Fire Country’s Diane Farr Reacts to Backlash After Character’s Death

by

Warning: This story contains spoilers for the season four premiere of Fire Country. 

Diane Farr is calming the flames surrounding Fire Country’s shocking reveal.

Following the season four premiere of the show, which revealed that firefighter Vince Leone (played by Billy Burke) had died in a building collapse, his on-screen wife spoke to fans about their reactions to the actor leaving the series.

In an Instagram post on October 19th, Diane acknowledged that some people were upset with her work. She said she understood their concerns, but asked a question: if they only focused on the dangers of being a firefighter, and never showed the heartbreaking loss experienced by both the fire station and the family when a firefighter is lost, would that be missing a crucial part of telling their story?

Fans were shocked when Vince, the character played by the 56-year-old actor in the CBS show *Fire Country*, didn’t return after the October 17th episode. His death had been hinted at back in April, in the season three finale, when both he and Sharon were caught in a large house fire.

In the same month, reports surfaced suggesting that Billy, 58, and Gabriela Perez, played by Stephanie Arcila, would be leaving the show before season four. However, Stephanie returned for the season premiere to explain that her character was simply moving on to a new job.

Although he didn’t initially explain why he was leaving the show, the recently released trailer for season four revealed that Vincent was seriously injured in the accident. The latest episode then showed his son, Bode Leone (played by Max Thieriot), delivering a heartfelt eulogy at his funeral.

Although it was sad to see him go, Diane emphasized that Vince’s impact on Station 42 will continue to be felt.

As a longtime observer of television, let me tell you, the departure of 42 – that’s Billy and Vince’s character – isn’t going to be a quiet one! Our writing team has a lot of stories planned to really celebrate the impact he and the actor who played him have had on the show. The strong emotions fans are feeling are a true testament to the beautiful work he did. We’ve actually already filmed half of Season 4 of *Fire Country*, and we’re planning tributes all year long to honor everything he brought to the series.

Diane shared a touching tribute shortly after the show’s creator, Tia Napolitano, described how the cast reacted to Billy leaving the series.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been on many sets, but this one was truly emotional. We all felt the loss of Vince, both the character and the incredible actor Billy Burke who played him. We really wanted Bode’s speech about his father to feel raw and genuine, like it was coming from the heart, and Max delivered that beautifully. Honestly, filming that scene felt like being at a real funeral – the pain was palpable, and you can absolutely feel it when you watch the episode. It was heartbreaking for everyone involved.

Keep reading to see more stars who left their popular roles…

Fans were surprised in 2025 to learn that Mehcad Brooks was leaving the NBC crime show before its 25th season.

Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.

Jax Taylor has confirmed he won’t be back for season three of *The Valley*. This decision comes after fans expressed concerns about his actions during the show’s second season.

In July 2025, the Bravo star, who is going through a difficult divorce with Brittany Cartwright, explained that his priorities are getting sober, improving his mental health, and being a good coparent. He believes taking this time to focus on himself is essential, particularly for the sake of his son, Cruz.

Several cast members from *Saturday Night Live* recently announced they won’t be back for the show’s 51st season, with the announcements happening close together.

Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.

Following the departures of Longfellow, Walker, and Wakim from *Saturday Night Live*, two more popular cast members, Gardner and Nwodim, announced they wouldn’t be back for the show’s 51st season. Gardner had been with the show for eight seasons, and Nwodim for seven.

Sofia Mattsson finished her role on the long-running soap opera in the summer of 2025, after seven years as Sasha Gilmore. Her character moved to Paris as part of the storyline.

Tracy Ifeachor, who starred in the popular HBO Max series *The Pitt*, decided not to return after its successful first season.

The actress shared on Instagram on July 10th how honored she was to play Dr. Heather Collins in what she called a truly innovative season of the show. She also thanked viewers for watching, supporting the first season, and sharing their personal experiences with her.

Okay, so everyone *knew* the show was heading towards what happened to Joel – seriously, the game hinted at it for ages! But even knowing it was coming, seeing it *actually* happen… it still totally wrecked me. I mean, the way they did it, mirroring what happened in *The Last of Us Part II*… it was brutal, and honestly, I’m still reeling. I just… I can’t believe Joel is gone. It felt so sudden, even though deep down I knew it was inevitable. It was just… a lot.

