“There comes a time when age catches up to you on this job. You sure as heck don’t want to be the last to realize it.”
Meanwhile, an old friend of Mouch’s stops by to sell the house new equipment. He gets talking with Mouch and attempts to convince him to switch to his line of work in the fire department. Initially, Mouch doesn’t feel ready to hang up his helmet. But after the way things go down with Cruz and a mistake on a call, Mouch reconsiders the offer. Will this be it for Mouch? Might he be leaving 51 at the end of the season? It’s been a long time since an original cast member left, so this would certainly hurt.
“It’s just too quiet, you know?”
In typical Severide fashion, he handles his grief over Anna’s death by staying busy and maintaining a less than sunny disposition. Thankfully, he’s not the Severide of season’s past, who would likely fall off the face of the earth in a drunken stupor and other unseemly things. He’s just going through the motions, and it’s something new squad member Jason can relate to. After the death of nearly his entire company, Jason joins Squad 3 amidst his own grief. Severide initially gives Jason a tough shift, but finds common ground by the hour’s end. The two work on fixing one of Cruz’s crazy contraptions, keeping their minds off their grief in the process. And hey, they got to go to Soldier Field (home of the Chicago Bears)! The football fan in me loved this.
Stella was helpful and caring with Severide this hour especially, and I worry the writers are working toward a reunion for these two. They work better as friends! Please, please let them just be good friends! Meanwhile, Jason had a little spark with Sylvie…this could get interesting. I really like Jason and hope we continue to see him next season.
“I’ve got nothing.”
Alderman Casey attempts to pass a bill to assist first responders. A fantastic idea, obviously. Well, not everyone agrees—a fellow alderman, Mark Blakeslee, has some serious issues with Casey’s potential bill and believes Casey is trying to “line the pockets of his fellow firefighters.” Mark clearly doesn’t know Casey! The two even meet to discuss the bill, and Casey has Jason tell his story. Mark looks like he’s come over to Casey’s side, but Casey later discovers he’d been duped—that bill isn’t getting passed anytime soon.
Dawson’s dad makes an unexpected appearance, much to Gabby’s chagrin. But after responding to a call where a poor man waited days in agony because he didn’t have anyone, she rethinks things and pays her father a visit. Only when she visits, she finds her dad having a heated discussion with a landlord (I believe) over a lack of rent being paid. He wants Gabby nowhere near his financial issues, but nothing brings out the truth like drunkenness. Just before she and Casey are set to go out on a date night, Herrmann calls the couple in to assist with a very drunk Papa Dawson. In his drunken state, he reveals he has nothing—no one and no money. He goes home with Casey and Dawson, so I expect to see him in the season finale.
What did you think of the episode? Will Jason stick around next season? What’s ahead for Severide and Stella? Will Mouch hang up his helmet? Share your thoughts below!
