After Everything She’s Been Through, Gabriela Deserves Better Than This ‘Fire Country’ Exit

After Fire Country's Season 3 finale ended with Vince (Billy Burke), Sharon (Diane Farr), and Walter Leone (Jeff Fahey) all trapped inside a burning care facility, it seemed like the main question during the hiatus would be whether any or all of these characters would be back in Season 4. There was never reason to worry that Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) wouldn't be back as well, especially with Finn (Blake Lee) likely on the path towards either dying or being arrested. Right after the episode ended, though, Deadline reported that Stephanie Arcila would be leaving Fire Country after Season 3, with another cast member (rumored but not confirmed to be Billy Burke) set to exit alongside her.

In the previously-cited Deadline article, series creator Tia Napolitano explains that the decision to have Gabriela leave came from a storytelling perspective, to switch things up on the show and to be realistic. She also adds that Arcila will likely be back as Gabriela in a recurring capacity down the line, and that Fire Country is not done with Bode (Max Thieriot) and Gabriela's romance. The details have not been specified, and if Arcila wanted to leave the show, it's certainly better to have Gabriela leave than to kill her off. That being said, this whole exit feels very disappointing, both in its timing and its execution. After Fire Country made Gabriela suffer so much in Season 3, she shouldn't leave the show yet, especially on this note.

Season 3 of 'Fire Country' Put Gabriela Through the Ringer

Gabriela's storyline was very promising at the start of Season 3 of Fire Country. She was dealing with guilt and anger about Manny (Kevin Alejandro) having to go back to Three Rock, while processing her major decision to leave Diego (Rafael de la Fuente) at the altar for Bode. Quickly, though, Fire Country made some questionable choices for her character, like suddenly having her be unable to commit to Bode, and making her have to live in a camper inside Station 42 after losing her housing. Gabriela struggled with severe depression in the first half of the season, which was an important storyline, and which could have been excellent representation (to a certain extent, it was, largely thanks to Arcila's acting). Instead, the show used this to sideline her, especially in relation to her romance with Bode, while also seeming to be punishing her for leaving Diego.

Fire Country could have explored Gabriela's depression more deeply, both in relation to her career as a paramedic and to Manny being back in Three Rock (childhood flashbacks would have been especially powerful). Instead, though, her depression was mostly treated as a personal failing and used in order to break her and Bode up. The second half of the season was much kinder to her, patching things up between her and Manny, and letting her be happy again. That was very short-lived, though, before she entered into a romance with the creepy and controlling Finn.

'Fire Country' Needs a Better Ending for Gabriela Than the Finn Storyline

Gabriela's romance with Finn had all of the warning signs from the beginning, so it was no surprise when he turned out to be a dangerous stalker. This storyline was handled well at first, but would have been better further into Gabriela's recovery from depression. It just felt like the show was continuing to pile on with its treatment of her. Fire Country is a drama, of course, so its characters are always dealing with heavy storylines, but Gabriela didn't seem to get a single break this season for more than one episode at a time. The storyline didn't even get to end with an empowered Gabriela saving herself and Audrey (Leven Rambin), as Arcila noted in an interview with Deadline that she would have like to seen. Instead, Audrey saves the day and gets a major storyline out of it, while Gabriela is sidelined once again.

If Fire Country knew going into the end of Season 3 that this would be Gabriela's last storyline, then this was a really disappointing way to write her off. She should stick around for the duration of the show, as she is an integral character to the series and the existing dynamics within Fire Country. That being said, if Gabriela has to go, then she should leave on a high note for a better opportunity. Having her leave right after a deeply traumatic experience is really frustrating, and frankly, a little harmful. Gabriela has just gone through something really upsetting and scary, and fans of the show won't even be able to see how she heals from it.

Gabriela Had So Much More Potential on 'Fire Country'

Gabriela Perez has been one of Fire Country's central characters since the pilot episode, and she deserves more than just a sudden and traumatic exit. She has come a long way, and has had an amazing character arc. She started as a former Olympic diver, staying in Edgewater to be near Manny, while in a new relationship with Jake (Jordan Calloway). Gabriela soon realized that she wanted to be a first responder, and through this, she found a new purpose. She became a phenomenal paramedic, while building close relationships with the rest of the 42, and developing a romance with Bode.

Gabriela certainly struggled before Season 3, but it always felt earned, like her pain after Bode left her and went back to prison. The show always seemed to have three main arcs in mind for her: healing from her painful childhood and continuing to have a strong relationship with Manny now, forging a path for herself as a paramedic with the 42, and eventually finding her way back to Bode. Even with her relationship with Bode on hold for now, Fire Country didn't need to just throw Gabriela into a dangerous romance with Finn, especially for her last storyline. It could have gone back to focusing on her career goals and letting Gabriela continue to grow in a professional capacity, before finally having her leave for a new and more exciting opportunity as a paramedic.