Fourteen seasons in, and Chicago Fire is burning bright as ever.
Dick Wolf’s long-running NBC procedural centers on the heroic firefighters and paramedics of the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) as they sweat through the perils of their professional and personal lives. Currently, Dermot Mulroney’s Dom Pascal serves as Firehouse 51’s battalion chief, overseeing a team that includes Taylor Kinney’s Kelly Severide, Hanako Greensmith’s Violet Mikami, and Jocelyn Hudon’s Lizzie Novak.
New to season 14 is Brandon Larracuente’s Sal Vasquez, a cocky young firefighter at war with his father, a former Chicago PD detective accused of fabricating evidence.
The season 14 fall finale delivers thrills and chills, not to mention a pair of cliffhangers that threaten the lives and livelihoods of our heroes. Below, we unpack the ending of Chicago Fire season 14, episode 7, “Pierce the Vein.”
Who set the school fire?
At the forefront of the fall finale is a serious fire at a local high school, which Severide investigates. After putting out the blaze, he realizes it was set just outside the office of the principal, Mr. Cole. This leads him to believe it was a targeted attack.
Cole suspects a Black student named Wyatt, whom he’d previously busted for marijuana and had a tense encounter with the night before at a basketball game. After seeing a photo, Severide realizes he saw Wyatt outside the school when they pulled up.
Severide links up with investigator Tom Van Meter (Tim Hopper). The pair speaks with Wyatt’s father, who insists his son is innocent and refuses to let them talk to him.
Later, Wyatt’s name is cleared when investigators realize the fire was set remotely using a smart plug — at the very same time Cole saw him at the basketball game.
When Severide and Van Meter bring this info to Wyatt’s father, Wyatt shows them a private Facebook group called “I Hate Mr. Cole.” The group accuses the principal of bullying students, humiliating them publicly, and even pumping up charges in an effort to expel those he deems problematic. It’s a solid lead, but with 83 members in the group, there are now 83 new suspects.
The episode ends with Severide and Van Meter visiting Cole’s apartment. As we watch the trio speak through a window, a fire ignites in the building’s stairwell, and a hooded figure exits onto the street.
Somebody really wants Cole dead — and they don’t seem to care who else they hurt in the process.
Is Sal’s dad out of prison?
“Pierce the Vein” begins by revealing it’s the day of Ray’s (Gonzalo Menendez) parole hearing. Tensions are high between him and Sal, as Sal was devastated to learn that his dad is guilty of the crimes of which he’s been accused, including fabricating evidence as a detective.
“He made his bed, however long he’s gotta lie in it,” Sal says. “That’s on him. I’m done.”
Sal, then, is shocked when Ray approaches him and Violet outside the station. “Didn’t expect to see me so soon,” Ray says. He’s come for his car, which Sal has been driving. “You try to teach your kid good manners,” Ray intones, “but they are who they are.”
This exchange only adds to the unease Sal has been feeling. Earlier in the episode, we see him distracted as Violet trains him on starting an IV. Sensing his distress, Violet invites Sal out for a drink. He accepts, but doesn’t want the night to end. When we last see him and Violet, they’re shutting down a bar and heading to another.
Where was Stella Kidd?
Firefighter Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) was absent this week, with Severide explaining in the episode’s opening moments that she’s out of state with Isaiah (Hero Hunter), her and Severide’s foster child.
Isaiah’s birth mother is on death’s door, and the pair has taken her to a “world-class” clinic in Cleveland for care.
Does Lizzie reconnect with her sister?
It’s Lizzie’s day off, but her relaxation is disrupted when the hospital calls. Her sister, Heidi (Tatiana Ringsby), was found unconscious at a bus stop. Heidi blames the incident on mixing a sleeping pill with grapefruit juice, but Lizzie worries her sister might be struggling with the same addictions as their mother.
Heidi is clearly resentful of Lizzie and their estrangement. “We haven’t acted like siblings in a very long time,” she says.
While getting a drink with Violet, Lizzie opens up about having to care for her brother and sister after “everything fell apart” with their mother. She soon realizes that while she stepped up, she never asked what her siblings actually wanted.
This prompts her to pick up a bottle of Schnapps and spend some quality time with Heidi, who’s happy to see Lizzie making an effort.
Are more budget cuts coming to Firehouse 51?
Season 14 has centered on the growing budget cuts impacting emergency services in Chicago, and it looks like more are on the way.
The news comes via Annette Davis (Annabeth Gish), the chief of staff for the Chicago mayor. She and Dom spend the episode trying to meet up for a date, but are continually thwarted by work. They finally connect for dinner, but Annette shows up with bad news.
In order to avert a teacher’s strike, the powers that be had to reallocate funds from other areas. Sadly, some of that money had to come from the CFD, specifically a rig in Dom’s battalion. The rig on deck to be decommissioned, she says, is Engine Company 51, led by Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte).
While this is bad news for Dom (and especially Mouch), it’s worth noting that Mouch spent much of the episode laying out his plans for compartment organization, which, if instituted properly, could help save 51.
Will it work? We’ll find out when Chicago Fire returns in 2026.
Where can I watch Chicago Fire?
Chicago Fire airs on NBC and streams on Peacock.
