Bode Leone

Bode Leone (also known as Bode Donovan) is a young convict who had a promising future until life knocked him down following his sister's death. The soul of an artist and the rap sheet of a criminal, Bode believes Cal Fire may be his a second chance, but when the firefighting program returns him to his small Northern California hometown of Edgewater, Bode is forced to come face to face with the ghosts of his past.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Bode was born and raised in Edgewater. During his youth, he played baseball until he got injured and developed a drug addiction. Bode went through rehab and came out clean on the other side, just in time for his sister's birthday party, where he learned that Riley and Jake were dating until Jake broke her heart, resulting in her being upset when she died in a car accident with Bode at the wheel. After her death, their father told him to leave and never come back, which is exactly what Bode did. He left town, legally changed his last name to Donovan.^[1] However, at some point, he got caught up in a life of crime and was imprisoned for armed robbery of a liquor store.^[2]

Return to Edgewater[]

After Bode is denied parole, he enlists in the Cal Fire firefighting program in hopes of early release and turning his life around. Unfortunately, in doing so, Bode is returned to his hometown of Edgewater, where he attempts to get relocated to another camp. And so, that night, he and Freddy sneak out to the main road, where they await the arrival of a truck driver in camp, who agreed to allow Bode to use his phone. However, their transaction is delayed when Gabriela's car breaks down along the road.

The following day, Bode reveals to Manny that he robbed a man at gunpoint some years ago and that this man forgave him while reading a letter during his parole hearing. Bode wanted to succeed through the program, but he couldn't do it in Edgewater, given that he grew up there. However, their conversation is cut short when they're called in to a rapid fire near Buckeye Road, in Miller Canyon, where he saves Jake's life, only to then punch Jake, blaming him for his sister Riley's death.^[2]

Sent back to Prison[]

On the day of Bode's correctional parole board hearing, he is confronted by Melody Herard, an investigator for the state attorney general's office, who accuses Bode of being in a drug turf war at Three Rock and it's due to her investigation that Freddy's wrongful conviction case has been stalled. In order to ensure Freddy's release, Bode confesses to dealing drugs at Three Rock, which results in him being sent back to prison.^[3]

In prison, Bode intends to enact his revenge against Sleeper by first instigating fights with other inmates in order to make his way to Aspen Block, a cellblock for violent offenders, where Sleeper is also located. There, he intends to kill Sleeper in a knife fight. However, just before the showdown, Bode learns from Jake that he has a daughter with Cara named Genevieve. And so, Bode has a change of heart and decides to save Sleeper's life during an earthquake in exchange for him admitting to being the actual culprit responsible for the drugs at Three Rock.^[4]

Release from Three Rock[]

During the events of the Lazarus Campaign Fire, Vince gets entrapped in a forest fire that becomes uncontrollable. He is cut off from Jake and the rest of the Station 42 crew, and radios base camp to let them know of his situation. Gabriela wakes Bode letting him know his father is trapped. After requesting permission from Lazarus Division Chief Reese, to get engines close enough to the fire to drag hoses in hopes of putting it out, Bode, Sharon, Eve and Three Rock make their way there. However, by time they arrive the fire has become uncontrollable and the hoses barely make a dent. Bode volunteers to run a dangerous route into the fire to save his father and a fellow firefighter who is unconscious. With the help of Jake, he successfully rescues Vince and Eddie, and the crews head back to base.

After the Governor reinstates Three Rock, and the Lazarus Fire has successfully been contained, the crews head back to Edgewater. Upon arrival back at Station 42, Vince gathers Sharon and Bode, where he tells them that he got a call from CDCR Reese. Who was so impressed with Bode heroically saving Vince, that he submitted him for an Extraordinary Conduct Credit, which knocks 12 months off an incarcerated firefighter's sentence. With Bode having 11 months left on his sentence, Vince informs them that there is some paperwork to fill out, but that Bode is finally free. The rest of Three Rock cheer excitedly, as the Leones and Eve emotionally embrace.

Sometime later, he is officially paroled and the officer congratulated him but advised him to keep out of trouble for the first 72-hours. Afterwards, the inmates at Three Rock all cheer for Bode, who is soon reunited with his parents and Freddy.

Relationships[]

Sharon Leone[]

Sharon and Bode — Bode and Sharon at Three Rock

Bode and Sharon have a close relationship, especially in comparison to his father. Unlike Vince, Sharon tends to see the best in Bode in spite of his past behavior. Despite his involvement in the crash that killed Riley, she did not blame him nor did she hate him. In fact, she was devastated when Bode left town, and even more so after learning that he did so at Vince's behest. So when he finally returned to Edgewater as prisoner, she did all in her power to ensure that he remained, going as far as revealing to Manny that she was suffering from chronic kidney disease in hopes of swaying him to keep Bode on his crew, allowing them to spend as much time together as possible while Sharon remains functional.

