Fire Country fans were already reeling from the stunning season 3 finale and now the confirmation two stars won't be back next year! What does this all mean for season 4?
Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for Fire Country season 3 finale
The two-part Fire Country season 3 finale had multiple plot points, all of which added up to Three Rock never being the same again!
The tale kicked off with Jake giving his two weeks' notice and ready to transfer to a new department. Meanwhile, Gabriela was still worried about Finn, her new love interest who turned out to be a twisted stalker. He was still on the run with Gabriela concerned he'd come after her.
Manny spotted Finn at a gas station with Bode joining him just as Finn took off and set a fire on the way. The rest of the Three Rock crew arrived to help stop the fire and save a teenage girl.
Audrey was with Gabriela when Finn showed up with a gun, knocking out Audrey and trying to take Gabriela away. Manny showed up in time to hear a gunshot and entered to find Gabriela holding a gun over a prone Finn.
What happened to Three Rock?
The first hour ended with an injured Bode getting a call from Walter relating that a fire was headed toward the nursing home. That same fire also hit Three Rock, and the crew raced to stop it. But despite all their valiant efforts, it was to no avail and Eve made the difficult call to evacuate. Yes, after three seasons, Three Rock is gone, burned up by the flames.
At the nursing home, Bode helped Walter rescue a friend. Manny was transporting Gabriela, Audrey and a wounded Finn to a doctor when Finn woke up long enough to reveal Audrey was the one who shot him. The group came up to the clinic, where Audrey turned herself in to the authorities.
Before Bode could react to that, the nursing home seemed to collapse under the massive flame…with Vince, Sharon and Walter still inside.
That was a huge cliffhanger, but the fallout is even bigger given the surprise cast exits!
Who's leaving Fire Country and why?
No sooner had the finale aired than Deadline broke the stunning news that both Stephanie Arcila and Billy Burke were leaving the series before Fire Country season 4. That means the fates of Vince and Gabriela are up in the air.
Speaking to Deadline, Fire Country co-creators/executive producers Joan Rater and Tony Phelan and executive producer/showrunner Tia Napolitano discussed Arcila's exit as a series regular and shared their hope that she would return as a guest star so "the epic love story of Bode and Gabriela" can continue. They indicated the changes were done for creative measures, not cost-cutting.
"You always want to, on these shows, make sure that the threat is real, and also make sure that you are telling stories in an honest way, and that you're finding the most exciting, creative way to tell the story," Phelan said.
"Season 3 [is] leaning into the authenticity of the real-life heroes that our characters are playing, people die, they leave," Napolitano added. "That's a reality, there's danger in this sort of job, so we wanted to honor that and really up the stakes. … You want the opportunity for that door to open, for someone to walk out of it, or for someone to walk into it. We're really leaning into that aspect of the show as well as honoring the authenticity."
Arcila had her own interview with Deadline where she understood what was happening and hoped she could continue after Gabriela takes a "break," noting that Bode is with Audrey.
What does this mean for Fire Country season 4?
This may be a surprise to so many who assumed that Bode and Gabriela getting together was always the endgame for the series. However, Gabriela was put through a wringer in season 3 from a failed wedding, to her dad going to jail, to nearly dying to that crazy stalker. Getting involved in a near murder might be the final straw, and Gabriela clearly can use a break for herself and time away from Three Rock.
Bode will be thrown by that but also worried about Audrey who will claim self-defense. Still, shooting a guy makes it highly unlikely Audrey can continue as a firefighter and might mean Bode is without either of his love interests. Of course, that's nothing compared to a possible bigger loss.
So far, CBS hasn't confirmed that Billy Burke is indeed leaving the show. However, if he is, then it seems obvious that Vince will die in the cliffhanger fire. That will leave Sharon and Bode both mourning him, with Bode naturally wanting to honor his father by joining the Edgewater crew.
This would likely lead to Jake getting the classic "careful what you wish for," as he'll get a promotion at Edgewater, but not the way he would have wanted. Having him in charge would greatly change things as Sharon and Bode's grief will shake them up.
Then there's the fate of Three Rock itself. While the hopes are that the camp can be rebuilt, it's sadly possible that some higher-ups may take advantage of this tragedy to shut the entire program down, leaving Eve and the various cons trying to redeem themselves lost for what to do.
This is all still unfolding, as work on season 4 won't begin for a few months. However, those two cast exits and cliffhangers mean that the next year of Fire Country will continue to be amazingly hot.
Fire Country season 3 is streaming on Paramount+.