknown if he was going to try to explain it away again or apologize, but she cuts him off to say that she knows it's true and that she loves him as well. Gabriela sees him as family and that they'll always have that kind of bond. Given they're grieving Cara's loss, they could use all the love they can get, and then she proceeds to hold his hand.

Judging by Diego's face, it's not looking too familial from his perspective. It's giving intimate and he's very aware of that. The two part, and Bode gets to share a look with his parents before he's taken back to Three Rock by C.O. Murphy.

That's it for this week's recap, Fire Country fam. See you in the next one where Morena Baccarin makes her debut as Sheriff's Deputy Mickey!