SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 3.
Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 3 is a great example of what it takes to make a successful TV show. Choices often get made off-screen that affect what happens on-screen, and fans don’t always realize that. “In the Blood” is an episode that turns that challenge into a positive—while also highlighting the resiliency of its characters, too.
The main plot continues to deal with the budget cuts that have been addressed both on Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. In an early scene, Chief Dom Pascal tells Firehouse 51 that Engine has been taken out of service for the week (read: this episode). Pascal later has another meeting with the mayor’s chief of staff about the issue. And the major dilemma involves an ambulance overturning because an exhausted paramedic fell asleep at the wheel. Financial struggles—both on a citywide and a personal level—are a topic that this show has explored before, and unfortunately it’s still relevant. But it’s also a way to explain developments in production.
Viewers who keep up with entertainment news know that the One Chicago renewals in May came with cost cuts of their own. These included a reduction in the number of episodes actors might appear in—a practice that the franchise has been utilizing for a few seasons now. So saying Engine is out of service is a reasonable way to not have Christian Stolte in this episode. And Pascal informing Kelly Severide that he’s going to be responsible for multiple firehouses, and thus not as involved in the day-to-day operations of 51, is also a way to write around Dermot Mulroney. The necessities of TV production are more apparent in “In the Blood” than they’ve ever been on this show before.
But Chicago Fire is making lemons out of lemonade. Pascal telling Severide that he expects Severide to step up in his absence is a way to progress Severide’s character professionally. Kelly has turned down opportunities to advance in the past, but now he seems more like he’s taking it in stride—and this is an element of his character that hasn’t been truly explored. His other chances would have involved leaving Firehouse 51, which obviously was not going to happen. Plus, Severide and Stella both deserve character development that is not solely about their relationship or family. It’d be too easy to just focus on that element of their story, since viewers have been waiting for the wedding and then the family for so long, but that would be overlooking how much they’ve done as firefighters. The scene of Severide jumping onto the speeding boat alone is a reminder that this show tries to kill him on a regular basis and he rises to every occasion.
The budget issues are also explored through Violet Mikami, as the paramedic who crashed their rig is Murphy, a friend of hers from the academy. Violet implores Murphy to come forward, hoping that it will be proof that the fire department is stretched too thin, but her friend doesn’t want to lose her job either. This is a perfectly done storyline that addresses the issue in a realistic way, showing instead of telling (no offense to Pascal’s file folder of financial statistics). Chicago Fire also deserves credit for giving Violet another storyline where she stands totally on her own. From her introduction as Blake Gallo’s ex, a lot of her biggest stories have revolved around who she’s dating. But she’s proven to be a lot more than that, and her idea of enlisting firefighters to take some of the strain off paramedics is reminiscent of Sylvie Brett pitching her paramedicine concept. Brett would be proud that Violet is also stepping up to try and make the system better.
Elsewhere, Chicago Fire fans finally get a clear picture of what baggage Sal Vasquez is carrying. His father is in prison for evidence tampering, while the criminal his dad was investigating was acquitted. This is the biggest chance Brandon Larracuente has had yet to show Vasquez’s vulnerable side, and he capitalizes on that, as it’s clear that Vasquez’s anger comes out of that hurt. As much as it’s still sad that Daniel Kyri and Jake Lockett are no longer with the show, Fire has definitely gained something with the casting of Larracuente, and that’s only going to get better once Vasquez gets demystified. Once the show gets past creating that suspense, there’s a lot he’ll be able to do.
Plus, it’s worth noting that Annabeth Gish returns as the mayor’s chief of staff, and that she tries to ask out Pascal. The moment itself feels very much out of nowhere—they’ve only been in a few scenes together—and would have been better if that relationship had been allowed to build. But more important is what that says about Pascal’s character. He opens the episode finally taking off his wedding ring, yet tells Davis that he’s married. And his reaction when he’s alone immediately afterward says a lot without words. Pascal and the firehouse and even Chicago Fire might be stuck playing by a new set of rules, but “In the Blood” is proof that they’re making the best of it when other groups would be lost.
