The Fire Country Season 3 finale ended with a literal bang. Three characters were left at death’s door, and it looks like one of them won’t survive. Deadline confirmed Vince (Billy Burke) will be leaving the series after Season 3, which means he likely won’t make it out of the fire he walked into with his wife Sharon (Diane Farr). But he’s not the only one leaving, and the other departure is way more shocking. Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) is also departing the show, and it looks like the actress was as surprised as fans at the decision. So, why is Stephanie Arcila leaving Fire Country?
Why Is Stephanie Arcila Leaving Fire Country?
Considering the Bode and Gabriela relationship is one of the backbones of Fire Country, fans were surprised to hear the news that Bode (Max Thieriot) would have to go on without the love interest the show established from the first episode. Arcila told TVLine about what happened that it was “a creative decision on their end, so I don’t know, but this is the business that we’re in.”
In an interview with US Weekly, Arcila referred to the news of her exit as a “complete shock,” adding that, “I had no idea ever.” And there weren’t really any hits to her possible departure on the show, either, with the finale seeing her and Audrey (Leven Rambin) confront Finn, her stalker. But instead of Gabriela, it’s Audrey who shoots her and is taken away by the sheriff, as we see the explosion of the Buena Vista memory care facility holding Vince, Sharon, and Walter, Bode’s grandfather.
How that leads to Gabriela’s exit, no one knows. And that includes Arcila. She told TVLine, “The writers always surprise me, and I’m looking forward to what they’ll write and how they’ll justify this journey. Every show needs some type of shocking aspect, and I guess this is it, right?”
The reaction from people has been very loud, not just in support of Arcila and dismay over the loss of Gabriela as a character, but over the loss of Bode and Gabriela’s relationship. About the relationship and if there could still be a future for them, Arcila told TVLine, “I think they will always love each other and have love for each other. I think that this break allows them to grow and build a different foundation, because it’s not good when you rush into things,” which in truth is what the characters have done all along. Arcila also added. “I think it’s important for them to heal for themselves, for others.”
It just so happens that this healing journey for Gabriela is now going to happen off-screen, while the healing journey for Bode continues on-screen, and presumably with Audrey by his side. And all of this while he’s going through the grief of losing Vince, and perhaps even Walter. And supporting Sharon through that. Why would Gabriela even choose that moment to leave Edgewater and the Leone family in their time of need? Not to mention her dad?
What could push her to make that decision? It feels incredibly selfish of Gabriela and very much not in character. Particularly because one of the last conversations we see her have with Bode, the two stress that even though they’re not together anymore, the two are still family. Gabriela has always put family first.
Arcila, of course, has no answers. Those questions are for the writers. But the actress did stress in her interview with Us Weekly that she’s willing to play Gabriela again. In the spinoff, back in Fire Country. She’s not closing the door on this character that she loves. “Call it forth! I never say never. I love what I do. I love creating, and this is the character that I’ve been able to have the longest journey with. So it’s been really beautiful to create, and that’s every artist’s dream.”
That means there’s hope for Gabriela and Bodiela fans. And though we won’t have answers until the show returns for Season 4, some hope is better than nothing.
