It is the midseason finale, and what do they make the wait hard. Is Maya going to be okay? Is it the beginning of the end for Beckett? There hides a natural born leader in Vic and is this the end of Sullivan and Chief Ross’ secret relationship?
Fire camp, one of the many projects initiated at this firehouse starts today. Is it realistic that so many projects are being created at one firehouse? Like Vic said “We are a house of overachievers” but still we have Crisis One, the Clinic, Medic one, do I miss more? And now Fire camp. Don’t get me wrong it gives enough to feed off storytelling wise, especially when we see how these characters interact with it, develop and it changes the dynamic every now and then.
Back to fire camp. Vic is excited of course that it is really happening, she got the entire fire house to help as well. That was until the lightning storm changed plans. Instead of being outside they had to move inside and the team had to leave on a call. When Gibson stops by the firehouse for Andy, Chief Ross politely pressures him into volunteering with fire camp, so he does.
When it is time to learn CPR, Jack suggest they should do it to the rhythm of Baby Shark, since they are too young to know Staying Alive. They do not take it serious at first and even start complaining why they should learn this. Jack tells them that a paramedic and firefighter are the same in the field and equally important. Chief Ross argues that a paramedic might even me more important and starts telling one of her war stories, how knowing and doing CPR saved a live. This seems to impress the girls, and not only them Vic also is impressed.
After hearing this story Vic starts to doubt herself, her worth as a firefighter and if she is following her purpose. Even after talking the girls down, giving them confidence to continue, coaching them perfectly through the day. Even when her camp gets interrupted by a real emergency of a family struck by lightning she keeps her head cool and is resourceful in making the girls help them save the lives of this family.
Vic has shown here she is a natural leader, this didn’t go unnoticed by chief Ross. Vic still things she is on the wrong path because she is good at it, it goes easy for her. But Ross tells her that it is okay to be easy, that is why she is good at it and that she wants her to be in charge of Crisis one. Vic seemed overwhelmed with it. But chief Ross continues with: “Your purpose isn’t some big giant thing that you’re going to discover somewhere. It is everything that you have done, everything that you are going to do that connects the dots of your life. It brings meaning, and value to you, to others. All of those dots make you ideal for crisis one.” Then Vic seems to realise the chief is right.
Chief Ross and Sullivan are still secretly dating, which isn’t completely to Sullivans wishes anymore. He wants more and starts pushing on spending more time with each other, driving in to work together and him being dropped off a few block from the fire house. By the end of the episode she has realised this isn’t going to work and their relationship will get out eventually. Because of her position, and being a black women, her position at the Seattle Fire Department is too important for her to put at risk. People, especially young girls are looking up to her, she feels like she needs to be a role model for them. So she ends things with Sullivan.
Chief Ross is also asking around about Beckett being a leader at 19. What kind of leader he is. Everyone says pretty much the same, but Vic captures it best: “he is a bare minimum guy in a house of over achievers. We are a go above and beyond kind of house and he is a sit around until your pension kicks in kind of captain and that is a bummer and is starting to affect everything.” Does this mean chief Ross is looking for a way to replace Beckett at 19?
When the team is called to provide aid at a News helicopter crash, we see exactly what Vic meany by Beckett being a bare minimum guy. One of the involved victims is at risk to become paralyzed due to his injuries. That is why the team wants to extract him from the helicopter in his chair. Beckett is against it because it is dangerous being outside with the lightning storm still going on, so he wants them to get him out as quickly as possible without the chair. This causes a lot of pushback from the team towards Beckett, who in response tells Andy to take over as captain because that is what she wants. We immediately she a shift in dynamics and the team working together. Of course the way it is filmed plays part in it but the contrast here is clear, this team needs a leader that goes above and beyond for their victims. Meanwhile we see Beckett lean back against the firetruck and not work with them at all anymore.
Maya is falling further back, early on we see that her ankle is still swollen and a weak spot. Probably one of the reasons why she is taking pain killers, assuming that is what they are, during fire camp. At the call we see her struggling with tasks that should be routine for her, such as taking heavier items off the firetruck, tightening tension straps and lifting a person in an ambulance. Did the pain killers slow her down of is her body giving off signs she has pushed too hard?
When Andy asks Beckett what it was all about, putting her in charge at the scene, he tells her behind the lines that she isn’t good enough for it, because she only got to do the easy part. But still doesn’t want to do his dirty work and sends Andy after Maya to talk to her about her actions.
Maya blames Andy for using her while aiming for captain. Andy calls her out on not being okay, that she is going after everyone and going for gold by herself. Not accepting the help others believe she needs. Resulting in Maya going back to working out, again. Spoiler alert: This time it doesn’t end well. She trips at the treadmill, a sign she should stop. But of course Maya pushes through, she trips again and went flying of the treadmill, crashing into the floor. Leaving her unconscious.
Around the same time the alarm goes off for the team to go on another call Maya is left unnoticed, but not entirely. Andy notices Maya still isn’t at the rig and looks back, debating if she should go look but Beckett demands her to go.
Meaning we have to wait until the end of February before we get answers on how Maya is doing.
