Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Fire Country Season 4.If the writers of Fire Country really want to depict Chief Brett Richards (Shawn Hatosy) as the big bad of Season 4, they need to work a lot harder to achieve that goal. Fire Country viewers have grown so accustomed to the routine insanity in the little town of Edgewater, along with the reckless behavior of its firefighters, that it appears strange by comparison when a more rational person enters the picture.

Fire Country Season 4 sets up Brett as the replacement for the late Vince Leone (Billy Burke) as Chief of Battalion 1508 and Station 42. Although the plot positions Richards as an antagonist for the main cast members, such as Bode Leone (Max Thieriot) and Jake Crawford (Jordan Calloway), his methods are oddly refreshing in contrast to Edgewater’s general chaos.

Brett’s Got a Point About Battalion 1508

In Season 4, Episode 2, “Not a Stray,” Brett takes over as Battalion Chief at Station 42 at a tough time, when the firefighters are still reeling from the death of their former chief, Vince, whom they regarded as family, and Brett comes across as a condescending, overly patronizing micromanager. Still, if there was ever a time to place Battalion 1508 under the microscope, it’s now, when they are dealing with such a terrible loss. Additionally, Brett’s points about the dysfunction of Battalion 1508 are totally valid, specifically the station’s failure to uphold basic rules and safety guidelines. Battalion 1508 had an opportunity to prove Brett was wrong about them in the same episode, but Jake and Bode failed to manage

the civilians living in the forest after losing their homes in the Zabel Ridge Fire.

Bode and Jake allowed the situation with the civilians to spiral out of control because of a sob story from Janice ( Tara Wilson). Jake foolishly goes along with Bode’s plan like he always does, and the civilians only barely manage to escape because the battalion wastes precious time getting a car out of the mud. When Brett justifiably chews out the team later in the episode, Bode is technically correct in pointing out that there was no loss of life, but they caused further risk to civilian life by wasting so much time. For over three seasons, Bode has done things his way, regardless of the consequences, and Brett is finally trying to curb Bode’s reckless behavior.

Sharon Leone (Diane Farr) was one of the staunchest critics of Brett taking over her husband’s position. However, when Bode went crying to Mama Leone in “Not a Stray” to try and get Brett kicked out of Station 42, she rejected her son’s complaints, stating, “I don’t like him, but after today, I think he’s going to make good on his promise to keep you alive.” Obviously, Sharon is in a fragile state right now, still grieving the tragic loss of her husband and fearing for her son’s safety in the field, but even Sharon realizes that Jake and Bode’s handling of the civilians was completely inappropriate.

Sharon previously dealt with Bode and Jake’s insubordination with little success. Bode and Jake frequently act like cowboys in a job where such behavior should not be permitted. Due to Bode and Jake refusing to follow orders, they further endangered the campers’ lives by wasting time trying to clear the path. The civilians camping out in the forest were also illegally stealing power from the city, creating more fire hazards. Brett is completely justified in pointing out that Jake, Bode, and company should have been evacuating the civilians to safety before the growing fire blocked their path, and Sharon obviously agreed with Brett’s evaluation. Sharon is at the end of her rope when it comes to disciplining Bode and Jake, so she’s now delegating that assignment to Brett. Brett shows sterling leadership in the latest episode, “The Tiny Ways We Start to Heal,” during the search and rescue mission. The only person who came off badly in the episode was Bode, who lost his composure with a patient after he accidentally set off some illegal fireworks. Brett rightfully asserts his authority when Bode verbally attacks the patient, warning Bode of a suspension if he continues with his tirade. Moreover, Brett sits back, allowing a seasoned veteran like Manny ( Kevin Alejandro) to help Audrey James (Leven Rambin) through a difficult moment when she freezes up with their injured patient. That scene depicts Brett’s integrity, as he was likely aware of Audrey’s past issues with Finn (Blake Lee), and he later compliments Manny’s skill in assisting a less experienced recruit.

Near the end of the episode, Brett warns Jake that Bode is a problem and that the next battalion chief, a role Jake has his eye on, will likely have to fire himOne could interpret the scene as Brett being manipulative, trying to set Jake and Bode against each other, but his assessment of Bode is accurate. After Vince’s death, Brett becoming Battalion Chief, and Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) leaving Edgewater, Bode is not in the best mental headspace right now, and he’s losing his grip on sobriety. Bode has nearly fallen off the wagon twice in Season 4 with some stolen painkillers he illegally acquired. The only thing that prevented Bode from taking the pills this time was Audrey breaking into his locker and stealing them. Bode’s possession of illegal painkillers, as a recovering drug addict, is a major red flag.

Therefore, Brett is not really the villain here, and it’s merely the circumstances that make him look like one. It’s similar to Luke Leone (Michael Trucco) in Season 2. Although Luke was not the most likable Division Chief, his choices were rational and done for the greater good. Chief Brett similarly is making sound, logical choices, albeit he does not always do so in the most diplomatic fashion. If anything, the real villains in Fire Country are the main characters’ bad decisions and personal demons, especially when it comes to Bode. Brett simply looks like the bad guy because it’s convenient, but everything he’s done makes sense. If Bode continues on his current self-destructive path in Season 4, Brett or Jake would be justified in jettisoning