Chicago Fire - The Nuclear Option - Review

“We’ve got to stand up for our people, even if it’s a tough fight.”


On the first call this week, tension rises between two very unlikely sources: Herrmann and Casey.

“I’ll take Dawson and vent the roof.”
“You take the fifth floor. Dawson and I will clear the roof.”

And so begins the favoritism and subsequent animosity that was naturally going to come with Casey being Dawson’s lieutenant. This is the first time we’ve seen Herrmann on the verge of explosive anger. When Herrmann is mad, something is not right.

“Can somebody please tell me why our truck lieutenant is venting the roof?” asks Boden.

Apparently, that’s not a normal job for a lieutenant. Casey took it so he could look after Dawson. We all knew problems were going to arise with this situation, I just didn’t think it would be so soon. This arrangement is not working.

While running Dawson through standard candidate duties, Casey pulls her away and has Herrmann finish up. Herrmann is seething and to Dawson’s credit, she clearly feels very uncomfortable with the situation.

When a conversation between Boden and Herrmann doesn’t work out in Herrmann’s favor, I really started to worry that his anger along with his up-in-the-air lieutenant position would be how he exits the show. We can’t have Chicago Fire without Christopher Herrmann! But then I calmed down, I don’t think he’s going anywhere. I actually have another theory; it might be a little crazy. I think it’s possible that to keep Dawson at the house, Casey will step down as Lieutenant, and Herrmann will take over.

Throughout the episode, Gabby leaves the compartment door open, irritating Herrmann endlessly. She finally gets on Herrmann’s case for letting her get away with it, and I’m happy that she wasn’t just being a horrible firefighter.

“This was my worst fear, Herrmann. That you guys weren’t go to treat me like any other candidate.”
“I want you to succeed Dawson. I want to see that, I really do. But you gotta admit that the dynamics of the situation are…challenging.”

The other big story line this week was Casey and his family. Thanks to Casey’s niece, he finds out that his sister Christy is struggling to get by. They are clearly running out of money. When Casey goes to visit Christy’s husband Jim to offer help, he’s shocked to learn that not only are Christy and her husband divorcing, but he’s cheating. Of course.

Casey enlists the help of Chicago PD’s Adam Ruzek. He first suggested Antonio, who is dealing with his own marriage drama. He then suggested Halstead, and I had to laugh at Gabby’s face. I forgot those two had a thing!

Ruzek finds out the Jim has been moving funds around through shell corporations, keeping his assets out of Christy’s reach. He relinquished control of the company to – you guessed it – his new mistress secretary.

Christy refuses Matt’s help, and it seems scumbag cheating Jim is going to get away with his shenanigans. But of course, Noble Casey comes in and the threatening begins. Jim’s not getting away with this. I wonder if this is a setup for a crossover with PD. I feel like it’s not a big enough setup, unless Jim’s in on some other less-than-reputable work.

As always, the subplots were superb:

New Girl Sylvie and her ex-fiancé have a reunion of sorts, and he tells her that he wants her to come home. He’s closing on their dream house. When her house is robbed, I believed for a moment that we had seen the last of New Girl Sylvie. Guys, she’s tougher than she looks!

Call me cynical, but I instantly suspected the ex-fiancé. I really think it’s possible he hired someone to rob her so that she would be more willing to return home with him. The robber looks very surprised to see her, and doesn’t hesitate to give her back her valuables. When she beats him with a bat (yeah, that happened), he just runs away. Something smells fishy.

She really steps up on a call with Peter and I find myself hoping that she’s here to stay. I know not many like her, but give her a chance! She might surprise you. Sylvie walks out on her fiancé, and I think she is in Chicago to stay. Officially retiring the name New Girl Sylvie.

Sylvie and Severide have…something. Call me crazy, but I actually like this pairing, whether it stays platonic or becomes romantic. She is different from anyone he’s ever dated and could be really good for him. If it’s not romantic, I’m okay with it. They could be a surprising pair of friends.

Severide is still drinking. A lot. At this point, everyone is making up excuses so they don’t have to go out drinking with him. So Severide goes drinking with Connie! This was such a great scene. He tells Connie she can fire him if he shows up to work drunk. And yes, he was drunk when he told her that. I’ll give credit where it’s due; Severide deserves every bit of his lieutenant position. He’s a beast. I have been a bit disappointed with how he’s been coping, and I’m still waiting for him to get closer with Dawson.

Joe is still on suspension for ten weeks, and Otis’ driving is less than stellar. After quick thinking that led to an incredible save, Chief takes notice and goes to his higher-ups to decrease the suspension. Boden is like a proud papa with this team, and I love it. The favor to get Cruz off suspension does come at a price; Boden won’t be considered for the next round of promotions.
The guys are leaving the inoperable food truck in front of the house, and Boden is not happy. The parking tickets keep piling up, so Mouch pays a visit to Trudy Platt. In true Platt fashion, she doesn’t give him any leeway.

Truck and Squad agree to a deal: If Cap fixes the food truck, Truck (meaning Gabby) will be on bathroom duty for the rest of the year. Nice.

And the speculation of Newhouse and his life continues! He tries to recruit Peter for an off-shift job:

“I’ve got a job coming up after shift, I could use a second set of eyes.”
“What kind of job?”
“Nothing you can’t handle, and it pays well. You can ride a jet ski, right?”

What?! Who is Newhouse? I’m starting to think my burned spy theory might actually have merit.

One of the final moments of this episode was by far the most touching. At Molly’s, Herrmann and Dawson work behind the bar together, and there is clearly still tension. That’s not like Herrmann, though, and his promise to Gabby is just perfect.

“I’m going to make a firefighter out of you.”

What did you think of the episode? What do you think Newhouse's story is? What do you want to see from Severide? Share in the comments below!

About the Author - Meghan Reynolds

A Colorado native, Meghan was born a raised a Denver Broncos fan. Aside from football, she loves storytelling, whether it be movies, television, books, or music. Some of her favorite shows of the past and present include LOST, Friends, The Office, Scandal, Chicago PD, and Chicago Fire. She is excited to be reviewing two of those shows for SpoilerTV, Chicago PD and Chicago Fire.