Spoilers for Fire Country Season 4, Episode 10 are ahead! Read with caution, and stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription.
After a long hiatus, Fire Country is back on the 2026 TV schedule, and it's dealing with the consequences of choices made during the fire that began in Season 4’s mid-season finale. Specifically, Manny is having to reckon with the calls he made on this job and the danger caused. So, with that in mind, I spoke to Kevin Alejandro, who plays the chief, about those calls, his role as the station's new boss and taking it on after Vince’s death.
In Episode 10, we see both Manny and Sharon being questioned about how they handled a raging wildfire that ended with Jake’s brother, Malcolm, getting injured. While the chief ultimately wasn’t in trouble, it was a harrowing experience. So, I asked Kevin Alejandro how it would both help and harm Manny as a leader. In response, he told me:
Yeah, I think Manny leads by instinct. He leads by heart, which is the only thing that he's been able to 100% trust in his life. So, you know, when you have something like that, you're going to continue to trust that. But it's also going to raise questions of what other ways can he make these choices that don't go against his instincts and his ability to command and chief?
Overall, what this episode showed us is that Manny’s instincts are solid; however, his recklessness can lead to major consequences. It also highlights how hard this job is.
Considering the last person to be chief was Vince, Manny has big shoes to fill. Alejandro touched on that point too, explaining how Vince’s death impacts his character’s job as well as his relationship with Sharon:
You know, he understands that he has big shoes to fill. Vince was America's chief when it comes to this show. And he respects that greatly. And he's lucky to have Sharon there to help sort of guide [him], but also learn from [him], [and he’s] also there to teach Sharon that there's not only one way.
There’s no question that Vince’s way of leading and Manny’s way of leading are quite different. That’s been on display too, as Station 42 has had to go through some growing pains this season as Alejandro’s character adjusts to being the chief.
It’s also changed his relationship with Sharon. While they were friends before, now they also have to lead together. Most of the time, they get along; however, as this episode illustrated, they will butt heads over the choices they make and disagree from time to time. That causes tension as well as potential problems for the station. However, that tension can also provide the pressure needed to make everyone better.
To that point, Alejandro told me that we haven’t seen the last of Manny and Sharon adjusting to his new position as chief. He explained:
These aren't the only couple of episodes where you get to see them sort of being like, ‘Are you doing the right thing?’ ‘I don't know. I feel like I am, but we'll see when the outcome comes out.’
While it’d be better if Vince were still alive, the way the station has been handled after his death has been great. Manny is a good leader, and his unconventional and occasionally questionable ways are helping 42 find new and better ways to go about solving problems and putting out fires.
Now, as Three Rock continues to rebuild, and 42 recovers from this massive fire, I’m excited to see how Manny continues to lead. However, with the Tyler situation intensifying, it would seem that he has some tough calls to make that could come under fire, as they did in this episode. So, to see what happens next, make sure to tune in to Fire Country every Friday on CBS at 9 p.m. ET.
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