The truth behind Billy Burke (Vince) and Stephanie Arcila (Gabriela)’s departure from ‘Fire Country’ Season 4 has been explained

Changes are on the horizon as the CBS firefighter drama series Fire Country gears up for Season 4. Following an eventful third season for Gabriela Perez (Stephanie Arcila) and Vince Leone (Billy Burke), it was revealed that the characters won’t return in the upcoming season, marking the first major exits in the hit series.

Deadline talked to executive producers and co-creators Joan Rater and Tony Phelan about this decision that will have a huge impact on the show when it returns in the fall. “It really just comes down to what’s the best creatively,” Rater said when asked if cutting costs was a motivating factor in writing out the two fan-favorites.

Some shows like Chicago Fire have resorted to reducing the number of series regulars as the cost of keeping shows on the air has become a major consideration for many productions. Rater explained:

“There’s a lot of stuff going on that we as producers juggle, but honestly, we are writers first and foremost and storytellers. And we struggle with these stories, we wrestle them to the ground, we consider them from six different angles. We don’t do anything lightly, we talk, we talk, we talk. And then we just have to go with our gut about what makes the most compelling story, and we are really trying to write authentic stories that examine what these heroes deal with and go through. So that’s where we’re coming from at all times.”

The exits could also provide a great creative opportunity for the team to improve the show. “Also, going into Season 4, you don’t want the audience to ever feel complacent, to feel like they know exactly what they’re gonna get,” Phelan said. “And it’s gonna be the same thing that they’ve gotten. You want to create lean-in moments where the real stakes of what’s involved with what these heroes do is always there. So the audience never knows what’s coming next.”

‘Fire Country’ Season 4 Might Feature New Faces

The departure of old characters allows the show to bring on new people and rejuvenate the arcs. “The writers’ room starts in a week and a half, so I think we will play with time,” showrunner Tia Napolitano revealed. However, the team refused to confirm if there would be new cast additions in Fire Country Season 4. “We’re going to have so much excellent, mind-blowing, really deep and incredible story for the people we have, so that’s what we’re going to be focusing on,” said Rater. Phelan added:

“There’s a lot of loss in the finale: the loss of Three Rock and what’s happening to our cast, that putting the pieces back together is really what the beginning of Season 4 is going to be about.”