'Fire Country': Jordan Calloway Teases 'Big Stuff' for Season 2 After Intense Premiere (Exclusive)

The highly-anticipated second season of Fire Country has finally premiered, and an earthquake was not the only thing to rock Edgewater. Following the events of the Season 1 finale, the series jumped ahead six months, and some things changed. This included Jake now being captain of Station 42, and he, Cara, and Gen having a pretty good routine down. He also told Bode, while in prison, that he's a dad.

Jordan Calloway exclusively spoke to PopCulture.com about what to expect for the rest of Season 2 and what the aftermath of the premiere will be like for Jake and the rest of Edgewater. Spoilers ahead for Fire Country Season 2, Episode 1 ("Something's Coming")

PC: What kind of character development can we expect for Season 2 now that Jake has really started to come into his own as a firefighter, and he's starting to take more charge now?

Calloway: We're finding Jake where he's in a new position, a new role. He's got a different colored helmet, it's red, he's captain. I think with Jake, his maturation is key that you're going to be seeing in Season 2. You see Jake going from the firefighter ladies' man and just like a big kid. And now he's taking responsibility. I mean, he's kind of been thrown into it with Cara telling him, "Yeah, I'm a mom, so if you want this to work out, you're going to have to hop on board." "Yes, ma'am." So I'm excited to see the juxtaposition of the Household Jake, as well as the Captain Jake. And [what] I love in the first episode was, Manny even gives him that advice of like, "Hey, if you're in a new position, you can't worry about your loved ones."

This major earthquake has rattled all of Edgewater. You can't worry about them because you have a responsibility to your crew. And if you're distracted, it's only going to lead to catastrophe. And so that's reinforced with the decisions that Jake is having to make. These calls on his own. Not being dependent on Vince. Not being dependent on Sharon. So he's stepping into that responsibility, he's taking on that responsibility. And we also see that captain, we see a shine of that captain responsibility when he's trying to rally the troops at the beginning of the episode. I'm really happy about this season because you get to see more of Jake's heart. You get to see how soft and sensitive he actually is. And he's a hero. But I mean, Superman has his Lois.

And I'm glad that Sabina, she's done such a great job too. It's like we get to see Jake step into or have love. Something that he was so away from in the beginning. He wasn't even sure of. And what better person than to do it, than the one that he has been fawning over since high school. That he's always had a crush on since high school. And it was so well done how they did it, too. But I'm excited for you guys to see that maturation, the ups, the downs that Jake's going to go through. I'm really excited for that for you guys.

PC: Jake found out in the first season that not only is Gen Cara's biological daughter but that she is most likely Bode's. Since he did tell Bode in the Season 2 premiere, how do you think that will affect his relationship with Bode and Cara since she wanted to keep it secret?

Calloway: I think it is very true to who Jake is. I think maybe Jake put his foot in his mouth. Maybe he went too far in telling certain things to Bode. But at the end of the day, he has no remorse. He saved his friend and the possible father of his new friend that he loves, Genevieve. Because he loves her like his own daughter. Because she has become his own through Cara. And my dad, side note, my dad is my stepdad. But my parents are high school sweethearts.

So like, it was so easy to just pull from him and see the same man that they have now molded: Joan, Tony, Tia, and Max. And that's pop. That's easy. I can tap into that. That's a strong man. So I'm really happy with where Jake will be handling all of this stuff. But it's a big secret that it's been weighing on him. That it's been him and steaming him up from inside. And he needs to be able to get that off. He needs to be able to express that and tell someone, especially Bode. And it ends up saving Bode's life. So that's a beautiful thing right there.

PC: Now that the series is really starting to get off its feet, what are you most excited to explore with Jake for Season 2?

Calloway: For Season 2, like I said, I'm happy for the audience to see his heart, to see his intention, to see his empathy, to see him as a captain. Also showcasing all of those great traits that do make a captain. I'm excited to see Jake painted in a different light than where we saw him in Season 1. I don't think Jake in Season 1 was a bad person. I just think he was immature. I think he was younger. And now we're seeing him, not even in that position yet, but still growing in it, still stepping in. Which is the beautiful thing about it. I mean, when you look at a hero's tale, if you look at any of the Greek mythos or the hero's journey, it's a journey. And so you're getting to see Jake's journey of responsibility and maturation and as a man taking on these responsibilities. So I'm really excited about seeing that.

PC: Is there anything else that you can tease about Season 2 or something that you're hoping to see?

Calloway: I would probably say I'm excited for you guys to meet Tye White, who is a friend of mine. He's Cole. His story sounds like it's going to be a really good one. I'm excited to see how he's also a voice of reason or not for Bode. I'm excited to work with Jason O'Mara, who's really talented. And I mean, it is hard not to just be like, man, with his accent, and just demeanor, jaw bone. It's like, "Dang, I want to be like you when I grow up." And then you also have Morena. I mean, I'm really excited about the roster that they have put together. Rafa, we've brought a lot of really talented people on board. And not just talented, but also really good people to work with. Happy to be here, have the right mindset.

When we're out here filming, it's not all rainbows. We're not on set all the time. We're wildland firefighters, so we're out there in the thick of it, in the sticks with the crew, who I love dearly. And just seeing my boy, Tye, he's from Detroit, he's like, "It's cold." I was like, "Welcome to Fire Country." He's like, "Let's hit it." That mentality, working with people with that mentality that like to come to work, that like to show up, that is huge for me. So, I'm excited for you guys to see all of our new cast members.

Alex, who plays little Genevieve, she's a sweetheart. Just talented, talented individuals and just beautiful artists and the right attitude. That's one of the things that we've created here at Fire Country, is having that right mindset coming in, happy to work. And guess what, you're part of the Fire Country family. You're a part of the family, so feel free, come on in because we're going to have a good time. So, I'm excited for you guys to see these characters and what they've worked on as well. And there's going to be a lot of really big stuff coming through, by the way. There's going to be a lot of big stuff. I mean, big, big stuff. I'm not going to ruin anything, but I don't know.

New episodes of Fire Country air on Fridays at 9 p.m. ET as part of CBS' 2024 spring schedule.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.