Will Gabriela return in Fire Country? Here’s what actress Stephanie Arcila said

While Fire Country fans were still reeling from the cliffhanger ending of the Season 3 finale, the series creators made a surprise announcement of Gabriela’s departure from the show. The news shocked the audience, as Gabriela, played by Stephanie Arcila, remained an integral part of the storyline till now.

The creators said Gabriela’s exit as a series regular was a creative decision, and she could still make guest appearances on the show. Stephanie Arcila has now talked about her departure in an interview with Deadline and revealed she is open to returning to Fire Country:

“I never say never. Life takes us through so many avenues, and Gabriela is such a gift to me in my career, personally and professionally.”

Stephanie Arcila talks about exit and potential return in Fire Country

Fire Country Season 3 aired its finale on April 25, 2025, with the fates of several characters left hanging in the balance. Soon after, Deadline reported that Stephanie Arcila will be leaving the show along with Billy Burke, who plays Bode’s father, Vince Leone.

In her interview, Arcila talked about how she reacted when she was told about her character’s exit:

“We were filming. I actually got the news the day that we got renewed, so it was kind of serendipitous because I love the aspect of death and rebirth. Not that I’m dying, but you know what I mean, synonymously.”

Since the decision was made by the creators, Arcila said she understands the nature of the television business, where entries and exits are imminent:

“I believe in fate and that we’re put where we’re supposed to be. And this is the nature of our business, right? This is what we all sign up for.”

The actress further expressed her gratitude for getting the opportunity to play a Latina woman and portray her culture on television and said:

“I’m so grateful to have played a Latina on a show and a Latina where they were able to include part of my culture as well, part of my Colombian background. It was really exciting.”

Gabriela is still alive in the storyline, and it remains to be seen how the show explains her absence. While the character will not be seen regularly, she could still make guest appearances in Fire Country in the future.

Why did Gabriela leave Fire Country?

Fire Country creators have made it clear that it was a creative decision to say goodbye to Gabriela, as after three seasons of romance between her and Bode, they wanted to give them both a reset. Co-creator Joan Rater said the team is willing to bring back Gabriela at some point and reignite her relationship with Bode:

“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.”

Showrunner Tia Napolitano echoed similar thoughts and said this is not a final goodbye for Gabriela:

“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.”

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Meanwhile, Fire Country Season 4 has already been renewed by CBS and will continue the journey of Bode and other Cal Fire firefighters. The show stars Max Thieriot as Bode, Jordan Calloway as Jake Crawford, Kevin Alejandro as Manny Perez, Diane Farr as Sharon Leone, and Jules Latimer as Eve Edwards.

For more news and updates about Fire Country, keep following Soap Central.

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