Chicago Fire - I Held Her Hand - Review

“I held her hand while her skin turned black.”

When it comes to life and death, a few seconds can mean everything. Near the top of the hour, Severide pulls a desperate man from his house while his wife, Kara, is still trapped upstairs. Casey, meanwhile, is able to break enough of a window to grab her hand, but sadly can’t widen the hole enough to get her out in time. Casey not only lost someone, but had to watch her die as he hopelessly smashed in a window trying to save her. That’s not something he’ll ever forget, and it’s definitely something that will be on his mind in the coming episodes.

As if that loss wasn’t enough, the fire itself seems a bit suspicious. Casey has serious reservations about how the fire started and thinks it could be arson even before it’s discovered that Kara and her husband, Darin, weren’t on the greatest of terms. Kara’s sister stops by the house and tells Casey that Kara and Darin fought constantly and Kara was afraid enough of her husband that she moved in with her sister. At this point, Casey becomes a bit unhinged and hell-bent on not only proving arson, but proving that Darin is responsible.

While the loss is devastating and the potential arson case will likely be featured for the next couple episodes, the real focus will be on Casey and Severide. Chicago Fire is at its best when it focuses on these two. Casey believes Darin started the fire to kill his wife, while Severide not only thinks Darin is innocent, but doesn’t believe it was arson either. Both Casey and Severide are good men, but when they disagree, they disagree passionately (because they’re both also as stubborn as they come). A rift between these two has the potential to divide the house, as we’ve seen in the past. I don’t like it when these two fight, but their relationship and all the disagreements that come with it is the foundation of this show. Don’t expect this to wrap up too quickly either—the department might have decided to not pursue arson charges, but Casey certainly isn’t letting it go. I might not enjoy seeing these two at odds, but I love that we’re getting a story arc that features these two—finally!

Elsewhere…

“This does not reflect well on the image of the Chicago Fire Department.”

Heartbreak. Grief. Depression. It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to Sheets on Fire, the novel that never was by Mouch and Sylvie. Trudy came through with her connection for Sylvie and Mouch, and the two were offered a publishing deal! But in a hasty moment, Sylvie accidentally left a portion of the book in the firehouse copier. Naturally, it was discovered, and because of the scrutiny on the Chicago Fire department (house 51 in particular), Sylvie and Mouch are given the choice between the novel or their jobs. This isn’t the ending I was hoping for, but I’ll settle for Trudy’s touching creation of a book club, where Sheets on Fire will forever live on in the hearts of its very few readers.

But on a brighter note for Sylvie, she showed what a wonderful heart she had this episode. Early in the hour, Dawson and Sylvie treat a kid, Allen, who fell out of a tree after attempting to romantically ask a girl to prom. Things don’t go as he planned, as the girl wasn’t even home, and to add insult to literal injury, he later finds out she’s already agreed to go with someone else. But why go to prom with a high school girl when you can go with a gorgeous paramedic? Sylvie offers to accompany Allen to prom, and the looks on the faces of his classmates are priceless.

“We’re good people. We protect this whole neighborhood…this place is like a church to us. It’s sacred.”

Herrmann takes it personally when graffiti is found on the firehouse. Everyone in the house, especially Herrmann, has so much respect for what they do and what their house stands for. Returning from a call, they happen upon the graffiti artist spray painting another wall, and Herrmann doesn’t hesitate in bringing the kid back to firehouse. It’s a real dad moment—he expresses his disappointment but offers Carlos friendship after explaining the importance of the firehouse. I’m not sure what this storyline’s purpose was, whether a small subplot for the hour or the beginnings of something to come. Either way, it was yet another touching story for Herrmann.

“You watch out now. Before you know it, he’s going to be a man.”

Boden’s stepson Jimmy is back in the picture! Or James, as he prefers now (because we just had a Jimmy and that would be confusing). I don’t think we’ve seen him since season one, so it will be interesting to see why he’s back in the mix now. I’ve heard rumors as to why he’s back, but we’ll see if those play out before we bring them up. He’s seventeen now, and after forcing Boden into the age of technology and texting, shows up at the house for a visit. This was a small portion on the episode, but planted the seed for a story to come.


What did you think of the episode? Will we ever see a revival for Sheets on Fire? What brought James back into the picture? How will this disagreement between Casey and Severide affect the house? Share your thoughts below!