For context, CBS announced that both Billy Burke and Stephanie Arcila were leaving Fire Country after being with the show since its inception. The decision understandably shocked a lot of long-time followers of the series for different reasons. Vince’s death was a total surprise, considering his role as the leader of Station 42 and the Leone family. Gabriela’s exit, on the other hand, felt a little bit expected, given how the character’s story progressed in the last year, particularly with regard to her relationship with Bode.
Not long after Gabriela’s exit, however, Fire Country is seemingly laying the groundwork for her original replacement’s own departure. This is rooted in a brand new casting news for the CBS series.
Audrey’s Days In Fire Country May Be Coming To An End
While Gabriela is a character on her own in Fire Country, her role as Bode’s love interest has been effectively transferred over to Audrey since Leven Rambin’s character was introduced in season 3. When the show started, there was an understanding that, ultimately, Bode and Gabriela would be the endgame couple. That said, as Fire Country developed their story, the wedge between them became bigger, with the pair even starting to see other people even though they could quite easily be together.
Fire Country season 4 already started testing Bode and Audrey’s relationship when she decided to transfer out of the station. Even then, however, there was hope that they could battle their individual issues and eventually reunite. That said, the upcoming introduction of Alona Tal’s Chloe Mackenzie. Described as a classmate who would tutor Bode (Thieriot) in high school, the pair used to like each other, but nothing came out of it. Reuniting in the present could be the beginning of a proper romance for the pair.
Does Bode Need Another Romantic Partner In Fire Country?
The Fire Country casting reunites Max Thieriot and Tal after they played husband and wife Clay and Stella in SEAL Team, so there’s already a built-in chemistry that comes with their upcoming story. Right now, Mackenzie’s appearance is supposed to only be as a guest star, but that could change, depending on the response that the writers and producers get after her debut.
While it’s always interesting to see a romantic story blossom in procedurals, it might not be the right time to give him a new one, considering what’s happening in his life right now. Instead, Fire Country can reunite Bode’s official friend group to function as his support system. There were already hints of it after Audrey transferring out of the firehouse. CBS can simply continue leaning on that for personal storylines in the series, at least until the end of season 4.
