How Fire Country Season 3 Ending Set Up Vince & Gabriela's Exits

One resolution and a major cliffhanger ensured Fire Country season 3 fully set up the exit storylines of Vince Leone and Gabriela Perez, despite not showing the direct reasons for their departures onscreen in Fire Country season 3’s ending. Fire Country season 3’s two-part finale heavily focused on Gabriela’s ordeal with Finn. Indeed, Fire Country season 3, episode 18 revealed Finn had been stalking Gabriela for the entire time they dated, through all the pictures he took of her that Station 42 found solely because Finn had set fire to his place to see Gabriela again, leading to Finn’s escape.

This made the search for Finn after Manny spotted him outside the firehouse one of the main storylines of Fire Country season 3’s finale, which caused more chaos after Bode found him and Finn saw him, setting fire to the gas station by running away. Simultaneously, Vince also had a lot going on, between having to find a new captain to replace Jake and managing Bode and his stubbornness to be on calls after his knee injury restarted acting up. These problems directly influenced Fire Country season 3’s ending, as Vince was at Buena Vista because of Bode and Walter.

Billy Burke & Stephanie Arcila Are Confirmed To Exit Fire Country

Burke & Arcila Won't Return As Series Regulars In Fire Country Season 4

While Fire Country season 3’s ending didn’t spell out the reason for their exits, nor show them explicitly, Deadline reported how two members of Fire Country’s main cast wouldn’t return for season 4, shaking it up after three seasons the cast remained the same in the firefighting drama. It was also reported that the cast members to leave the show were Stephanie Arcila, who plays firefighter and Bode’s on-and-off love interest Gabriela, and Billy Burke, Bode’s father and Station 42’s battalion chief.

Fire Country showrunner Tia Napolitano and executive producers and co-creators Tony Phelan and Joan Rater confirmed Arcila’s exit (via Deadline), commenting on how they hope for her to return to guest-star in Fire Country season 4 to conclude her story for now, reiterating their wish to continue telling the story of Bode and Gabriela in the future. However, they didn’t comment on Burke’s exit, choosing to keep which character died in the Fire Country season 3’s cliffhanger ending unknown. Deadline’s report nevertheless only mentioned Arcila and Burke’s names, making their exits essentially certain.

Vince & Gabriela's Respective Fire Country Season 3 Finale Fates Pave The Way For Their Exits

Vince Is Presumed Dead & Gabriela Has Gone Through A Nightmare With Finn

Gabriela’s journey in Fire Country season 3 was challenging to say the least. From deciding to stop her wedding on the day, to fighting with her father over his imprisonment to the point they didn’t speak for a while, to alienating many of her friends, Gabriela hit rock bottom in Fire Country season 3. Making up with Manny helped her build back her life, and meeting Finn seemed like something good. However, that quickly turned into her year’s worst nightmare, with her and Audrey’s fight against Finn leaving her only physically unhurt, perfectly warranting Gabriela wanting to leave Edgewater behind.

Contrarily, Vince’s journey in Fire Country season 3 was positive at last. Having Bode finally free and training to become a Cal Fire firefighter made Vince’s dream of firefighting with his son come true. Walter’s diagnosis worsened things, but his declining health made it possible for Vince and Walter to patch things up, connecting over their shared past instead of rehashing old arguments. Vince’s problems with Bode and conflict with Walter were settled, virtually concluding his storylines. Vince’s presumed death in Fire Country season 3’s ending thus leaves no loose ends, just the loss Vince’s death will bring to Edgewater.

How Vince & Gabriela's Departures Change Fire Country Season 4

Their Characters Were Among The Most Central, Impacting The Show As A Whole

Vince and Gabriela’s departures will inevitably change Fire Country as we’ve known it, making season 4 effectively start with a powerful reset. Albeit originally temporary, Gabriela’s stay in Edgewater proved she could build a home beyond Manny in Edgewater, going from firefighter to competent EMT. Gabriela’s absence will preclude audiences from seeing her and Manny’s daughter-father relationship, but that link can also hopefully bring Gabriela back to visit Edgewater eventually.

Vince’s departure will unavoidably be felt more for the consequences of how he left the Edgewater community and his loved ones. Vince perishing in such an abrupt way didn’t give anybody the chance to say goodbye, ensuring that Bode and Sharon – if she survives – will have a hard time dealing with his death in Fire Country season 4. This can also be true for Manny, who was always a close friend, and Eve and Jake, who saw Vince as a fatherly figure, setting up Fire Country season 4’s beginning to be one of the most heart-wrenching.