Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 15, “Too Close” upholds a long-running tradition on the NBC show: killing characters off. Anyone who’s watched the series consistently knows that people die in and around Firehouse 51 on a regular basis. It’s the writers’ way of keeping things fresh, and also reminding viewers that firefighters have a lethal job. This latest death, though, will leave fans reeling for a few different reasons.
What’s interesting is that most of the drama in “Too Close” revolves around a different firehouse. Firehouse 20 is front and center because of Kelly Severide’s half-brother, Jack Damon. Meanwhile, Severide and Stella Kidd are completing their adoption vetting process. But this episode written by showrunner Andrea Newman is a classic Chicago Fire episode, in both good and bad ways.
Who Died on Chicago Fire – And Why That’s Bigger Than Fans Think
The Closing Minutes Keep a Show Tradition Going
The promo for Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 15 teased that someone would die, so the big event in “Too Close” is not a shock. What is a surprise is the identity of the victim: Monica Pascal, the wife of Battalion Chief Dom Pascal. And it’s also somewhat surprising how her death is handled. In the closing minutes of the episode, the whole of Firehouse 51 responds to a car accident, only to realize that Monica is te driver of the vehicle. Her death thus feels like an afterthought, or an epilogue tacked onto the rest of the episode.
Some fans may also find Monica’s death to feel like a cop-out — another instance of a TV show teasing a significant character death, only to pick out a random supporting character instead. Losing Monica specifically has very little impact, because the audience only knows her as Chief Pascal’s wife; they have no emotional connection to her. In fact, that makes it a little strange to see how visibly upset the members of Firehouse 51 are when Pascal arrives at Chicago Med, since she’s shared very little screen time with any of them. Perhaps they’re so stricken because they know how crushed their boss will be. That’s the biggest reason for viewers to care.
But while Monica Pascal’s death might not be particularly memorable, it’s actually a canny choice in the big picture sense. Pascal’s behavior will drastically change after losing his wife, and audiences have seen what an unhinged Pascal looks like earlier in the season. Audiences still don’t know how long actor Dermot Mulroney’s role is meant to last. Is it possible that Pascal does something that causes him to leave Firehouse 51, either because he decides he needs to step away or because he gets forced out? That would open the door for Christopher Herrmann to be the next Battalion Chief, which is something that the show has to pay off sooner rather than later, with all the talk about it. Chicago Fire doesn’t shock fans in the short term, but it might be playing the long game.
Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 15 Teases Viewers With Damon’s Return
Jack Damon’s Storyline Serves as a Perfect Fake-Out
It’s very strange to have a Chicago Fire storyline where the main plot takes place outside of Firehouse 51 — strange enough that it never quite feels satisfying. However, Firehouse 20 is important because it’s the current home of Jack Damon, whose one scene in Episode 14, “Through the Skin” was clearly foreshadowing. “Too Close” explains why Damon was brought back: because the main story here is about him. When his colleague Jenner turns tail during a call, Damon finds himself at odds with the entire firehouse. His lieutenant (played by Blindspot alum Trieste Kelly Dunn) gets the truth out of him, but Jenner threatens to have him “blackballed” and at one point, everyone else gangs up on him in the locker room doorway.
This is an entertaining enough story, and it does highlight how much Damon has grown as a character since his original appearances. He’s actually worth rooting for now. But at one point, Stella suggests transferring Damon back to Firehouse 51, and she coincidentally does have an opening on Truck with the departure of Sam Carver. If Chicago Fire is teasing the return of Jack Damon, that’s not necessarily as good an idea as Stella and Severide think it is. Damon’s previous episodes made pretty clear why him working at the same firehouse as his half-brother wouldn’t work, so bringing him back would be asking the audience to essentially retcon that.
Plus, if Damon does fill in for Carver, does that mean viewers have seen the last of actor Jake Lockett? The writers haven’t said how long Carver’s rehab stint is, so it could be a way to write him out and bring in (sort of) fresh blood, which is something else Chicago Fire loves to do. But Carver has a lot more story to tell than Damon. Despite his having matured as a character, and the best efforts of actor Michael Bradway, he just doesn’t have very much unique to offer. But so far, Damon’s second stint at 51 is just an idea. Perhaps he really will fight his battle on his own.
Chicago Fire’s Comic Relief Never Really Gets Off the Ground
The Comedic Subplot Is Episode 15’s Weakest Point
The comedic subplot in “Too Close” involves Severide and Stella trying to impress their adoption agency representative Terry, and that doesn’t quite work. For one, just like in Chicago Med Season 10, Episode 14, “Acid Test,” the representative is written as a nitpicker with no personality. For two, the tension comes from something that logically is unlikely to happen. The happy couple have a video interview with the representative, but just after it ends, Christopher Herrmann and Joe Cruz come into the room ranting about Tony and Capp, and become convinced that the man overheard them and must think they were disparaging Severide and Stella. But Severide and Stella are literally walking out the door when this occurs; why would they leave the laptop on, let alone with the video client still up, if they were leaving the entire room? The computer should have been turned off completely.
Joe Cruz (to Terry, about Severide and Kidd): It’s their job to keep knuckleheads like us alive.
This is the one weak spot of Newman’s script, but it becomes clear why she went that route. Herrmann and Cruz drag Tony and Capp into the representative’s office so that they can explain themselves and vouch for Stella and Severide. Their whole spiel helps the representative to say that Stellaride have been approved to adopt a child and start their family. Newman deserves credit for not tormenting them the way that Dawsey angsted as they tried unsuccessfully to have a family. Yet trying to be funny and heartwarming at the same time is a bit awkward, and it all comes out of a relatively implausible moment. That said, Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 15 is a pretty entertaining hour that opens up plenty of storytelling possibilities — and because it was written by the showrunner, viewers should expect that this episode is laying pipe for the remainder of the season.
