Fire Country, you have ruined my day — you’ve ruined it by taking everything good about this season and nuking it.

Whatever happened to having stories progress? Is it worth it to keep revolving around the same issues season after season?

Fire Country Season 4 Episode 4, “Like a Wounded Wildebeest,” is one of the worst episodes of the show for the simple reason that it undoes everything the season had been building toward.

Unsurprisingly, Bode is clean, but the possibility that he isn’t causes division among the characters.

Team Bode vs. Team Fire Country

The episode picks up almost directly after Fire Country Season 4 Episode 3, where Audrey tells Manny that Bode has been keeping some pills. Bode is nothing if not predictable because he lashes out immediately.

One thing I’ve loved about Audrey is how she knows Bode’s behavior. Instead of retreating whenever he throws a tantrum, she confronts him directly, forcing him to face his behavior and its consequences.

She challenges him to grow — something he desperately needs but rarely embraces.

When he confronts her about going through his things, she doesn’t berate him, but she also doesn’t fall on her knees in apology. She takes a measured approach where she talks about her fears regarding his drug use.

And even during the rescue, when their issues are mirrored to them by a man stuck inside a grain silo, she could have sulked and ignored him, but she communicates what she’s feeling.

This is one of the healthiest relationships on the show and could have rivaled Sharon and Vince — until they nuked it.

Fire Country Season 4 Episode 4 ends with Audrey breaking up with him and moving to another station. What the hell? Who thought that was a good idea?

Station 42 Finds Its New Battalion Chief

If Audrey’s leaving is a bad idea, the entire Battalion Chief fiasco is rotten.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Manny becomes the hero. Now, I hold a lot of love for the character because he’s one of the more grounded ones, but this feels contrived.

Suddenly, he believes with 101% certainty that Bode is not using and is willing to stake his entire career on it. Has he met Bode?

It feels very forced to have someone with that firm conviction, especially regarding someone like Bode.

The writers prop him up to be the best choice, even when he was never on the list. Once again, Jake is passed over for some nonsense slogan about family and responsibility.

With the new Battalion Chief, Richards’ time at 42 is done. Again, what was the point?

He comes breathing fire, but after two episodes, he makes a complete 180 and becomes part of the “team family.”

First responder shows have long pushed this idea of found family, and while I’m all for that, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Everyone knows that any family can be toxic, and 42 is well on its way.

What happened to that Richards who was determined to fix this firehouse if it was the last thing he did?

He comes in blazing like an inferno and then fizzles out, leaving cold coals in his wake. Not even an ember to be found anywhere.

Fire Country Is Not Done with Three Rock

With Fire Country Season 4 Episode 2, I thought we were done with the fire camp. It was a great way to introduce Bode, but it doesn’t serve a larger purpose after three seasons.

Eve reunites with some former Three Rock inmates, and she learns that things have not been going well for them.

They returned to prison and then were moved to another camp that has been working them like slaves.

This angle about fire camps sounds interesting to explore, and once again, the writers make another bad decision.

Instead of finding a way to dig into the systematic exploitation of inmates in prison, they use it to reintroduce the idea of reopening the camp.

Sure, Eve will run her camp better than other captains and will advocate for guys, but how does that solve the problem of exploitation?

Having one good night’s sleep under pretenses will not address the fundamental issue. It’s a Band-Aid for a gushing wound.

Gut Check

There is almost nothing good to say about “Like a Wounded Wildebeest” storyline-wise. Every turn of events, especially in the last few minutes, feels like someone drilling holes in a lifeboat.

Even the rescue is lackluster, making me wish for those Bode’s bravado moments that I dislike so much. The show may have lost me this season; we shall see.

Stray Observations

• Everything goes south so fast that I forgot it’s Jordan Calloway’s directorial debut. With the amount of heavy lifting he does in this episode, I’m impressed that the technical side of the episode turned out this way. Here’s to more!

• I love how Sharon is not falling for Bode’s nonsense this season. She is so ready for him to be someone else’s problem. There is something to unpack here that I hope the show rises to the occasion.

• So, that mystery note, why did they assume R is Renee? Could be Richards or literally anyone else. And why show it to Bode without any information? Folks, prepare for another misguided Bode crusade.

Over to you, Fire Country fanatics.

What did you think of the episode?

Am I being dramatic, or is this the worst episode ever? For those of you who don’t like Audrey, are you glad she’s gone? Would you like the next love interest since Gabby is not coming back?

Drop a line in the comments section. Please keep it grounded and respectful as always. See you there!