Fire Country: Why What Gabriela's Mom Said To Her Daughter And Bode Could Completely Change Their Relationship

Paola Nunez as Roberta facing and talking to Rafael De La Fuente as Diego Moreno. Kevin Alejandro as Manny Perez and Stephanie Arcila as Gabriela Perez are standing between them.
(Image credit: Sergei Bachlakov/CBS)

Spoilers for Fire Country Season 2, Episode 8 are ahead! If you haven’t watched the episode yet, you can stream it with a Paramount+ subscription. Then, catch new episodes as they air on the 2024 TV schedule Fridays at 9 p.m. on CBS.

Paola Nunez came flying into the Fire Country cast as Gabriela’s mom Roberta like a tornado, and it’s safe to say she left an impact on Edgewater – and her daughter and Bode specifically – during her quick and chaotic trip. For all of Season 2, the relationship between Bode and Gabriela has been rocky, at best, and now after both their conversations with Roberta, I can’t help but think that everything about their relationship is going to totally change. 

Max Thieriot as Bode Leone shaking the hand of Paola Nunez as Roberta.

(Image credit: Sergei Bachlakov/CBS)

What Gabrila’s Mom Told Her Daughter And Bode

To recap, in Episode 8, Roberta approached Bode to ask what happened between him and Gabriela, and the inmate told her. He also noted that he was trying not to hurt his ex as her mom did, and he told her that all he wants is for Gabriela to be happy, and if that means she’s not with him, so be it. This led to Gabriela’s mom giving him some unsolicited advice about his relationship, explaining:

I can see why she likes you so much…You know I thought Gabby and I were done too. One day I received a phone call, so, nothing is over until it’s over.

Then, after that, Roberta had a conversation with her daughter about her love life, and she went out on a limb for Bode. Speaking candidly with Gabriela about her ex, she said:

I’m not even apologizing, no, I know it’s too late for that. But, I just want to tell you that the only thing that I would change is just knowing you better. But, Bode, he knows you…Gabby, Bode was just doing what he thought was best for you, and he didn’t want to hurt you any more than I did.

She then reiterated that she was telling her daughter this because she wanted her to have all the information before she decided to marry another man. So, you can imagine that when the episode ended without more conversation about all this, I was left thinking that we are about to see Gabriela and Bode’s relationship shift in a seismic way. 

Pictured: Paola Nunez as Roberta, Rafael De La Fuente as Diego Moreno, and Stephanie Arcila as Gabriela Perez all dressed nicely looking slightly concerned.

(Image credit: Sergei Bachlakov/CBS)

How Those Conversations Could Impact Bode And Gabriela’s Relationship 

On the whole, Bode and Gabriela’s relationship has kind of taken a backseat this season. Following Cara’s death, Max Thieriot’s character has been focusing on his relationships with her daughter Gen and his friend Jake. He’s had a few conversations with his ex about their relationship, and overall they’ve been civil. Meanwhile, Gabriela has been focusing on becoming a paramedic and planning a wedding with Diego. 

Basically, they’ve both been trying to move on. However, clearly, there is still a lot these two need to work through when it comes to their relationship. 

I think Roberta’s comments will force both of them to have a come to Jesus moment with each other and their feelings. Hopefully, it will mean Bode will be honest with Gabriela and himself, which is something he’s struggled to do forever. I also think it will deeply impact the impending nuptials between Gabriela and Diego, because she’ll be forced to really look inward and reflect on who she truly wants to be with.

Overall, what Roberta said brought some history back to the surface that I’ve been hoping they’d address on Fire Country. I think her interactions with the two will cause a breaking point, and it will totally change Bode and Gabriela’s relationship as they figure out if they’re meant to be together or if it’s truly time for them to both move on.

To find out how these conversations impact Fire Country, you can catch the final episodes of Season 2 every Friday on CBS at 9 p.m. ET. Then, make sure to mark your calendars for Season 3 of Fire Country, because I’m pretty sure these interactions will ripple into it. 

Riley Utley
Weekend Editor

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.