‘Fire Country’: Max Thieriot Says Bode & Gabriela’s Situation Has Him Struggling

Meredith Jacobs April 15, 2024, 1:30 pm

Max Thieriot as Bode Leone and Stephanie Arcila as Gabriela Perez — 'Fire Country' Season 2 Episode 5 — Sergei Bachlakov/CBS

One thing is clear on Fire Country: There will always be love between Bode (Max Thieriot) and Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila). But right now, she’s planning to marry someone else, and Bode spent a significant amount of time with Diego (Rafael De La Fuente) while the paramedic tried to save Cara‘s (Sabina Gadecki) life in the fifth episode of the season. But could Bode actually stand back and watch Gabriela marry someone else?

“We’re going to find out, I’ll tell you that,” Thieriot tells TV Insider. “It’s like his heart is split, right? One part of his heart really just wants the best for her. And after this experience in Episode 5, he really believes that Diego is a great person for her to be with. But then I think the other side of his heart is breaking into a million pieces because he believes that she is his person.”

Because of that, the star, creator, and executive producer calls this the hardest thing he goes through in Season 2 (and remember, he started it behind bars and just found out he’s not Genevieve’s father). He’s “fighting with that emotion and being torn between those two things inside of himself and really sort of looking back, looking at himself, and trying to make the best decision for Gabriela, but also not completely sacrificing his own happiness,” says Thieriot. “So he is really struggling because of this. I can tell you that it has him messed up.”

Going forward, Bode “is going to struggle to look at [Gabriela], struggle to be around her. It’s going to be hard for him because he’s trying so badly to just let her move on and let her go down this path and be with this guy that he believes is great, but inevitably their job and their lives continue to bring them together,” Thieriot previews. “And so for him, it’s just trying to stay strong. It’s just resisting the urge that is always just boiling inside of him to say something or go to her. We saw a little glimpse of it in Episode 4 when he just came to in the triage tent. He’s burying that inside of himself. And so the big thing that we’re going to see a bunch in these episodes is him being around her and trying to contain that.”

'Fire Country' Is Staying in Bode, Gabriela & Diego Love Triangle — What's Next in Season 2

Gabriela’s mother, Roberta, is coming to town, played by Paola Núñez, and not only will fans see her with multiple characters, but one of them will be Bode. There will be “plenty of drama and fun stuff,” with her mother around, Thieriot teases. Bode and Roberta will talk about Gabriela. “There’s some interesting conversations to be had, for sure,” he continues. “I think in Season 3, we could potentially have some really cool stuff that could include her.”

What are you hoping to see with Bode and Gabriela as Season 2 continues? Let us know in the comments section, below.

Fire Country, Fridays, 9/8c, CBS