How good is it to have Chicago Fire back? It’s strange, because I always forget how much I love this show until it comes back. As I watched the premiere, I probably said, “This is so good!” at least ten times. Is it just me, or does this show keep getting better and better? And we’re in season five. How impressive is that?! I apologize in advance for the review’s length, there’s just so much to talk about! Let’s do this.
“This family thing…it looks good on you.”
Cindy and Herrmann (well, just Cindy) take Louie while Casey and Dawson are on shift. Cindy made zoo pancakes! That sounds fun. Herrmann and Dawson have always had a father/daughter bond, but it’s not something we saw heavily featured until last season when Gabby had the miscarriage. Their relationship has become one of my favorites on the show, and is definitely one of the most compelling. So naturally, Gabby goes to Herrmann after almost dying on a call. “Tell me how you do it…put your love for your kids aside and run into a burning building.”
“You just discovered the hardest part of this job for any of us…There’s a family out there, and they’re just like mine. They’re counting on me to help them. It’s what I signed up for. It’s why I do this.”
After working hard to become a firefighter, Gabby is ready to give it up for Louie. But here’s the thing, I don’t think she sees it as giving something up, and we shouldn’t either. Now that she’s a mom, her priorities have changed. She loves what she does, but Louie having a loving home and a family is now the most important thing for her. It’s too dangerous to have both Gabby and Casey running into burning buildings; if something goes wrong, Louie loses both parents. So, you see where this is going. Gabby’s concern over being a firefighter along with Jimmy’s instability leads to a pretty obvious solution: Gabby’s moving back to ambo!
As a side note, I’m glad Casey’s Alderman role seems to be taking a back seat. This is a show about firefighters and he’s always strived to put his role as Lieutenant first. Susan returns to apologize for kissing him and though Casey’s response could have been referring to her push for him to pursue something more than an Alderman position, I can’t help but think it also closed the door on anyone not named Gabby. “I told you my future was up in the air. I was wrong.”
As another side note, this show brings Leslie Shay back into the conversation in the most wonderful of ways yet again. With Gabby’s move back to ambo, we’re reminded of her time working with Shay. Gabby’s homage to Shay as she got in the ambo was so sweet! And then of course there’s Shay’s role in Mouch’s novel. More on that later.
Elsewhere…
“Stella, he’s crazy and you’re blind to it.”
I wholeheartedly expected there to be a Severide vs. Grant showdown in the opening scene of the premiere, seeing as how the season finale closed with Grant creepily chilling with that knife while Severide and Stella fell into bed together, unaware of his presence. But no, Grant must have snuck out, as he’s gone when the show picks up with the morning after. Stella does find Grant’s wristband in her apartment, so she at least knows something’s up.Grant is still on the loose, and Stella’s scenes in the premiere have a horror-movie affect as Grant often lurks unseen around her. After an entire episode of lurking and fake apologizing, Grant finally confronts Stella with that darn knife. Severide comes to the rescue, but the fight ends with Grant bleeding profusely from his neck. Odds on Grant making it through the next episode alive? Probably slim. This moment was probably the only moment of the premiere I didn’t like. Is this going to turn into some sort of manslaughter case against Severide? Will this conveniently help launch Chicago Justice? I sincerely hope that’s not the path this story takes. So in that case, I hope Grant lives. And then promptly goes to prison.
Stella and Severide are a great pairing. Severide has been known for his revolving door (or should I say bed?) of women, and makes his thoughts on monogamy clear. Stella is, for now, fine with keeping things casual. Though we can all agree with Cruz that Severide’s handling of Stella’s offer to crash with her for a while was horrible. “I’ve seen a lot of highway accidents less horrific than how you just handled that.” Of course they seem committed to keeping things casual for the time being, but I’d bet that doesn’t last long. Severide has grown probably more than any other character on this show. He wasn’t a good guy when the show began, but he certainly is now. Hopefully he’ll continue that growth and learn to let someone in for longer than a several-week relationship.
“It was really great seeing Antonio…he’s in really good shape.”
Earlier this summer it was announced that the Chicago franchise would launch yet another cross-show romance. I know I’ve made my opinions on this known, and they haven’t changed. I don’t like it. But what about Mouch and Platt, you ask? Well, they work because both characters, while fantastic, are secondary. Antonio and Sylvie (and formerly Severide and Erin, Severide and April) are not. The sad part is, I actually think Sylvie and Antonio are a great pairing. There was something about their chemistry and dynamic in that ambo scene that just made sense. But I can’t help but feel this relationship is doomed before it’s really even gotten started. Cross-show romances with leading characters don’t work. Why? Because not every Chicago Fire viewer watches Chicago PD (or Chicago Med) and vice versa. This means that a portion of the fan base is always missing out on key moments in the relationship. So while I do think it’s a great pairing, I don’t think it’s a great move. I think we’re about to get invested in a relationship that won’t last, which just feels like a waste of time. Which is too bad, because aside from the fact that Sylvie and Antonio actually make a great couple, Gabby’s role (as friend/coworker to Sylvie and sister to Antonio) in the whole thing is going to be hilarious.
“You got my brother killed! I’m gonna have your badge for that, I promise you!”
Jimmy is unhinged, and I hate it. When we last saw him, we knew he blamed Boden on some level for his brother’s death. But this? This is out of control. I loved Jimmy last season and thought he was a great addition to the house. After Chili left, he had promising potential for a relationship with Sylvie. But with Sylvie moving on to Antonio (can’t really blame her), and Jimmy now in the antagonist role against house leader Boden, what will Jimmy’s role on the show be? History shows that antagonists of Boden don’t last on the show. And why would they? The house might have drama, but they always stand firmly behind their leader. As Severide says, “You’re hurting one of the greatest men I’ve ever known.”The writers took Jimmy’s grief and turned it into rage this episode, practically villainizing him in the process. He threatened Boden, which is the easiest way to make viewers (or at least this viewer) dislike a character. I just don’t see an ending that involves Jimmy staying at 51, which is a shame and a disservice to us and the character he was before the start of the season.
“Firehouse fiction…Some Like It Hot: bodice-ripping romance stories set in a firehouse.”
Mouch is writing a romance novel. I repeat, Mouch is writing a romance novel! This is incredible. I am here for this. Sylvie discovers a firefighter blog where real firefighters post funny/outrageous stories. They come across a firehouse-set romance novel, and I think everyone was in agreement with Cruz when he said, “Yes, please. Let’s read that out loud.” During their group read, they come across two paramedics, Genevieve Lawson and Melissa Jay, who happens to be a lesbian. Another character, a lieutenant, hooks up with the chief’s assistant in the coatroom. Sound familiar? The guys aren’t stupid. They quickly realize the author must be one of their own. When Sylvie figures out who the author is (because come on, the lead’s name is Manimal), she offers to help. This is going to be stellar. Mouch is adamant no one knows he’s the author, and based on the poor detective skills of Herrmann, Otis, and Cruz, it might stay secret…for now. The guys believe Connie to be the author, but we all know the truth will come out sooner or later. I’m hoping for sooner.
What did you think of the episode? Is Jimmy’s time at 51 nearing an end? What does the future hold for Sylvie and Antonio, and Severide and Stella? Is a wedding in Casey and Dawson’s near future? Share your thoughts below!
