'Fire Country' Needs To Hit the Reset Button in Season 4

Fire Country's latest season has come to a close with a jaw-dropping finale, and the show will look very different when it returns for Season 4. As reported by Deadline, Gabriela Perez (Stephanie Arcila) is officially leaving the show, possibly to be followed by Vince Leone (Billy Burke), which will be a huge adjustment moving forward. Burke and Arcila's exits truly mark the end of an era for Season 3. With major cast changes ahead of Season 4, it might be best for the writers to treat the upcoming episodes as a complete reset button for Fire Country. Developments such as this can make or break a television series, so the next moves that Fire Country makes are critical to the show's future.

'Fire Country' Season 3 Was Disappointing

Fire Country Season 3 played out like the series suffering from the poor choices made during the shortened second season. The worst aspect of Season 3 was arguably the poor handling of the relationship between Bode Leone (Max Thieriot) and Gabriela. Gabriela's characterization, in particular, suffered from a self-destructive downward spiral after her breakup with her fiancé, Diego Moreno (Rafael de la Fuente). She became skittish about entering a relationship with Bode and also had a drunken, ill-advised tryst with Jake Crawford (Jordan Calloway). When the time came to repair Gabriela's image, she was thrust into a romance with photographer Finn (Blake Lee), who turned out to be a psychopath who was secretly stalking her. Fire Country writing out Gabriela from the series after poorly handling her character arc in Season 3 is a massive misstep.

As for Bode, Season 2 previously set up an interesting conflict with Sharon Leone (Diane Farr) seeking to regain her old job as Cal Fire Division chief from her brother-in-law, Luke (Michael Trucco). It suggested there would be a power struggle between Sharon and Luke, potentially making things awkward for Bode. In the Season 2 finale, Bode sought his uncle's help so he could become a legitimate firefighter. When the show resumed in Season 3, this subplot was surprisingly abandoned. Sharon got her old job back as the division chief rather easily and with little acrimony from Luke, who accepted a new job training firefighters in Japan. The rather uneventful outcome does not coalesce with what series showrunner Tia Napolitano teased for the third season during a previous interview with Entertainment Weekly: "We will see the process of her getting her job back, and Cal Fire is going to take notice of these people trading jobs and positions as they see it. The Leones think they own the place, so I think that’s going to get them a little attention from Sacramento."

Bode's Martyr Complex Became Toxic in 'Fire Country' Season 3

Additionally, Bode's martyr complex became downright excessive and tiresome during Season 3. Season 2 ended with the character receiving an early release from prison and reinforcing his goal of becoming a legitimate firefighter and carrying on his family's legacy. However, Bode’s constant need to make himself a martyr for everyone else's mistakes became a constant drag in Season 3. He nearly washed out of the Cal Fire program to hide Gabriela's mistake of injecting wounded firefighter Tom Gilmore (Paul Moniz de Sa) with medication that Tom was allergic to. Bode also inserted himself into the Oxalta situation, shaming his mother for doing her best to help Manny Perez (Kevin Alejandro) and Three Rock Conservation Camp.

On a greater level, Bode's actions were arguably insubordinate in the Season 3 finale, with his decisions resulting in him disobeying orders from his superior officers. Those choices may now inadvertently lead to the loss of his father, Vince Leone, given the rumors of Burke's exit. It's very likely that Vince will either perish in the assisted living center fire in the Season 3 finale or be forced into early retirement as a result of that event. Yes, Bode is the series protagonist, and he often puts the needs of others first, but, moving forward, the writers can't ignore Bode's continuous rebellious streak and violation of orders if he wants to progress in his firefighting career.

'Fire Country' Season 4 Can Right Season 3's Wrongs

Beyond any characterization issues, Gabriela and Vince both leaving Fire Country is a blow to the show. Burke was one of the best actors in the cast, with his character serving as important glue that held the series together, while Vince's marriage to Sharon was one of the best romances in Fire Country. However, even with these potentially disappointing cast changes, the show still has the potential to course-correct in Season 4. Vince exiting Fire Country means that Jake Crawford has the chance to step up and become the leader he was born to be. Indications of this occurred in the Season 3 finale, when Vince ordered Jake to become the new interim battalion chief during the crisis; Season 4 now offers Jake an opportunity to spread his wings and become a stronger leader and character.

Although Gabriela's departure is also a big loss for the series, Fire Country can finally move away from the agonizing and repetitive melodrama of her romance with Bode. Gabriela's exit allows the show to focus more on Bode's burgeoning romance with Audrey James (Leven Rambin) in Season 4, which became a more interesting pairing as the characters spent more time together this season. Alternatively, perhaps Bode could simply work on himself and his career, without being tethered to a romantic relationship at all.

Fire Country Season 3 was a massive drop in quality from previous seasons, but the show has an opportunity to get back to basics. It's already at its best when it showcases the Cal Fire firefighters in action, but it suffers more when it veers too heavily into soap opera melodrama and outlandish character relationships. Season 4 of Fire Country will likely look very different as a result of character exits, but it also represents the opportunity for a new beginning on the show.

All three seasons of Fire Country are available to stream now on Paramount+ in the U.S.