And just like that, after a mere seven episodes, Chicago Fire is off the air until… January 7!! With lives on the line no less. Sheesh.
So where are we? Does “Flush the Vein” elicit groans or kudos?
Let’s find out.
Pascal Is So Dating Annette Davis
He may not be ready to date, but even by one phone call, I could tell his was opening to the thought of another woman in his life.
She’s showing up like a ninja with specialty lunches. Who could resist?
It wasn’t exactly a romantic lunch and I couldn’t help but realize that her issue with the city was school related at the same time 51 was investigating a school fire.
But any potential romance between them was put on hold thanks to their converging emergencies. I’m find with that. Pascal just lost his wife, the love of his life. A relationship seems too soon to me.
And when the strike ended around the same time as the investigation, I couldn’t help but wonder if she was a baddie in disguise.
Well, it’s not as bad as that, but the city and the CFD has decided that Engine 51 could be permanently closed amid the budget crisis.
Because of course. The timing is perfect. Insert eye roll here.
Mouch’s Universal Department Protocol
If there’s one thing we can say about Mouch, it’s that he never settles down. The guy who used to have a favorite La-Z-Boy in the break room now never stops going.
He wants to come up with a program that will help organize the department, but the timing is off, especially since it needs budget to do it.
But I loved how Pascal complimented him. He loves how Mouch approaches his duties with such gusto. Mouch could hardly tone down his excitement.
But now he may be edged out. Could Mouch and Herrmann wind up running Molly’s and sitting it out at the CFD?
Is Vasquez’s Saga with His Father Over?
Hardly. While he was working on letting go, his father was making parole. The way he approached his son at the firehouse was terrible.
It’s embarrassing that I had a brief moment earlier in Chicago Fire Season 14 when I thought he might actually be a decent dad who had gotten caught up in something he didn’t deserve. Wrong!
And just when I was starting to buy into Vasquez a bit. He was a great choice for the Joint Duty Program and I liked his interest in Severide’s OFI investigations. We even discussed briefly in the Chicago Fire Spoilers that we wouldn’t mind a spinoff like that.
NCIS has proven that moving off the beaten path makes a successful spinoff. As Chicago Fire winds down, why not consider a replacement within the same family and with familiar characters?
I’ve floated an ambo spinoff, and now we have Vasquez tied to both. More about his time on the bus below.
For now, they need to course correct his daddy issues. The guy is a bum, and we’re wasting time on him. Let Vasquez be free.
Stella Haters Should Be Pleased
Amidst the busiest time in CPD history as we know it, Stella is on furlough. Hopefully, only two weeks, Kelly says.
But really, the staffing issues on Chicago Fire do not work well with the staffing issues of the fictional Chicago Fire Department.
I mean, Stella’s on furlough and Vasquez is riding in ambo. Who is left to fight fires?
Does anyone else get the feeling something very bad is building here? Will the fire OFI is investigating result in a death?
The Joint Duty Program Is Off and Running
It’s Novak’s day off, but where is she? Helping Violet prep for the Joint Duty Program.
Probably the best thing about her day off (other than her foursome, one we can all envy in one way or another) is that Vasquez was on JDP duty, giving us a chance to know him a little better.
I mean, the guy was gunning for the CPD and joined the CFD as a firefighter, so why wouldn’t he have been able to save a chicken quarter?
And did you see how pleased he was able to successfully insert an IV? That fleeting smile was more insightful than most of what he’s done so far.
Vasquez actually accepted an invitation to Molly’s from Violet to unwind, and it went beyond close.
The Emergencies of the Week
Kudos to the actor playing Gerry the custodian. I really felt his emotions as he explained what he thought happened and why the fire started.
When he said he really hoped keeping supplies in the credenza didn’t cause the fire, I swear, I choked up a bit. It’s the little things, but when a character like that feels alive, it gives the emergencies so much weight.
The fire seemed to be a pointed attack by someone on the school’s principal, played by Terry Serpico of Army Wives fame. He’s not been out of the public eye at all since then with roles on Law & Order: SVU, Yellowstone and more, but I swear, he was not a silver fox the last time I saw him!
I almost didn’t recognize him. He looks good in gray.
A teen named Wyatt was caught smoking weed on campus and suspended by the principal. That same kid was also on the scene when the fire broke out. But was it coincidence or fact?
The kid’s father sure didn’t do his son any favors. Severide and Van Meter could have merely asked why he was there. But then again, I understand that two white men showing up at the door of a black kid could be suspect.
And anybody who knows anything knows that Terry Serpico wouldn’t show up just to be a principal. He’s got a special skill at being somewhat dislikeable, and the principal was that. He had a bad reputation and a Facebook of 84 disgruntled kids dedicated to taking him down.
And now? The building on on fire, and Severide and Van Meter are caught in the crossfire. With 84 potential suspects, this could end up looking like Criminal Minds: Evolution or The Hunting Party!
Novak’s Little Chicago Med Crossover
I don’t watch Chicago Med. Hey, there is only so much time in a week, you know? But when I tune in early to watch Chicago Fire, I catch a bit of the story.
So I thought it was surprising that Dr. Frost was dating Novak. I had missed their scenes together, and when the phone rang with Lizzie learning about her sister, I thought maybe Frost was dating her sister.
Have we heard about Novak and Frost before? Is this an ongoing thing that I ignored since I don’t watch Med? I thought she was kind of into Vasquez. Then again, she was almost a serial dater last year, so why would I be surprised.
Her sister Heidi seemed like a drug addict at first glance. She just gave me that vibe because of how she played off her situation. And I wasn’t alone. Lizzie accused her of potentially taking more than one sleeping pill with her grapefruit juice (seriously, look up grapefruit juice and meds. It’s not good!).
When she said “I would never… I’m not mom,” I thought maybe their mom had committed suicide. It seemed more like a propensity for suicide than addicition.
There was a point during Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 8 when she was shaken by a suicide story and we figured she lost a parent to it.
Whatever happened in their childhood has tarnished their relationship. Novak likened it to playing Taboo, where they spoke around the big things, particularly after their mom.
She has been rethinking her entire relationship with her siblings as a result. That’s a lot of weight to bear. But I loved that she took a bottle of peach schnapps to Heidi’s place, trying to recapture some of what they had lost.
This was one of the best episodes in ages. Cue the Stella haters! Kidding… But really, I didn’t dislike Vasquez, really appreciated Violet and Novak getting better stories, and the OFI investigation is welcome.
Maybe it’s not having too limited of a lens on any one episode, but which characters are in focus that makes the difference. For a “fall finale,” it stacked up pretty well.
What do you think? Vote in the poll, and drop below to share your thoughts.
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Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 7 Review: The Fall Finale Flushes the Vein with a Decent Hour
Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 7 is one of the strongest of the season so far. Find out why it worked as a fall finale.
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Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 7 Spoilers: Van Meter Is Back!
I swear, Severide should just go to OFI permanently! He teams up with Van Meter again on Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 7.
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Don’t Blink: TV Is Dropping Fall Finales Faster Than We Can Press Play
Fall finales are arriving faster than stories can even take place, and we’re frustrated. TV’s pacing problem is out of control!
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