“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…”
These writers are making it increasingly difficult to be against the Sylvie/Antonio relationship. Once again, these two had great moments together—if only the shadow if inevitability wasn’t looming overhead. There’s no way these two make it, right? It just doesn’t work. But shoot, I sure wish it did. Oddly, these two are good together. Sure, Sylvie seems to be a bit of the doe-eyed, innocent type. But Antonio, though experienced, is a great guy. What I loved most about their time together this episode when Sylvie kept going on about what a good girl she is, Antonio assumed she wasn’t going to have sex before she was married. And you know what? He seemed to be okay with it. Respected it, in fact. Now, that wasn’t what she was getting at, but it’s just further proof that Antonio is as good a guy as any. And once again, I’m left feeling confused about this relationship.
“I spoke the truth.”
Herrmann is up for promotion! It’s about time, as he passed the lieutenant exam a while ago. Casey offers to let Herrmann take his place for the shift to test the waters, and boy does he. Because of Ambo 61’s accident, Truck is forced to take matters into their own hands on the first call of the hour. With a backup ambo too far away, Herrmann makes the legally questionable but morally obvious call to transport the victim to the hospital in Truck 81. Not only does that call lead to massive amounts of paperwork, but the Chief deciding Herrmann’s promotion fate asks Herrmann to take full liability, which would include a suspension. Well, that did it. After a short stint as lieutenant, Herrmann realized it’s just about leading. There’s endless paperwork, red tape, favors, you name it that goes with it. So naturally, Herrmann unleashes a tirade on the promotion-deciding Chief. It shouldn’t be funny, but it really is. Like he tells Boden, he realized in the end that, “Wise and me are like water and oil. So, I decided that the big guy put me on this planet so swing and axe and drag a hose, not make higher level decisions.”
“The truth always comes out for the innocent.”
Severide and Casey, though not quite as explosive as last week, are still at odds over the suspicious fire from the previous episode. Casey is hell-bent on proving the husband, Darren, started the fire, while Severide wholeheartedly believes Darren is innocent. After OFI confirm an accelerant was used, Boden pulls the parent card and demands a statement signed by both Casey and Severide regarding their expertise on the fire.
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.”
Jimmy, or rather, James, is back this week to spend a few shifts at the firehouse. It’s strange because though Boden has always considered James his son, he doesn’t seem to have the same aversion to James being a firefighter as he does Terrence. Is it because James is seventeen? Maybe. It was an interesting dynamic to watch—Boden’s pride with James at the firehouse, though James doesn’t seem to see that in his future, and Donna’s pride with Terrence perhaps one day following in his father’s footsteps, though Boden vehemently disagrees. James doesn’t seem to have the heart for it, but perhaps that changed after watching his stepfather’s personal journey this episode.
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!
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? 
Severide and Casey, though not quite as explosive as last week, are still at odds over the suspicious fire from the previous episode. Casey is hell-bent on proving the husband, Darren, started the fire, while Severide wholeheartedly believes Darren is innocent. After OFI confirm an accelerant was used, Boden pulls the parent card and demands a statement signed by both Casey and Severide regarding their expertise on the fire. 
