Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 6 Missing Characters Highlight Firehouse 51’s Big Problem
Chicago Fire season 13, episode 6, “Birds Of Prey,” highlighted Firehouse 51’s ability to act quickly, but not without highlighting one of their biggest problems. The episode begins with an alert about a fire at an empty storage facility. The team sends Truck 81 to put out the fire, and with that decision, “Birds Of Prey” also shows the growing tension between Carver and the rest of his team.
The episode also reveals that Severide’s investigation into the storage facility and the fire led to the discovery of a 3D-printed gun case and its deep connection to the ongoing police investigation. This revelation leads to an unexpected partnership between Severide and Chief of Police Dom Pascal. Meanwhile, one of Chicago Fire’s best characters, Mouch, has to deal with a particularly sensitive pigeon at the firehouse. While Chicago Fire season 12, episode 6 was solid in terms of character and presentation, it also highlighted Firehouse 51’s biggest problem by revealing what was missing from the episode.
Chicago Fire’s Kylie Estevez and Christopher Herrman were notably absent from episode 6 of season 13. While Herrmann has been a main character since season 1, Kylie only recently joined the team, after appearing sporadically on Chicago Fire since season 8. Herrmann and Kylie are both members of Engine 51, led by Lieutenant Herrmann. Kylie was previously a member of another fire department, but Kidd recruited her to join Firehouse 51 as a replacement for Damon, who left at the beginning of season 13.
As a member of the same fire department, calls to 51 often include all of its teams—Engine 51, Truck 81, and Squad 3. So it’s odd why Engine 51 isn’t part of the fire response. Unfortunately, episode 5 of Chicago Fire season 13 didn’t offer any explanation for this. However, Engine 51 may not have been the focus of the call because it was dealing with another emergency off-screen.
As Firehouse 51’s primary firefighting vehicle, it’s surprising that Engine 51 is used so little in Chicago Fire. Its members are overlooked compared to other teams, including Squad 3, which has Severide’s team, and Truck 81, which has Kidd’s team. Throughout the show’s 12 seasons, Engine 51 has had the least amount of character development and exposure. It’s fair to say that Hermann’s personal storyline has been focused on, especially in recent years with Cindy and his health scares, but those stories have been lacking compared to the emotional arcs of the show’s other characters. Hopefully, these changes continue.
