When he arrived in the fourth season of Fire Country, Station 42 was a broken mess.
Brett Richards’ arrival wasn’t exactly a fun one. He was despised, with no one rooting for him.
However, Richards was exactly the kind of discipline Fire Country needed. With a determined look, he set his eyes on restructuring 42.
His goal was simple: no one else dies on his watch. Bode, Jake, Eve, and the rest needed a fresh reminder of their 1s and 2s, no matter how much they loathed him.
But it seems his time on the show was pretty short and quite unpredictable.
Just when Richards appeared to have found his footing, he announced his departure on Fire Country Season 4 Episode 4, “Like a Wounded Wildebeest“.
This came as quite a shock, as earlier he seemed dead set on changing the face of the station after Vince’s death.
Well, at least he did one thing right: by choosing the right successor for his role.
If there’s one thing Brett Richards got right in his blink-and-you’ll-miss-him stint at Station 42, it’s pegging Manny Perez as the glue that’s still holding the team together.
The seasoned captain has spent years guiding lost souls at Three Rock Con Camp, earning both scars and respect along the way.
Manny isn’t just the person with the most time at the station — he’s the one with the deepest battle wounds. He has the right kind of wisdom for a group that’s still reeling from Vince’s untimely exit.
From a leadership standpoint, Manny is the only one currently running on all cylinders. Jake may have the pedigree and ambition, but he’s torn between his rise and his connection to the Leones. His drive nearly consumed him and risked alienating his best friends, forcing a painful reevaluation of his priorities. Bode, true to form, remains the station’s live wire — brave, determined, but caught in the undertow of grief and addiction. He needs stability and clear boundaries, not more volatility.
Eve’s heart is with Three Rock: she’s missing in action for most of Episode 4, helping those who need her most, rather than vying for command.
It’s the bitter truth: Station 42 isn’t just looking for someone to fill Vince’s boots — they need someone who understands the terrain.
Manny’s ability to get the best out of his people is exactly what Station 42 requires. When the grain silo rescue went sideways, it was Manny who kept heads cool and lives saved.
Richards recognized it in real time, impressed enough to hand him the chief’s badge. This wasn’t a popularity contest, but a gut decision rooted in hard-earned respect.
Vince himself could never have settled the debate—the man loved both Bode and Jake, his loyalties too closely entwined.
Richards, unburdened by old allegiances, made the hard call and left Station 42 with the best chance possible: Manny at the helm, supporting Sharon, and keeping the group from splintering.
Richards’ exit may have left questions up in the air, but his choice for chief? That’s the kind of legacy Station 42 will thank him for in seasons to come.
You can’t help but squint at Brett Richards’ abrupt departure, wondering if you missed a whole arc in the blink of an eye.
He was introduced this season with thunder and lightning — a disruptive outsider meant to “reinvent” Station 42’s culture.
His approach landed like a sledgehammer in a shop full of fragile glass: discipline first, sentimentality last.
So how did this hard-nosed chief suddenly buy into the show’s “family theme,” making a 180-degree turn that left viewers scratching their heads?
Richards arrived swinging, ready to weed out weak points, especially in Bode, whose post-Vince behavior drew unfiltered scrutiny.
Yet, barely an episode in, he’s passing out warm beers with Sharon and handing over the keys like he’s just another one of the gang.
Even the scar he reveals feels like it was dropped in to hastily anchor his late change of heart.
The problem? He hasn’t spent enough real time with the crew to earn that transformation.
Richards’ emotional intelligence gets acknowledged — he notices Manny treating Bode’s addiction with empathy and care, and that prompts his handoff.
But with so little buildup, the baton pass feels like a cameo rather than a substantial presence.
There are no meaty speeches, tearful goodbyes, or game-changing decisions.
Just a man who seemed ready to clear out the rot, suddenly bending to the collective will and sneaking out the back door.
As fans, it’s natural to want a payoff: something to justify the hype and the rapid character turn. Instead, we’re left with a cameo and a few scars.
But Station 42 marches on, and the next test arrives soon. Tune in for Fire Country Season 4 Episode 5, premiering Friday, November 14th, on CBS.
Do you believe Manny is the best choice as the new battalion chief? Tell us in the comments below!
Season 19 of The Real Housewives of Orange County has concluded, and two additional parts of the reunion are set to air. In a new preview, Tamra Judge and Jennifer Pedranti
are seen discussing their issues, including Tamra accusing Jenn of trying to emulate her.
Part one of the reunion for season 19 of RHOC featured several revelations. This included Tamra stating that Shannon Beador had filmed
In the preview, Andy Cohen can be seen asking Jennifer and Tamra where their friendship exists today. Jenn said, “I don’t know. I mean, that’s the honest truth.”
Tamra then agreed. They both said that they had not seen each other since filming for season 19 wrapped, with Jenn adding, “We don’t talk. We don’t see each other.”
She then said, “For me, it’s hard to navigate you [Tamra], and I don’t know sometimes what version of you I’m gonna get. I actually feel like, Tamra, you just don’t like me, and that’s okay.”
Tamra chimed in, “No, that’s not true.”
Jenn then stated that she had felt like she was fighting for a friendship that was never real, prompting Tamra to say, “You weren’t fighting for a friendship this season.” Jenn then confirmed this, saying that she was just kind of “over it.”
From there, she said that Tamra is “hellbent” on telling others that she isn’t who she says she is and that she “lies.” Tamra then said, “Every scene that we would film, you were always poking at me.” The clip then cuts to unaired footage of Jenn and Tamra arguing.
Later in the preview, Tamra discussed how she felt that Jenn had previously singled her out to get on the show. Tamra then went on to accuse Jenn of imitating her life. She said she bought a house on her street. However, in the end, Tamra admitted that she wasn’t living on the street when Jenn was.
Tamra went on, “Then all of a sudden, you were going to my doctor, we’re at the same hair salon, you came to the gym, and you wanted to do a fitness competition.”
“You were just a normal girl who had a gym a mile away from my yoga studio, and I was looking to train, and I loved your husband. That’s it,” Jenn responded.
Further along in the preview, Heather Dubow chimed in and discussed all the things Tamra previously said about Jenn wanting to be her. She mentioned her hair extensions and Jenn moving near her. Jenn asked, “But you understand none of that’s true? Not one of those statements is true.” Heather said she did understand.
This led Tamra to question Jenn, saying, “But you did use the hair extensions,” before the cast agreed that Jenn did that as a joke. They also discussed Tamra showing the old photo of Jenn and her reasoning behind doing so. In the end, she apologized to Jenn.