(Image credit: Sergei Bachlakov/CBS)
When Fire Country Season 3 ended on the 2025 TV schedule, we were left on some massive cliffhangers thanks to developments both on and off screen. Along with Vince, Sharon and Walter being stuck in a burning retirement home, it was also revealed that Billy Burke (who plays Vince) and Stephanie Arcila (who plays Gabriela) would be leaving the show. That convinced me that Vince would die in the fire. However, now Max Thieriot and Diane Farr have commented on what’s to come, and I’m not so sure anymore.
Arguably, the biggest questions coming out of Season 3 of Fire Country are: Who will survive the retirement home fire? And how will Gabriela get written out, because we know there’s potential for her to return? The answer to both those questions is basically “I don’t know,” as the show’s co-creator and lead actor, Max Thieriot, told TV Insider:
It’s not a false alarm. There will be some pieces that need to be picked up. We’re motivated to continue pushing the show, pushing the envelope, and trying to sort of allow this world to evolve and come up with new ways to surprise the audience and to bring the audience compelling characters and storytelling. As far as what is going to happen specifically at this point, I don’t know. We’re just opening the writers’ room, so we haven’t gotten that far. I know that everybody’s really focused on finding out.
When Fire Country’s Season 3 finale ended, we admittedly weren’t given any clues about who survives and/or dies. However, we do know that Vince, Sharon and Walter are stuck. We also know that Billy Burke’s exit has been reported. So, I was sure his character, Vince, would be the one to die come Season 4.
However, now I’m not so sure. That uncertainty became even more prominent when Diane Farr commented on the whole situation. Her character, Sharon, is also stuck in the fire, and could be on the outs too. Farr made that much clear when she explained how much she doesn’t know about what’s coming down the line for her and her character’s family:
I was actually nervous. I was nervous for all of us as a cast and a show, and I have zero more answers since that nervousness set in, so I’m excited to see what they do. Maybe there’s three times in your career where we actually don’t know what’s going to happen to your character. This is definitely one.
While Billy Burke’s exit was reported, showrunner Tia Napolitano wouldn’t “confirm who we’re losing,” during an interview with Deadline. She also explained that “none of the actors know” who would be leaving while they filmed the finale. Farr’s comments confirm that notion, and reaffirm that I should not be jumping to conclusions.
I had assumed, based on Burke’s reported departure, that Vince would be the one to go, especially since it would open doors storywise in a dramatic and interesting way for quite a few characters, specifically Jake, who wanted a promotion.
However, now I’m not sure. Thieriot and Farr’s comments lead me to believe that nothing is set in stone yet. Therefore, my assumptions shouldn’t be either. So, we’ll just have to hang on tight, watch Seasons 1 through 3 with a Paramount+ subscription, and brace for impact when Fire Country returns this fall, because while I don’t know who dies, I do know that whatever happens will cause major change.