Pascal, known for dying in roles on shows like *Game of Thrones* and *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, wasn’t surprised by his character’s fate. He jokingly told *Entertainment Weekly*, “I get killed a lot—I actually enjoy it!”

Following what he called a “wild adventure,” Peter Krause finished his run as Captain Bobby Nash on the drama *9-1-1* with an episode airing in April 2025.

Okay, so I’ve been following this show *intensely*, and when I read what the creator, Krause, said about Bobby Nash, it just… hit me. He basically said Bobby was *always* meant to be a hero who makes the ultimate sacrifice. Like, it wasn’t just a plot twist, it was built into his character from the beginning! And honestly? It’s perfect. Krause said it’s about honoring first responders – those incredible people who run *towards* danger every single day so others can live. Bobby’s whole story… it’s a tribute to *them*, and it makes everything so much more meaningful. I’m not crying, *you’re* crying!

The decision to kill off a popular, yet troubled, firefighter was definitely controversial, showrunner Tim Minear told Variety. He explained that after eight seasons, the show needed to raise the stakes, and that meant letting a main character die to make future storylines feel more impactful.

Summer just got a little less fun.

In June 2025, Paige DeSorbo revealed she was leaving the Bravo series after being on the show for seven seasons.

After seven amazing summers, I’m saying goodbye. I’m so thankful for all the fun memories, the incredible community, and the chances I’ve been given, but it’s time to move on to something new, just like with everything else in life—even the mistakes we learn from! I shared this with my fans on Instagram.

The popular Netflix show won’t have the French actress in its fifth season, which is set to release in April 2025.

I was so surprised to read that Lily Collins has decided to leave *Emily in Paris*! She shared the news on Instagram with some lovely photos of her and the cast, and she said it’s been an amazing experience for her – full of growth, creativity, and memories she’ll always cherish. It’s sad to see her go, but I’m excited to see what she does next!

Before the third season of *The Sex Lives of College Girls* begins, Reneé Rapp has announced she’s leaving the show.

Honestly, *College Girls* completely changed my life! It brought me out to LA and I met the most amazing people. And now, after two and a half years, it’s given me *you* guys – this incredible community! I’m so grateful for everything!

Mindy Kaling, one of the show’s creators, also confirmed that Renee Rapp was leaving. She shared on Instagram that they were sad to see Leighton Murray go, but excited to support Rapp’s successful music career and upcoming tour. Kaling expressed a lot of love for Rapp.

After over a year of speculation, Kevin Costner confirmed in June 2024 that he won’t be back for the final season of the popular Paramount drama, following his departure after four and a half seasons.

Okay, so it *killed* me, honestly, but February 2023 was the last time I saw Meredith Grey – Ellen Pompeo – as a main character on *Grey’s Anatomy*. After nineteen years, she hung up her scrubs! It felt like losing a friend, seriously. I’m still not over it!

I completely understand what Drew was saying when she appeared on her own show back in December 2022! She admitted she needed a change – at 53, she felt like her brain needed a refresh. She’s amazing, and even after coming back for another guest spot in May and continuing to narrate, she explained she can’t just rely on the same old routine. Doing the *New York Times* crossword every day is great, but you need to challenge yourself with something new!

As a huge fan of *The Witcher*, I was shocked to hear that Henry Cavill won’t be returning as Geralt after season three. He’s been amazing in the role, but he’s moving on, and now Liam Hemsworth will be taking over as Geralt starting with season four – and it sounds like he’ll be playing him for the long haul!

In an October 2022 Instagram post, Henry Cavill announced that after playing Geralt of Rivia, he would be stepping down from his role for Season 4, saying his time battling monsters and having adventures as the character had come to an end.

Jesse Lee Soffer, an original cast member, left the show in 2022 after playing Detective Jay Halstead for 10 seasons.

Everyone involved with the show has poured their heart and soul into making each week’s episode, and it’s been a rewarding experience,” said Jesse Soffer after his last appearance on the NBC series on October 5th. “I’m incredibly proud of my work as Detective Jay Halstead.

After five seasons, Damian Lewis departed Showtime’s Billions in Oct. 2021.

In August 2021, Emily VanCamp left the TV show *The Resident* on Fox, marking the end of her role as a doctor on the series.