Vince Leone[]

Vince and Bode — Bode attempting to talk some sense into Vince

In comparison to with his mother, Bode has a much less loving and personal relationship with his father, who blames Bode for Riley's death, for which he openly hated him for a time. Overwhelmed with grief and tired of giving Bode chances, Vince commanded his son to leave town, which he did, leaving Sharon devastated, and their family fractured even further. And when Bode returned to Edgewater as an inmate at Three Rock Con Camp, Vince's feelings of resent and hatred returned, so much so that he essentially urged Manny and Jake to report the fight involving Bode so that he would be sent back to prison. However, at Sharon's behest, Bode stayed, forcing Vince to reluctantly interact with his son. After the car accident, Vince makes peace with Bode and recognizes him as his son again.

Jake Crawford[]

Bode and Jake were childhood best friends, closer to brothers, as Bode's family welcomed Jake as one of their own. However, after Bode learned that not only were Jake and Riley secretly dating but that he also cheated on her, which directly led to the car crash that killed Riley on the night of her birthday, their relationship has been violent and hostile on both ends. Upon Bode's return to Edgewater, he saved Jake's life from a wildfire, only to punch Jake after the flames were secured. Despite initially intending to turn Bode over and have him sent back to prison, Jake was advised against doing so by Eve. Still, their friendship was long gone, and things only got worse after Jake learned that Bode and Gabriela had become "friends." Nevertheless, the two have still shown the ability to work alongside one another during life or death rescues, as was the case when two girls had fallen off a cliff. This led to both Jake and Eve extending an olive branch to Bode.

Gabriela Perez[]

Gabriela and Bode — Bode carrying Gabriela

Bode's meets Gabriela after her car breaks down on the main road outside Three Rock Con Camp. He offers her a hand and they begin to talk, sharing a moment where they connect over both of them waiting for their real lives to begin. Their friendship starts of complicated mostly due to the fact that he's in prison and that she was in a relationship with Bode's ex best friend at the time, Jake. Further complicating their "friendship" are their mutually unspoken feelings for one another, and the undeniable connection between them, which became more difficult for them to ignore over time. They began calling each other, talking through their shared "dad issues" and their need to prove themselves to others, further strengthening their connection. However, when Bode realizes how much their friendship bothers Jake, he tells Gabriela they can no longer talk or meet up. In spite of this, Gabriela's feelings for Bode remained, and she didn't hesitate to rescue him after he fell into the river while rescuing a kid from a teetering car on Ledgewood Bridge.

After Gabriela breaks up with Jake, she and Bode's connection continues to grow. Eventually they kiss for the first time, though Gabriela stops the kiss, telling Bode that they should wait until he is paroled in a year, and in the meantime they will continue to work on themselves for each other. Their relationship continues to develop, with Gabriela and Eve even visiting Bode at Three Rock to celebrate his 30th Birthday. After reconnecting with an old friend, who asks Gabriela if she's happy with her life, she goes to Three Rock where she tells Bode about the tragic turn in her day and that she will only be happy when they can be together, but is fearful of something stopping that. Bode tries to reassure her that they will be okay, but she tells him she wants to be happy now and no longer wants to wait. They kiss in the rain, and with the security keys that Gabriela took, they gain access to one of the Three Rock cabins and sleep together.

After Bode's clean drug test is switched by Sleeper, he tells Gabriela that his drug test came back dirty, but that he is clean and being framed. She believes him, vowing to stand by him, however moments before his parole hearing Bode is blackmailed into making a false confession to free his friend Freddy. Gabriela knowing that Bode is innocent, follows after him as he is being led away to be transported back to prison. She tearfully tells him that she doesn't believe he relapsed and will continue to stand by him, begging him to let her in. In an effort to protect her and allow her to move on, Bode breaks up with her, telling her to forget about him and build a future she deserves without him, leaving Gabriela devastated as he is taken away.

Whilst in prison, Gabriela makes attempts to visit him and sends him numerous letters, but in an effort to protect her from Sleeper and allow her to move on with her life, Bode refuses to see her or respond to her letters.

After seven months Bode returns to Edgewater for a second chance at Three Rock, and is faced with the fact that Gabriela has moved on, as he told her to do. The feelings between the two of them are still there, but Gabriela has grown resentful of the hurt Bode caused her. When he gets a visit from Gabriela at Three Rock, she tells him that they can't continue to carry around their baggage as they work together, and reiterates that she is getting married, and that Bode can't continue to look at her like she's his. Bode wishes her well and alludes to having another "girl" in his life, which leaves Gabriela visibly hurt, but she tells him he deserves someone who makes him forget about everyone else, and he tells her she does too. He is visibly torn about misleading her, but in order to not interfere with her moving on, he says nothing and watches as she walks away.

Trivia[]

He passes the Edgewater Training Program and becomes a Firefighter First Grade and assigned to Station 42. (False Alarm)
Bode's date of birth is December 2nd 1992, as seen on his drug test in Backfire.
Bode has a tattoo of his sister's name, "Riley," on his right forearm.
Bode turned 30 during You Know Your Dragon Best.