Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Fire Country Season 4, Episode 3.The first two seasons of Fire Country delivered the impression that Bode Leone (Max Thieriot) and Gabriela Perez (Stephanie Arcila) were intended to be the show’s endgame couple. However, Fire Country caused irreparable damage to the pairing in Season 2, when it became difficult to root for their relationship, and things grew even more toxic later, in Season 3. At the time, it seemed like a great idea and a fresh angle for the show when Bode started a new relationship with his fellow firefighter recruit, Audrey James (Leven Rambin). Yet now, as Season 4 unfolds, it appears the writers have sabotaged what could have been a positive new romance for Bode at a time when the show badly needed to move on from the problematic “Bodiela” romance. It’s time to unpack how Fire Country sabotaged the Bode and Audrey romance just as it was starting to bloom.
The Bode and Gabriela Romance Crashed and Burned
During Fire Country Season 2, Gabriela got engaged to her new boyfriend, Diego Moreno (Rafael de la Fuente), just as Bode arranged to return to the Three Rock Conservation Camp. When Bode and Gabriela kissed before her wedding, it came off like they were having an affair behind Diego’s back, and it became hard to root for Bode and Gabriela as a couple. It grew even worse in the Season 3 premiere, where Gabriela injected another firefighter with medicine to which he was allergic, and Bode lied to protect Gabriela’s reputation.
The incident simply made Bode and Gabriela look more toxic and volatile. She was correct to reject a relationship with Bode at that point, fearing they would burn their proverbial worlds down for each other. Then, Bode began a relationship with fellow firefighter recruit, Audrey James. A new love interest for Bode was a smart move, and Leven Rambin portrays Audrey as a charming, likable character. Like Bode, she is also a recovering drug addict and former inmate firefighter, and they are both seeking to find redemption.
Although the viewership reactions to Bode and Audrey getting together were mixed, the romance was a refreshing and positive change for the series. It finally felt like Fire Country was moving away from the soap opera-style “will they/won’t they get together” melodrama with Bode and Gabriela. However, in just a few short episodes, the writers have basically wrecked Bode and Audrey’s relationship beyond repair, reinforcing Bode and Gabriela as the endgame, despite writing Gabriela’s character out of the show!
Gabriela Leaves Edgewater After a Confession in ‘Fire Country’ Season 4
During the Season 4 premiere, “Goodbye for Now,” Gabriela confesses her love to Bode in another frustrating scene, despite her knowledge of Bode’s relationship with Audrey. Her confession occurred even though the writers made the decision to write Gabriela out of the show, depicting her leaving Edgewater to go on a national recruiting mission. Like the title of the episode, Gabriela says it’s simply, “Goodbye for now,” rather than goodbye forever. The scene establishes that Gabriela and Bode still have feelings for one another, and their potential romance is still in play. The writers have made it clear that Bode and Audrey are not meant to be, and that Bode truly loves Gabriela. The scene reinforces that any relationship Bode has from here on out will simply be biding his time until Gabriela returns home. That scene creates a bad omen for Bode potentially finding happiness with Audrey, and it sends the message that viewers shouldn’t get invested in their romance, which is slipping away.
The next episode, “Not a Stray,” complicates matters further when Bode, seeking to avoid telling Audrey the truth about his stash of painkillers, instead confesses that he got close with Gabriela again while Audrey was away dealing with the incident of shooting Finn (Blake Lee) in the Season 3 finale. Audrey was shockingly understanding about Bode’s confession, responding, “If sweet Gabriela wanted to pet my hair and keep me fed, I’d let her.” It’s almost like Audrey recognizes that Gabriela is Bode’s true love as well. Regardless, Audrey saw through Bode’s act, recognizing that something else is clearly bothering him. The writers present mixed signals with the apparent fixation on Bode and Gabriela’s relationship. If this is the endgame, why was it important for Gabriela to leave the show, even temporarily, in Season 4? Perhaps the writers want to convey the idea that Bode works better as a character when he is struggling, unhappy, and miserable.
Audrey Goes Out of Her Way To Protect Bode
Although the state of Bode and Audrey’s relationship looks bleak, Audrey still goes out of her way to protect Bode in the latest episode, “The Tiny Ways We Start to Heal.” After discussing Bode’s issues with Manny Perez (Kevin Alejandro), Audrey realizes that Bode was lying about flushing his painkillers. With the recent death of Bode’s father, Vince (Billy Burke), and the antagonistic Brett Richards (Shawn Hatosy) taking over Vince’s role as battalion chief, Bode has been spiraling out of control since the start of the season, contemplating falling off the wagon and nearly taking the pills. Audrey broke into Bode’s locker and stole the painkillers, preventing Bode from taking them later. Now, she’s asking Manny for assistance to covertly intervene on Bode’s behalf before he gets fired.
Bode persists as his own worst enemy in his professional and love life. He does not deserve Audrey and Manny as friends, but as recovering addicts themselves, Audrey and Manny surely empathize with Bode on that level. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to imagine how Bode and Audrey’s relationship will overcome this obstacle. Hypothetically, if their relationship holds together, it’s still hard to believe that they will stay together if and when Gabriela returns to Edgewater.
Sadly, what’s happening in Fire Country with Bode and Audrey feels like a waste, considering the two had genuine onscreen chemistry, and their blooming relationship appeared like it could be something special. The writers should have allowed Bode and Audrey’s relationship to progress a bit further before burning it down to smithereens. Sadly, the norm for Fire Country appears to be burning down positive romantic pairings, just like they did after we called Vince and Sharon (Diane Farr) the best married couple on television. The Bode and Audrey romance appears to be the show’s next victim.
- Release Date
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October 7, 2022
- Showrunner
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Tia Napolitano
- Directors
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Bill Purple, Dermott Downs, Eagle Egilsson, Gonzalo Amat, Kevin Alejandro, Max Thieriot, Sarah Wayne Callies, Marie Jamora, Kantu Lentz, Antonio Negret, Laura Nisbet Peters, Lisa Demaine, Nicole Rubio, James Strong, Anton Cropper, Erica A. Watson, Joy T. Lane, Jacquie Gould, Chi-Yoon Chung
- Writers
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Tia Napolitano, David Gould, Natalia Fernandez, Barbara Kaye Friend, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Dwain Worrell, Julia Fontana, Sara Casey, Manuel Herrera, Jen Klein, Anupam Nigam, Tonya Kong
