How Did Riley Leone Die? ‘Fire Country’s Most Important Death and Its Impact, Explained

Three seasons in, Fire Country has had multiple major side character deaths throughout its run so far. There was Rebecca (Fiona Rene) in Season 1, Cara (Sabina Gadecki) in Season 2, and most recently, Birch (Jeff Gladstone) in Season 3. Now, as of the end of Season 3, Vince (Billy Burke), Sharon (Diane Farr), and Walter's (Jeff Fahey) lives are all in danger after Walter's retirement facility caught on fire. Additionally, it has been rumored that Billy Burke is the second of two cast members (the other being Stephanie Arcila) exiting the series in Season 4. At this point, it seems like the show's first main character death could be happening in its upcoming fourth season.

Even so, the most impactful death as of the end of Season 3 of Fire Country is still that of Riley Leone (Jade Pettyjohn), the daughter of Vince and Sharon, and the sister of Bode (Max Thieriot). Riley's death occurred several years before the start of Fire Country, and it was the reason that Vince told Bode to leave him and Sharon alone, and that Bode changed his last name and disappeared for years. Even now that Bode has long since rejoined his family, Riley's death continues to affect the show three seasons in, and it will always be at the center of Fire Country.

How Did Riley Leone Die in 'Fire Country'?

Image via CBS
Image via CBS
Image via CBS
Image via CBS
Image via CBS

In the pilot episode of Fire Country, many of the specifics related to Riley's death were kept hidden, except for the fact that both Bode and Vince believed that Riley's death was Bode's fault. In the second and third episodes of Fire Country's first season, the details of Riley's death were revealed through flashbacks. Riley was celebrating her birthday that night with Vince, Sharon, Bode, Eve (Jules Latimer), and Jake (Jordan Calloway). Bode brought Riley her cake, then Riley gave short speeches to show her appreciation for all of them, including for Bode's journey while dealing with his struggles that year. Later, Bode found Riley and Jake in the middle of a conversation, where she was crying. As it turned out, Jake and Riley were in a secret relationship, but she was more serious about him than he was about her. He cheated on her, and she found out that night.
Riley was too upset to enjoy the rest of her birthday, so Bode gave her a ride home. While in the car, Riley decided to hear Jake out and try to make the relationship work. She was texting him, and she wanted to go back to Smokey's to talk to him. Bode tried to convince Riley not to, and he just kept driving. Riley then started getting out of the moving car, right as another car almost drove into them. Bode couldn't stop the car that he was driving, and he ended up swerving into a tree. Although Vince blamed Bode for years, Riley's death really wasn't Bode's fault; it was simply a tragic accident that he was unable to stop as it was happening.

Riley Continues to Haunt the Narrative of 'Fire Country'

Image via CBS

Even though Riley died long before the start of Fire Country, her death continues to affect the events of the show, even in subtle ways. The rest of the Leones still feel the weight of the grief over her death. In Season 2, Jake had to go through the loss of a romantic partner again, when his fiancée, Cara, died. It was a little different, because Jake was actively pushing Riley away, whereas he was all in with Cara. Still, Jake continues to struggle with the fear of dealing with that sort of loss again. Gabriela (Arcila) has mostly filled that friendship role for Eve, but as Season 3 explored, Eve still feels like she can't be open with all of her friends about her interests. Riley was her best friend since childhood, and that can never be replaced.

In Season 3, Walter started to suffer from Dementia. One afternoon, when Audrey (Leven Rambin) was at the Leones' house with Walter, he forgot that Riley had died, and believed that she was Riley. The Leones may have moved forward from Riley's death as a family unit, but they still continue to feel her loss. Additionally, the events leading up to and following her death still drive many of the characters' motivations. Bode and Vince are closer than ever now, not just in spite of their rift after Riley died, but because of it. Jake approaches his relationships completely differently now, and was able to build something real with Cara because of the guilt he felt over how he treated Riley before her death. Both Riley's life and death are still central to Fire Country, and always will be.

Fire Country is available to stream on Paramount+.