Madeleine Mantock, who played Macy on the CW’s *Charmed* reboot, decided to leave the show after three seasons. She announced her departure in 2021 before season four began, calling the role a great opportunity and expressing her appreciation for the show’s producers, writers, cast, and crew.

Elizabeth Keen will never learn the truth about Raymond Reddington. Megan Boone, the actress who played her on NBC’s *The Blacklist*, decided to leave the show after eight seasons, and her character was killed off before she could discover a crucial secret revealed in a letter. Boone described her time on the show as “a dream” in an Instagram post from 2021, marking the end of her character’s storyline.

The second season of *Bridgerton* didn’t include Regé-Jean Page, who became a fan favorite in the first season of the popular Netflix drama. His departure was announced in 2021, disappointing many viewers.

He told *Vanity Fair* that he simply did the work he’d agreed to, and then took on additional assignments. He admitted he wished there was a more exciting story behind it all.

Ruby Rose first appeared as Batwoman (Kate Kane) in a 2018 crossover event and then led the CW’s *Batwoman* series for one season, becoming the first openly lesbian superhero to star in her own show. She left the role in 2020, shortly after the first season ended. Javicia Leslie then stepped in as Ryan Wilder, a new character who took over as Batwoman in the show’s second season.

Later on in season two, Kate got a bit of a face swap and returned played by Wallis Day.

Okay, so when America Ferrera decided to leave *Superstore* after season five, I was *devastated*! I mean, Amy Sosa *was* Cloud 9, and the show just wouldn’t be the same without her. Thankfully, because of the pandemic, we got a couple more glimpses of her in season six, which was a small comfort. But honestly, the best part was that she came back for the very last episode! I was so worried Amy and Jonah (Ben Feldman, obviously!) wouldn’t get their happy ending, but America made sure they did. It was perfect, and exactly what they deserved. I was honestly sobbing!

In the 2019 finale of the Syfy show *The Magicians*, Jason Ralph’s character, Quentin, successfully rescued Eliot, played by Hale Appleman, but died in the process. Although the show regularly features character deaths, Ralph did not reprise his role for the fifth and final season.

Ahead of the final season, Arrow‘s Emily Bett Rickards announced her exit in a poem of sorts.

Oh my gosh, she actually *said* it! It’s Felicity and me against the world, you guys, we’re so close! But… she wrote that after seasons one through seven, we’ll have to say goodbye. Goodbye! I can’t even think about it. It’s like she’s saying goodbye to *us*, to all of us who love the show. I’m devastated!

She did, however, return for a guest appearance in the show’s 2020 series finale.

Lauren Cohan initially left *The Walking Dead* in 2018 after difficult contract talks. While she appeared in a few episodes of season nine, her character, Maggie Greene, disappeared after a time jump of six years. Producers wanted her to come back, and when her TV show *Whiskey Cavalier* on ABC was canceled, she did. Cohan returned to *The Walking Dead* in October 2020, appearing in the sixteenth episode of the season.

Following Cohan and Andrew Lincoln’s departures from the show, Danai Gurira also left. She joined the AMC series as the skilled swordswoman Michonne in season three and appeared for the last time in an episode that aired in March 2020.

Nicollette Sheridan played the memorable Alexis Carrington in season one and became a regular cast member in season two. In 2019, she decided to leave the CW reboot before season three to care for her mother, who was ill.

George Eads left the CBS series in 2019, during its third season. He stated he wanted to focus on spending more time with his family.

The show *Lethal Weapon* has seen its share of cast changes. After season two, Clayne Crawford was let go, and his co-star Damon Wayans announced he would leave after the show’s third season, which consisted of 13 episodes. Wayans stated in October 2018 that he was planning to quit in December, explaining that as a 58-year-old with diabetes, the demanding 16-hour workdays were too much. He jokingly referenced his character’s line, saying, ‘Murtaugh said, ‘too old for this.’

Luckily, the producers didn’t have to worry about finding a replacement, as the show ended after just three seasons.

As a longtime follower of the entertainment world, I remember when Cameron Monaghan’s character, Ian Gallagher, faced some serious trouble on *Shameless* – he actually went to prison! It was a bit of a surprise because Cameron had initially wrapped up his time with the show after nine seasons, ready to move on to other opportunities. But in a really cool TV move, he decided to come back for season 10 *and* stuck around to see the show through to its very end in December 2020. It just goes to show you never know what to expect in the world of television!

Read More

2025-10-20 21:22