‘Chicago Fire’: Out of Town—But for How Long?
Tensions are high at Firehouse 51 on Chicago Fire for Severide (Taylor Kinney) upon his return—with Cruz (Joe Minoso), who has stepped in to lead the Squad, and Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), since he left his wife in the dark while he was away.
However, when Severide returns, Cruz decides it’s time for him to take a loyalty test—and leave 51. And as the episode begins, Boden (Eamonn Walker) pulls Cruz aside to tell him he’s been cleared for the upcoming test at the end of the month. “You’re going to have to chart your own course. You deserve it,” he says, noticing Cruz looking at Severide.
When Kidd checks in with Cruz, he says that Severide “basically said sorry, not sorry for running away,” and shares what he said about not getting in his way if he wanted to lead his own unit. Kidd assumes he only said that out of respect for him and letting him make his own choice, but Cruz’s “sure, fine, go for it” makes it clear he doesn’t believe it. He then tells her that she might be right, that he would feel trapped if Severide told him to stay, but he still doesn’t know if he cares whether he stays or goes.
Meanwhile, Severide receives an envelope, overnight priority, from Tucson: an ATF file on an arson case. (Kidd sees him reading it and leaves before she sees him.) Van Meter (Tim Hopper) doesn’t put his name back on the list of investigators, but he knows he can help with this case. He can guess why Severide isn’t investigating fires anymore—the firefighter denies it has anything to do with his late father (played by Treat Williams)—but points out how many lives could be saved with just one arson arrest. Severide says these are tough times. Van Meter argues that he has talent and passion for the job, and that he could have a bright future after retiring from the Squad. He shouldn’t let any of that go to waste for any reason.
When Kidd confronts Severide, he insists that he’s not hiding it from her and admits that this is what he wants. This could open doors in the future, like if he wants to run OFI someday. He wants to prove she can handle a case like this, then come home with her. But if she doesn’t agree to let him go, he won’t go. After some thought, Kidd tells him he should go, giving him her blessing (because she doesn’t want him to feel trapped) as long as he comes back soon. “That’s the plan,” he promises. “But if you go MIA with me again, if you leave me in the dark,” she warns. “I know,” he says.
But, as Kidd makes clear, there’s someone else he needs to talk to: Cruz. “I’m not going unless you’re willing to step into my shoes, like you did before, and take care of Task Force 3 until I get back,” Severide tells Cruz. “I don’t have anyone else to trust.” Though we don’t see the rest of the conversation, Cruz later approaches Boden to tell him that this isn’t the right time for him to take the loyalty test and that he’s withdrawing his name. “Maybe later,” Cruz suggests. “It would be nice if you stayed here a little longer,” Boden says.
Severide reiterates that he’ll be back soon when he and Kidd say goodbye in the final scene of the episode. We can’t help but wonder if that’s the case or if something will once again keep him away for longer than he intended.
Elsewhere in the episode, Derrick Gibson (Rome Flynn) officially joins 51 (“one of the best fire departments in the city,” he calls it) and Truck, though Mouch (Christian Stolte) notes to Carver (Jake Lockett) that they don’t know anything about him. (What they had to figure out, Boden said, wasn’t just whether he was a 51st, but what he brought to the fire department and what the fire department brought to him.) Mouch even thought it was a big deal that a bar of soap had gone missing from a fire department while Gibson was floating around. And when someone on the call recognized him from the Cicero Semifinals and Gibson ignored him, Mouch took notice. Turns out he was a pretty good boxer, so why didn’t he say anything when Carver asked him about the sport? Mouch decides to leave it at that, with Carver noting that it’s not easy being a new person at 51. Additionally, Herrmann (David Eigenberg), despite not wanting anyone to see him as a “weak old man,” starts wearing the hearing aid he needs (after he saves 51 from a bomb in the premiere) and thanks Ritter (Daniel Kyri) for always reminding him about his ears, admitting, “Nobody likes to be nagged, but the truth is, you probably saved my life, maybe a few other lives.” Boden reminds him that he doesn’t wear hearing aids because of his age.
