Shawn Hatosy Exits As Brett Richards

Brett Richards (Shawn Hatosy) is done putting out fires at Station 42. 

In Friday’s “Fire Country,” 42 responds to an emergency involving a man trapped inside a silo. Though the team keeps it professional, there is some degree of distraction as news of Bode’s possible relapse spreads among the crew. (His bag of pills was found, but his drug test came back clean; he hasn’t used.)

In light of the pills, Jake thinks Bode needs to be taken off the team, but Manny believes they need to respond with empathy and care in order to ensure Bode’s success, and thus the success of the entire firehouse. 

Richards takes notice of their differing responses to Bode’s addiction, and praises Manny’s emotional intelligence in handling the issue. That interaction leads to a passing of the baton: Richards is so impressed by Manny that he names him new battalion chief — ending Jake’s campaign for the spot. 

Now that 42 has a new chief, Richards is no longer needed. But before he heads out of Edgewater, he meets Sharon for a drink. The pair grabs a couple of beers, where Richards reveals his own story about losing a mentor on duty. Turns out, his mentor was also his wife, making his own tragedy closer to Sharon’s than she previously thought. 

But the most memorable part of the scene is when, before being handed a beer by Sharon, Richards complains about being stung by a yellowjacket. He bends over, rolls up his pant leg, and reveals a major scar running down along his calf, an injury he sustained during that final call with his wife.

The moment is brief, but so obviously mirrors the Season 1 ending for Hatosy’s character on “The Pitt.” Fans of the HBO Max medical drama will recall that Season 1 ends with Hatosy’s character, Dr. Abbot, joining Noah Wyle’s Dr. Robbie on a park bench where they share a couple of beers. There, Hatosy’s Abbot rolls up his pant leg, revealing he’s an amputee who likely sustained his injury during combat. The similarities are uncanny, so we couldn’t let it go ignored!

Did you also experience déjà vu during the Richards/Sharon bar scene? And are you sad to see Richards go? Sound off in the comments!