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Express Tribune
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Fire Country cast shakeup: Stephanie Arcila and Billy Burke leave after three seasons
CBS' Fire Country will head into its fourth season without two of its original cast members, marking a significant change for the firefighter drama. The show, which has kept its main seven-member cast intact since its premiere, will part ways with Stephanie Arcila and Billy Burke. Arcila played Gabriela Perez, a firefighter and paramedic who shared an on-and-off romance with Bode Leone (Max Thieriot), while Burke portrayed Vince Leone, the Cal Fire Battalion Chief and Bode's father. The news comes after a possible exit storyline for Jordan Calloway's character, Station 42 Captain Jake Crawford, was hinted at earlier in the season. However, it will be Arcila and Burke who are leaving the series, with Arcila confirmed as a former series regular. While the departure of Burke has not been officially confirmed by the show's creators, they have refrained from commenting to keep fans intrigued about the future of the character. The announcement comes after a tense season finale that left fans on edge. In the April 25, 2025, two-part Season 3 finale, the show ended with three key characters — Vince, his wife Sharon (Diane Farr), and his father Walter (Jeff Fahey) — trapped in a collapsing building engulfed by wildfire. Despite the fiery chaos, Gabriela survived a recent stalker arc, which had raised concerns for her fate. The finale also featured a cliffhanger, leaving the characters' lives in the balance. In a joint interview with Deadline, Fire Country co-creators Joan Rater and Tony Phelan, along with executive producer Tia Napolitano, explained that the decision to part ways with Arcila and Burke was creatively driven rather than financially motivated. Rater stated, "It really just comes down to what's the best creatively," with Napolitano adding that the show wanted to honor the dangers of the firefighter profession by increasing stakes and authenticity. Arcila's character will not be fully written off. The producers expressed their commitment to keeping her involved in future episodes as a guest star. Napolitano added, 'We hope to see her back very soon, to give her a proper not goodbye, but see you later.' Arcila herself expressed openness to returning, stating, 'I never say never.' Burke, meanwhile, has taken on a guest role in Peacock's M.I.A. and is believed to have been offered reduced episode counts for the upcoming season, a move that many cast members reportedly rejected earlier this year. The show remains one of CBS' most popular series, and Fire Country continues to hold its place as a significant part of the network's Friday lineup, with a spinoff, Sheriff Country, starring Morena Baccarin, set to premiere in the fall. Fire Country follows Bode Leone, a young convict seeking redemption by joining a prison-release firefighting program in his rural Northern California hometown. The series is inspired by Thieriot's experiences growing up in fire country and co-created with Phelan and Rater.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
After That Sad Death At The End Of Fire Country Latest Episode, I'm Really Worried About Three Characters
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Spoilers for Fire Country Season 3, Episode 13 – 'My Team' – are ahead! If you want to stream the episode, you can do so with a Paramount+ subscription. Another week, another traumatic episode of Fire Country on the 2025 TV schedule. While the episode, on the whole, wasn't terribly disastrous, it did end on a tragic note, as Birch, one of the Three Rock inmates, died in the final moments. After watching it, the short scene really left an impact on me, and it has me incredibly worried about three characters as they cope with this loss. Read More About Fire Country Hear Me Out: Bode Should Be With Audrey (Not Gabriela) Long Term On Fire Country, And I Need To Talk About Why So, here's what happened: Birch was sick at the start of the episode, and when Manny asked if he needed to go to the prison infirmary, he said no. Then Kevin Alejandro's character said he'd help his fellow inmate. Eve and Manny then went back and forth about the best ways to support the Three Rock inmate in a way that didn't make him feel like a criminal. In the end, they had Birch stay in his bed, and when his symptoms got worse, they decided to send him to the infirmary in the morning, which he was upset about. However, when they went to wake him up, he didn't, and when Bode and Station 42 arrived, they couldn't save him. Now, I think this could have a serious and troubling impact on Manny, Eve and Bode specifically. Arbuably, the person this death will impact most is Manny. This loss has to be a