‘Fire Country’ Season 3: Diego Moreno as the Perfect Partner for Gabriela, Bode had no chance
With Fire Country Season 2 in the books, it’s a good time to go back and reflect on some of the major story arcs throughout the second season. Season 2 kicks off with the intrigue of Bode Leone (Max Thieriot) stuck in prison, after being punished for a bogus drug charge. That predicament gets wrapped up easily in the Season 2 premiere episode, “Something’s Coming,” allowing Bode to return to the Three Rock Con Camp. While Bode’s quest to earn parole is a major source of drama and conflict in Season 2, one of the rougher sources of conflict concerns Bode’s ongoing love triangle with Gabriela Perez (Stephanie Arcila) and Gabriela’s new fiancé, Diego Moreno (Rafael de la Fuente).
Despite the show establishing Bode and Gabriela’s romance in the first season, it’s hard to continue rooting for Bode and Gabriela to get back together in Season 2. Even though Bode took the rap for a crime he didn’t commit, he breaks things off with Gabriela, and Gabriela moves on with her life, starting a relationship with Diego. Sadly, the writers simply did too good of a job with Diego and made him too charming and likable. Although the writers want to set up Bode and Gabriela as the show’s endgame pairing, the Bode, Gabriela, and Diego love triangle generally becomes a sore spot in Season 2.
The Show Sets Up Diego Moreno as the Perfect Partner for Gabriela
Season 2 quickly brings the audience up to speed on the Diego and Gabriela romance, revealing that they’ve been dating for several months. During “Something’s Coming,” Gabriela confesses that she loves Diego and wants a future with him, leading to a marriage proposal, which she accepts without hesitation. Of course, Gabriela’s happiness is interrupted when Bode returns to Three Rock Con Camp. Gabriela attempted to maintain contact with Bode while he was in prison, but he refused to respond to her letters. Bode cut off contact with Gabriela, believing it was in her best interest to remove himself from her life. Well, Gabriela did move on and found a new partner. Still, Bode’s return to the CalFire program at the end of the season premiere immediately throws a wrench into Gabriela’s upcoming nuptials.
Meanwhile, as Diego and Gabriela plan their wedding, Diego, a total gentleman, proves to be the perfect partner for Gabriela. He’s a military veteran and skilled paramedic with a wonderful, loving family who adores Gabriela, and they quickly accept her as one of their own. Diego respects her career goals and aspirations, but Gabriela is conflicted because Bode’s return reignites their shared spark. This begins a season-long story arc where Gabriela is still torn about her feelings for Bode, even though he’s arguably not the best choice for her to marry. Later episodes reinforce this, depicting Diego as a wonderful, respectful partner to Gabriela. Even Bode agrees as he and Diego fend for their lives amid a fire tornado event in the Season 2 episode, “This Storm Will Pass.” Later, Gabriela kisses Bode in Season 2, Episode 9, “No Future, No Consequences.” That kiss represents a type of infidelity because Gabriela is still emotionally drawn to Bode. Despite the kiss, Gabriela decides to move forward with her wedding in the Season 2 finale, “I, Do.”
As Fire Country executive producer Tia Napolitano informed TV Guide about Gabriela and Diego’s relationship following the latest finale, “Gabriela and Diego’s relationship is a smart match. He is the logical choice.” However, while Diego is the “logical” choice, as Napolitano described, he’s not the man Gabriela truly loves. Gabriela faces the conflict of heart over head. She must choose between Diego, the “smart, logical” match who will give her a great life, versus her love for Bode Leone, who lives a chaotic life and is trying to overcome his past. The conflict here is that Diego has proven to be such a nice, upstanding individual that it’s sad that his heart will likely be broken in the process of Bode and Gabriela potentially resuming their romance.
Gabriela and Diego’s Wedding in ‘I Do’ Is Left Ambiguous
Gabriela and Diego do make it to their wedding in the Season 2 finale, “I Do.” Gabriela’s father, Captain Manny Perez (Kevin Alejandro), even makes it to the event to walk Gabriela down the aisle, despite the active warrant for his arrest for punching out Luke Leone (Michael Trucco) earlier in the season. Bode is also there for the wedding, with a tease and potential expectation that he might stand up and object during the ceremony. Bode choosing not to interrupt the wedding or object during the ceremony is probably the smartest move he made all season. Instead, he leaves the wedding and seeks out his uncle Luke; he is now more determined than ever to become an official firefighter; however, whether Diego and Gabriela exchange vows is left up in the air.
One can assume that Bode leaves the wedding during the exchange of vows between Gabriela and Diego. However, the audience never actually sees the couple say, “I do.” Did Gabriela say yes? Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for Season 3 to find out what happened. Plain and simple, if Gabriela has any doubts about her marriage to Diego, she shouldn’t move forward with it, even if it means jilting Diego at the altar. At the same time, it feels wrong that this love triangle was dragged out so much. Earlier in the episode, Diego even offers to postpone the wedding, due to Manny’s potential arrest, which would be an excellent idea. However, Gabriela refuses the offer to postpone the wedding and decides to go through with it anyway. Considering that Diego was more than gracious about the wedding and the fact that Gabriela had already kissed Bode, it’s difficult to continue supporting the Gabriela and Bode romance.
Bode Leone Made the Right Call Not Interrupting the Wedding
While Bode’s actions of kissing Gabriela were regrettable, he made the right call in not causing a scene and interrupting the wedding ceremony. Bode is not even in the right headspace to be in a relationship right now after making his parole. He has a new goal to become a bonafide firefighter, he will face many obstacles due to his criminal past. It still appears that Bode has personal demons from his past that he needs to overcome. He must also prove he can maintain a stable lifestyle to show he would be a good partner for Gabriela. Unfortunately, it seems that Diego will get his heart broken, one way or another, before the end of the series. It just sucks that in order for Bode and Gabriela to get a happily ever after, that means that Diego has to get his heart broken in the process.
Fire Country is not finished with Bode and Gabriela’s relationship. It remains to be seen whether a divorce or annulment is in Gabriela and Diego’s future. Hopefully, when the two inevitably split up, it will be amicable, and Diego can move on with his life. He’s too nice of a guy to be caught up in the drama that is Bode and Gabriela.
