“Behind me you’ll see the finest firefighters in this city, the men and women who make up Firehouse 51. And the reason they’re the best is the leadership of one man, Battalion Chief Wallace Boden. There is no better chief in the department.”
Well, it’s happened. With Boden’s assult case moving forward, Patterson is named the new battalion chief for Firehouse 51. Everyone isn’t thrilled (Jimmy and Chili are late…more on that later), but Patterson actually seems genuine.
On the first call of the night, a guy (whose name shall henceforth be Pig) taunts Dawson, trying to get her to react. Pig says all sorts of horrible things to her, and he gets the reaction he wanted. While I was obviously cheering Dawson on (and hoped she might punch him in the face), that quickly fell apart when the house later sees her “outburst” on the news. Of course, Pig is left out of the segment; it’s made to look like Dawson is unhinged.
Later, Susie (from Arson) shows up to talk with Dawson. She’s got a bit of a conspiracy theory; she’s been hit with a few credit card fraud lawsuits. Dawson, Susie, and Boden are all key witnesses in the case against Maddox. And just like that, it all clicks. We know Boden didn’t assult Serena, we know Dawson was provoked, and while we don’t know Susie that well, it’s safe to say she’s not responsible for credit card fraud. These three are being set up by Maddox; discredit the witnesses, and he walks free. First order of business: find Serena. Second order of business: send Maddox to prison.
In an attempt to get information, Severide once again reaches out to Jamie. She maintains that she can’t share any information, but she looks to be on the verge of giving in. Sure enough, she later turns up at the firehouse and gives Severide a clue to finding Serena. Her information leads Chicago PD’s Ruzek and Atwater to a remote lodge where Serena is being hidden…by Maddox.
Chicago PD’s Antonio is able to get Serena to talk (or sing, as he likes to say) which provides the proverbial nail in Maddox’s coffin. While this isn’t Chicago PD, I need to give some credit to Jon Seda (Antonio). He was superb in the scene with Maddox. Hallelujah! The charges against Boden are dropped and this maddess has finally come to an end. Well, almost…
On the second call of the night, the house deals with a tank on the verge of exploding. Cruz, Patterson, Casey, and Severide drive the tank to a remote area, bail on the truck, and watch the tank explode. Like men, they cheer and holler and bond over the explosion and their success and all-around manliness. Sillies. This was actually one of my favorite scenes because we finally see Patterson as part of the team with the two leaders of the house. To make the moment even sweeter, Patterson gives all the credit to the house when the reporters show up. Awww, how sweet! He’s officially a member of 51, just in time for him to leave!
Later, Riddle stops by to tell Patterson that though Boden is exonerated, it changes nothing. It’s too late though, Patterson has been changed! He tells Riddle, “This is Boden’s house.” Riddle continues to be a turd but it’s Patterson who comes out on top. Patterson requested a transfer and will be moving to Firehouse 90, as Chief. Not only that, but he gets Riddle transferred as well! And as the cherry on top, Patterson’s last words to Riddle are, “Go to hell.” Way to be, Patterson. Way to be.
You may not like him (or you might like him sometimes, like me), but Patterson has been a fantastic character. He’s always interesting, which makes for great storytelling and TV. He really shined this episode and I’m a little sad to see him go.
In his first official move as Chief again, Boden reinstates Severide as the Lieutenant for Squad 3. It’s about time! I never thought that saga would last the first half of the season.
Elsewhere…
The Grinch (that would be Patterson) also bans Connie from making Christmas ornaments in the bullpen. Mouch says otherwise, and the team comes up with a hilarious routine to help Connie paint the ornaments while keeping it from Patterson. It does lead to a confrontation between Patterson and Casey and while Patterson may have the chief bugle, this is Casey’s house. Anyway, Connie is hilarious. She lets the house think the ornaments are for a children’s charity but as it turns out, she sells them for $12 each.
In another Patterson move, Jimmy and Chili are assigned to trash duty for showing up late to a meeting. They are still super handsy around the trash, and while all I can think is GERMS! you guys do you. Casey warns Jimmy not to get too close, especially with all the extra eyes on the house, and Jimmy heeds his lieutenant’s warning…for like a day. To be fair, Chili does ambush him, naked, in the shower. Resistance was futile. Of course, Patterson catches them. While Jimmy takes the situation very seriously, Chili laughs.
Chili is really starting to make me mad. There’s clearly something going on with her and I have a feeling that it’s not good. And while I’m sure we’ll sympathize when that issue is finally revealed, I don’t like her right now. She’s reckless and careless and it’s only a matter of time before there are serious consequences.
Otis gets a bit stalker-ish and checks out Sylvie’s new beau Austin online. He actually finds some dirt; Austin has a record! Breaking and entering. This worries me, because I have no desire to see Sylvie with Otis. Later on her date with Austin, he brings up his past first. The breaking and entering? He just swam in his neighbor’s pool. Thank goodness! I kind of like Austin. I still think he belongs on The Bachelorette, but I can handle him for now because it probably won’t last long.
As his first (or rather, second) order as Chief, Patterson bans Freddie from the house. Freddie is unstable, and this is only going to end badly. Herrmann, being the wonderful human he is, offers Freddie a job at Molly’s. He makes a few jokes, but it doesn’t seem like Freddie is the joking type. Freddie struggles with the job, but he has promise. It seems he really wants to turn his life around. And just when you think he might be turning over a new leaf, Herrmann makes a joke in the back room with Freddie (calling him short and fat). Freddie stabs Herrmann in a region where I’m fairly certain vital organs are located. Herrmann falls, Freddie runs, and blood flows quickly. In a scene that ends up being very unsettling, we see Herrmann’s shadow under the door while everyone at Molly’s continues their merriment, not knowing Herrmann could be dying.
What did you think of the episode? Are you sad to see Patterson go? What’s going on with Chili? Will Herrmann survive? (The answer better be yes or I’m going to revolt.) That’s it, folks! Chicago Fire returns in January for a crossover event with Chicago PD and Chicago Med.
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.
The Grinch (that would be Patterson) also bans Connie from making Christmas ornaments in the bullpen. Mouch says otherwise, and the team comes up with a hilarious routine to help Connie paint the ornaments while keeping it from Patterson. It does lead to a confrontation between Patterson and Casey and while Patterson may have the chief bugle, this is Casey’s house. Anyway, Connie is hilarious. She lets the house think the ornaments are for a children’s charity but as it turns out, she sells them for $12 each.
