Fire Country Season 3 kicked off with an explosive season premiere,

with Edgewater facing a devastating helicopter crash. The helicopter

flying a banner over the wedding of Diego Moreno (Rafael de la Fuente)

and Gabriela Perez (Stephanie Arcila) experienced mechanical failure, creating swaths of damage around the town before crashing into the forest. It hits the bar and grill where Jake Crawford (Jordan Calloway), Genevieve Maisonette (Alix West Lefler), and Rick Stenger (Adam Aalderks) are eating, trapping Rick, Gen, and other bystanders under some dangerous debris. The situation proves that Rick Stengler is not the bad guy many expected him to be following his first appearance in the Season 2 finale, “I Do.” Considering that Rick is likely Genevieve’s biological father, perhaps it’s time for Jake to give Rick a chance to prove himself.

While trapped behind some hazardous debris at Smokey’s, Rick proved instrumental in helping and protecting Genevieve. He assisted her through the ordeal and ensured she wouldn’t panic. Additionally, Rick provided some quick medical attention to Gen, who dislocated her shoulder during the accident. Rick also put Genevieve’s safety above his own and avoided mentioning his debilitating cuts or injuries to keep attention and focus on Gen. It’s somewhat understandable that Jake was panicking throughout the entire situation. However, while Jake is a firefighter and an experienced expert in crisis situations, Rick skillfully maintains control, ensuring her safety.It’s easy to sympathize with Jake’s circumstances. In Season 2, he tragically lost his girlfriend, Cara (Sabina Gadecki), Gen’s mother. Jake was preparing to propose to her at the time of her unfortunate fatal accident. There was nothing he could do as he learned of the epidural hematoma that claimed her life. Gen is now Jake’s last connection to Cara, and he deeply cares for her. The fact that Jake refers to Genevieve as his child during the episode proves that he already views Genevieve as his daughter. Jake goes out of his way to look out for her and acts as her surrogate father. Since Jake is now her acting guardian, Jake’s behavior towards Gen proves his integrity. It’s also understandable that in a crisis such as this, where he came close to losing this surrogate daughter figure not long after losing the love of his life, he would panic and lose his composure. That aside, Jake needs to learn how to forgive Rick, just as he did with his longtime friend, Bode Leone (Max Thieriot).Rick’s appearances prove his character’s multiple layers, even though the show initially appeared to be setting him up as the bad guy. It looks like Rick has changed his ways for the better with his construction business. Rick is dutifully raising his kids and seems to be doing a decent job. After Rick, Gen and the other bystanders were saved from the debris, Rick and Jake appeared to bond over their shared relationship with Cara. Rick reveals that Cara never judged him for his mistakes, despite their different backgrounds. Rick genuinely cared for Cara in their youth. Jake should be willing to offer the same grace to Rick as he did to Bode. Rick deserves a chance to earn redemption and prove himself as a genuine father to Gen.