Gabriela Perez's reckless arc on Fire Country season 3 is wearing thin

Spoilers ahead for Fire Country season 3 episode 7

Another episode of Fire Country season 3, another time for me to be left shaking my head over the writing around Gabriela Perez. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to still ride for my girl. She's one of my favorite characters on the show but her arc this season is frustrating, and it's not simply because she keeps making poor decision after poor decision. It's the wait for the story to go somewhere with her.

We keep getting glimpses into what's going on with her, but it's incremental. From the beginning of the series, it's been apparent that Gabriela wears her heart on her sleeve. She let love guide her in the first season even when it left her hurting Jake because she started falling for Bode. Then, in season 2, she decided she was going to start making decisions with her head because she thought it wouldn't lead her astray. It's why she jumped too soon and too fast into a committed, headed toward marriage romance with Diego.

At the top of this season, that fell apart because she's still in love with Bode. In debt because of a wedding that never happened, and angry over her father Manny's recent incarceration, Gabriela has been nothing but a mess for a string of episodes. She's got everyone concerned about her because she's acting out and it's clear that she's more like her dad than we'd previously been aware. She's a powder keg of emotion that's only gotten worse now that Bode has cut romantic ties with her because she couldn't give him more than stolen moments.

The latest episode, "False Alarm," ends with her making the ill-advised decision of sleeping with Jake, who is her ex but is also Bode's best friend. Yet again she's made the wrong choice. One that's going to be blow up her life and the question is why? What is the point of this reckless arc? We've gotten scenes that have alluded to Gabriela having a phase like this before. She isolates herself and hides away. From the state of the Airstream, she may be slipping into depression. She's also going cliff diving on her own and when injured not getting the appropriate treatment (on top of lying about it!).

All of this is building toward something but it needs to get there soon because if it goes any further, and there's no progress beyond Gabriela continuing to be reckless and damaging her relationships, the reason for why all of this is happening isn't going to matter. Arcs like hers walk a tight rope. They're meant to infuriate the viewer and also draw concern but the latter begins to wane when said reckless behavior lasts too long into the season without recourse that sets the character back on the right track. We're starting to get to that point with Gabriela.

Hopefully, with Manny having pushed Sharon to help his daughter the way he helped her son, and Sharon coming across the utter mess in the Airstream that's unlike Gabriela, we're heading toward her being dug out of this story.

Fingers crossed the fall finale makes some progress, or there's some indication that the back half of the season will feature it early on. Otherwise season 3 for my girl Gabs is going to continue to be rough, for her and those of us who enjoy her character. Particularly, if the only reason this is all happening is so the show can keep her and Bode apart and it has nothing to do with her characterization or development at all.

Stay tuned to One Chicago Center for more Fire Country!