big blow to Manny's philosophy about the best way to help those in the camp, and he also simply lost a friend. He was already teetering this season with his rocky relationship with Gabriela, so this kind of loss concerns me. Thankfully, he and his daughter are back on good terms, so hopefully, she can help him through this. Eve has gone through a lot this season. She was at odds with her dad a few episodes ago, and there's been an underlying struggle for her when it comes to embracing and feeling confident in her leadership role at Three Rock. With this episode, she made a choice that proved to have intense consequences – even though it was all well-intentioned. So, I'm worried that what happened could impact her job. While I'm anxious about her and her position, I'm more nervous about how this might affect her emotionally. I don't want her confidence to be shaken, and I want Eve to feel like she's fit for this job, because she is. However, there's no denying that this loss could cause her to take a few steps back, literally and figuratively. Finally, and possibly surprisingly, I think this death could impact Bode in a bad way, too. In this episode specifically, we saw Max Thieriot's character struggling with losing a patient in the last installment. He was sleeping at the firehouse, and there were even hints back to the struggles he had with drugs before he went to Three Rock. While he loves firefighting – almost to a fault – Bode is now facing the harder parts of the job, and he's struggling to handle it all. Could witnessing this death negatively impact his progression? It certainly seems possible… Overall, I think the ending of Episode 13 left us with many reasons to be worried, especially when it comes to Manny, Eve and Bode's stories. Thankfully, we don't have to wait long to see how they're impacted because Fire Country returns to CBS next Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fire Country Ignites Old and New Flames for Vince, Gaby and Others — Exclusive First Looks
Beginning — fittingly — this Friday, Feb. 14, 'love is in the air' on Fire Country, as the CBS drama both brings back former love interests and introduces new ones, for a quartet of its main characters. More from TVLine Shifting Gears Enlists Nancy Travis for Last Man Standing Reunion With Tim Allen - Watch Exclusive Sneak Peek Jay Leno to Reunite With Tim Allen on Shifting Gears - Get a First Look Matthew Rhys to Lead Widow's Bay Series for Apple TV+ Lead character Bode (played by Max Thieriot), of course, is in the early throes of a sweet romance with Audrey (Leven Rambin), and the series not too long ago revealed that Sharon while working a campaign fire had caught the eye of firefighter Liam (guest star Jason O'Mara). But starting this Friday and in the coming weeks, other dance cards aim to be filled, by the characters/guest stars detailed below in TVLine's series of first look photos. Review who's about to be hit by Cupid's arrow, and tell us who you are most rooting for. In Fire Country's Friday, Feb. 14 episode, titled 'Fare Thee Well,' the crew responds to a call from the local renaissance fair after a fire breather loses their balance and sets off a tent filled with fireworks. Which happens. Katie Findlay (Walker Independence, The Carrie Diaries) reprises her role as Francine, a fantasy-loving park ranger with a strong moral compass. As established in the Nov. 22 episode, Francine is Eve's (Jules Latimer) ex from back in the day, and she's back to possibly reignite a romantic connection. In the Friday, Feb. 28 episode of Fire Country, Constance Zimmer (UnREAL, the next season of The Lincoln Lawyer) guest-stars as Renée, a well-traveled lawyer dedicated to the side of good over evil. She is described as 'a force to be reckoned with,' a brilliant conversationalist… and Vince's (Billy Burke) high school sweetheart. In the Friday, Feb. 28 episode of Fire Country, Nesta Cooper (See, Travelers) guest-stars as Violet, an ambitious, newly minted lawyer with big dreams determined to work her way out from under a mountain of student loan debt. Recently divorced, Violet is looking for love again… when she sparks with Station 42 firefighter Jake (Jordan Calloway). In an upcoming Season 3 episode of Fire Country, Blake Lee (Cruel Summer, Wisdom of the Crowd) guest-stars as Finn, a wildly talented photographer who is charming, funny and wholesome to boot. He's the kind of guy you'd take home to meet your family, which is a good thing when he focuses his artist's eye on firefighter Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila).Best of TVLine Stars Who Almost Played Other TV Roles — on Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Lost, Gilmore Girls, Friends and Other Shows TV Stars Almost Cast in Other Roles Fall TV Preview: Who's In? Who's Out? Your Guide to Every Casting Move!
