I am a huge fan of Melina Kanakaredes and her character Stella. I was, to put it lightly, dismayed when I found out she was leaving. For the past little while I've been just trying to figure out how they were going to spin her exit in my mind. The shippy part of me was wanting something emotional and heartfelt. The realistic side of me was saying they were going to kill her. This has put me at ease.
I am happy with this exit. I feel that this is a decent exit for Stella. They aren't killing the character, but are instead promoting her and moving her to a city in need. I feel that is very much in character for Stella. It does still suck that Melina won't be coming back to film an exit, but by giving her an exit that is decent and in character is all I could ever ask for.