Fire Country will have two fewer cast members next season, and one of those exits has been confirmed. The season three finale aired on CBS on Friday.
Max Thieriot, Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Stephanie Arcila, Jordan Calloway, and Jules Latimer star in the drama, which follows Bode Donovan (Thieriot), a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California
According to Deadline, Stephanie Arcila (above) will not return as a regular series member next season, but the door is open for her to return later. The second cast departure is potentially Billy Burke, but those involved with the series have not officially confirmed it.
Co-creator Tony Phelan said the following about Arcila’s exit in an interview with Deadline:
“It was really a decision that came out of the dynamic between Bode and Gabriela; we felt like those two characters needed a reset. We love Stephanie, and we are committed to saying that the Bode-Gabriela story does not end here, it goes on.
We’re hoping that we can bring that character back, because we think that they have such great chemistry, and the audience is really invested in the two of them. But we felt, with everything that’s happening in the finale and moving on into the next season, that it was time for that character to discover what’s next for her.”
Showrunner Tia Napolitano also spoke about the decision to shake up the cast now. She said the following:
“Especially in the beginning, we felt like we had lightning in a bottle. It just was magic, the chemistry with this cast. Season 2 was obviously very short because of the strike, and at this time, Season 3, leaning into the authenticity of the real-life heroes that our characters are playing, people die, they leave.
That’s a reality, there’s danger in this sort of job, so we wanted to honor that and really up the stakes. Again, coming from a show like Grey’s Anatomy for years and years, that’s how it works with character-driven dramas. You want the opportunity for that door to open, for someone to walk out of it, or for someone to walk into it. We’re really leaning into that aspect of the show as well as honoring the authenticity.”
Fire Country will return this fall to CBS.
