“It was unavoidable.”
While en route to the first call of the night, Gabby hits a man who appears out of nowhere in front of the ambo. It was clearly an accident, but because of potential liability and the now-comatose man’s family threatening a lawsuit, things get a bit messy. Chief Hatcher, whose job Gabby always makes a bit harder, won’t make things any easier either. The department seems to be all about saving face and resolving any issue quietly, which means Gabby gets the shaft and is on her own. This is absurd. It’s horrible to see how quickly a department will turn its back on one of its own just to avoid a trial, a settlement, or whatever it is they want to prevent. It would be something else entirely if the person in question had legitimately done something wrong—Gabby’s accident was just that, an accident. Or was it?
The patient’s lawyer, Scott Powers, was suspiciously quick to get the lawsuit going. (Just a side note, I will never not see Brian Baumgartner as Kevin Malone. It was beyond bizarre to see him in a serious role as a high-powered lawyer! I kept waiting for him to look into the camera with that dopey grin.) Well, Gabby knows people too, so Antonio does a bit of digging. The patient has attempted suicide in the past and Powers tends to lead crusades against the city. It’s likely Powers dug up the patient’s estranged son and set the whole lawsuit in motion. Honestly, what kind of scum do you have to be to see an injured man as dollar signs? He won’t be making any money off this case, thankfully, as Gabby approaches the patient’s son and tells him the truth about his father’s suicide attempts.
Elsewhere…
“I am a good girl…”
“I spoke the truth.”
“The truth always comes out for the innocent.”
After another thorough exploration of the house, Casey concedes and agrees to sign a statement declaring Darren to be innocent. But of course, just as Casey leaves, Severide finds evidence against Darren. A cable was rigged to spark an outlet when turned on, which can be done remotely thanks to a phone app. Oh, the laziness of our society. Heaven forbid you walk into your house and flick on a light switch. No, all the lights and electronics have to be on before you walk in the door! (Yes, I realize I sound like your crazy uncle ranting on Thanksgiving, roll with it.) Anyway, Darren didn’t intend to kill his wife, which is something, I guess. He did intend to collect insurance money after the house burned down, as they were having money issues. Either way, Darren’s responsible.
“All this time, and the answers were right here. The future is right here.”
Speaking of, there’s something fishy going on. A friend of Boden’s asks him early in the hour if he’ll make it to New York for a fellow firefighter’s retirement. We’re not given much to go on, but it’s clear throughout the episode that Boden is avoiding something there. “You know what I see in your eyes, Wallace? Fear. For the first time in thirty years.” I hate to agree with him, but the fear is there and it’s something we’ve never really seen from Boden before. They say seeing is believing, and it’s a picture, not words, that convince Boden to go to New York. He was one of hundreds of firefighters who traveled to New York after the 9/11 attacks to help, though they sadly didn’t recover any survivors. He returns to New York, along with Casey and Severide, and visits the site of the attack after fifteen years. It’s a day no one will forget—I can tell you exactly where I was when it happened. And if you ever get the chance to visit the memorial, take that opportunity. It’s one you won’t forget.
“The world felt brutal, ugly. The people who gave their lives that day would never know why. And through all the digging and the dust and the death, we never found a single soul. And I felt like I failed them. Firefighters don’t fail people. A hole formed inside of me. Hope is hard to find when you lock it out of your mind. But maybe hope has a way of unlocking itself if you allow it to.”
What did you think of the episode? Is this how Herrmann’s lieutenant story should have come to an end? Will Sylvie and Antonio be able to avoid the inevitable? Share your thoughts below!