Inside Gabriela’s Exit: Fire Country Showrunner Shares New Episode Secrets

It’s the end of the road for Gabriela Perez (Stephanie Arcila) in the upcoming season of Fire Country. Following the announcement that Arcila would depart the firefighter drama in Season 4, showrunner Tia Napolitano has revealed some details about this departure in a new interview. The character will be written out in the season premiere episode, but Napolitano did not reveal the specifics of this departure. “We’re so happy to have Stephanie back, to have Gabriela back in the premiere, and we really wrote a love letter to the character,” the EP said. Gabriela’s departure affects those close to her, including her ex-boyfriend, Bode Leone (Max Thieriot).

“We will see glimpses of Bodiela. It’s really a beautiful sendoff for now that’s fitting to the character that, if you’re fan, I think it’s real fan candy,” Napolitano said, teasing a tearful goodbye for the former couple. Her departure will have a massive effect on Bode, as it leaves a gap that hasn’t existed since the series premiered. “She’ll become very significant to him, as she always has been, in support in his life in the premiere so that he wonders when she leaves how he’s going to be without her,” Napolitano said, adding,

“We’ve only known him since she’s been in his life in different capacities over the years, so, it’ll shake things up. I think it’ll make us wanting more Gabriela in the future, which is never a bad thing.”

‘Fire Country’ Season 4 Will Have a Gabriela-Sized Hole

The character has always been an integral part of the narrative, and her departure will have a ripple effect. The effects of the vacuum she leaves are felt by her father, Manny Perez (Kevin Alejandro). “With Gabriela eventually not here every episode, he’s got all of this dad advice and dad jokes with nowhere to go, so you see him being a parental figure to Jake (Jordan Calloway), to Eve (Jules Latimer), of course to Bode in ways that remind us, Manny’s got wisdom. We put him through it. Manny’s got a lot of wisdom,” the EP said.

“In the aftermath of the Zabel Ridge fire, Station 42 faces internal turmoil but must rally together for a high-stakes rescue that tests their strength, loyalty, and the future of the firehouse,” reads the logline for Fire Country Season 4, Episode 1, “Goodbye for Now.” As the title suggests, Gabriela’s exit leaves room for the character to return, and Napolitano said “never say never” to Arcila reprising the character in the future. For now, though, it’s goodbye.