How Fire Country Season 3's Shocking Exit Will Impact Gabriela & Bode's Relationship Explained By Showrunner

Fire Country season 3's shocking finale exit will have a huge impact on Bode and Gabriela's relationship, according to co-creators/executive producers Joan Rater and Tony Phelan, and showrunner/executive producer Tia Napolitano. An emotionally-charged Fire Country season 3 finale episode ended with a shocking cliffhanger, which had several characters' fates unclear, including Billy Burke's Vince and Stephanie Arcila's Gabriela, and her concluding storyline is set to have a big impact on the future of her relationship with Bode.

Per Deadline, Rater, Phelan, and Napolitano discussed how Gabriela's departure from Fire Country, following the conclusion of a storyline in which she survived an attack by her stalker ex Finn. They detail how Gabriela's leaving felt natural for the character's progression and storyline, and how this is not the end for the Bode-Gabriela love story, whie also revealing that they plan to have the character return to the show in the future. Check out the trio's comments below:

PHELAN: 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.

DEADLINE: After being put through the ringer the last three seasons, Gabriela got to end her arc with a creepy stalker storyline. How did that come about? And since there was a gun in the scene, and we know the rule that it has to fire, was there any discussion of her being shot and killed since Stephanie is leaving?

RATER: Oh, I can’t remember, but I don’t think so. Although, you know a writers room, Nellie, everything is discussed, but I don’t think that was ever on the table. We love her too much. I like the way you talk about this, Tia, that in the pilot, we make this promise that Gabriela and Bode are going to be very important to each other in their lives, and we stick by that.

So our hope is, and our plan is to bring Gabriela back at some point in a really satisfying, beautiful way for the audience who I know cares as deeply about that relationship as we do.

NAPOLITANO: It’s important to echo to what Tony said earlier, it isn’t goodbye. So I wouldn’t say that her story is ending with a stalker story. We hope to see her back very soon, to give her a proper not goodbye, but see you later. In the epic love story of Bode and Gabriela, sometimes it’s very useful for a longing, to miss her, to miss them, to really crave seeing them on screen together, whatever they mean to each other. It’s part of long-arc, character-driven storytelling. We love her, and we’re all excited to see her on screen again.

PHELAN: We think of her in the same way that people loved George Clooney and Juliana Margulies on ER. They are a big part of each other’s lives, and even though one of them might not be around all the time, their presence lives in the show.

What This Means For Fire Country Season 4

Bode Is Bound To Be In A Bad Way

Fire Country season 4 looks set to undergo a shakeup, and the events of the season 3 finale are going to have a profound impact on the future of the show. Bode and Gabriela's relationship has been one of the strongest and most popular in Fire Country, and viewers not getting to see the couple have closure means there will likely be an appetite for seeing Gabriela return. Based on the comments above, it seems the plan was to give the character a break from the show to see how this would impact Bode narratively, but with plans in place to have her return.

What could be challenging is having Bode navigate potential future relationships and romantic entanglements in a way that feels natural while still leaving the door open for Gabriela's return. Season 4 will likely see Bode in a bad way emotionally, with Gabriela leaving, Walter's dementia diagnosis, and Vince and Sharon's fates unclear. He will have to go through an emotionally tumultuous time, and this could lead to Gabriela returning sooner rather than later, depending upon the path his character takes.

Our Take On Bode & Gabriela's Future Love Story

This Could Be The End, But Much Will Depend On The Show's Evolution

There's every chance this could be goodbye for Gabriela, especially if the show cannot find a way to bring her back that feels natural. Much will also depend on whether Arcila has the inclination (and schedule) to return to the role in the future. There's no question that Gabriela is one of Fire Country's most important characters, and the show will need to find a way to move on from her. While the landscape of the show could change enough to make a return unlikely, right now, it seems that Fire Country has not seen the last of Gabriela.