Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 6, “Broken Things,” brings a mix of quiet character drama and one pulse-pounding rescue that reminds viewers why the long-running NBC series still knows how to deliver edge-of-your-seat action — even when the storytelling feels a little fractured.
A Firehouse Divided
The episode’s biggest flaw lies in what’s missing. Once again, Chicago Fire sidelines a large portion of its ensemble cast, creating noticeable gaps in the energy that fans have come to expect. While bottle episodes can sometimes provide focus and intimacy, this pattern of scattered storylines has become too frequent, leaving the show feeling less like a family and more like a rotation of loosely connected shifts.
This week’s focus narrows to Severide (Taylor Kinney), Stella (Miranda Rae Mayo), Violet (Hanako Greensmith), and newcomer Sal Vasquez (Brandon Larracuente) — a solid lineup, but one that leaves fans longing for the rest of Firehouse 51.
Severide’s New Path
Severide spends much of the hour shadowing Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) in his new administrative role, learning the politics behind the job and meeting the Mayor’s chief of staff, Annette Davis (Annabeth Gish). The scenes offer a quieter, more introspective side of Severide as he navigates leadership without the chaos of a blaze — though it’s clear he’d rather be back on the ground than stuck in meetings.
Still, the dynamic between Severide and Pascal continues to grow. There’s a dry humor to their exchanges — especially when Severide teases Pascal about being asked out by Annette — that brings some welcome levity to an otherwise restrained episode.
Stella’s Quiet Exit
Meanwhile, Stella Kidd is focused on helping Isaiah, a young man whose mother needs better medical care. The storyline reinforces Stella’s compassion and strength, but it also doubles as a subtle setup for her temporary exit. A short crossover moment with Sharon Goodwin (Chicago Med) ties the plot neatly into the One Chicago universe, but the sense remains that Stella — and Miranda Rae Mayo — is being underutilized.
Sal Vasquez: A Complicated Legacy
The episode spends significant time building out Vasquez’s backstory. He’s wrestling with his father’s criminal past and the lingering guilt of a case gone wrong — one that may not be as straightforward as he’s been told. When new information surfaces about who arrived first at a crime scene years earlier, Sal begins to question everything, setting up a tense family confrontation that could jeopardize his career.
Larracuente brings a quiet intensity to the role, and it’s clear the writers are laying the groundwork for him to become a central player. Still, his storyline feels slightly disconnected from the main firehouse action — an issue that echoes the episode’s title.
The Save: Heart-Stopping and Heroic
Where “Broken Things” truly shines is in its central rescue sequence. Violet and Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) find themselves trapped in a gridlocked traffic jam while trying to rush a critical patient to the hospital. What unfolds is a masterclass in tension: an improvised, high-stakes save involving a water main break, quick coordination, and a human chain to lift the patient over an overpass.
Vasquez anchors the scene, literally holding pressure on the patient’s wound with unwavering focus as the team maneuvers around him. It’s pure Chicago Fire — a blend of teamwork, adrenaline, and emotion that reminds viewers why the show’s rescue scenes remain some of the best on television.
Mentorship and Growth
The hour ends on a softer note as Violet gives Novak constructive feedback about letting the patient’s anxious daughter ride along. The conversation, delivered in Violet’s famously firm “PIC voice,” blends mentorship with humor — a reminder that Chicago Fire thrives on the relationships between its medics as much as its emergencies.
Final Thoughts
“Broken Things” lives up to its name — a collection of scattered, uneven parts tied together by one extraordinary sequence. While the episode struggles with absent characters and fragmented pacing, the emotional stakes and technical precision of the central rescue make it worth watching.
It’s not a standout entry in Chicago Fire’s long run, but it’s a solid chapter that hints at bigger things ahead — particularly for Vasquez and the evolving dynamics at Firehouse 51.
