Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
Maybe it’s because of everything going on in the world, but somehow, the one-week wait for Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 6 felt much longer than it was.
The episode was worth the wait, though; we got a decent mix of action and character development over the course of the hour.
I have more questions now than I started the night with, but I’m choosing to trust that the writers won’t lead us astray with the stories they’re telling.
The elephant in the room this season is Chief Dom Pascal.
He floated in on a cloud of mystery in Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 1, and we don’t really know much more about him than we did a couple of months ago.
From the viewer’s perspective, we have every reason not to trust the guy.
Rugged good looks aside (leave me alone; I’ve loved Dermot Mulroney my whole life), Pascal doesn’t exude the kind of warmth and openness that the 51 are used to.
His interactions with Stella make my skin crawl, frankly, but he and Severide seem to have buddied up a little since Pascal’s arrival.
To be honest, I don’t really understand the dynamic.
Severide was so suspicious of the chief that he took his concerns to Stella and was willing to be downright insubordinate to Pascal.
(Did anyone else swoon when Severide said, “My firehouse is not the place for you,” or was that just me?)
But all it took was a quick ego boost from Pascal for Severide to start looking at him like an over-eager puppy again.
Once the chief told Severide that he was right about the dirty cops, bringing him in on a top-secret mission to take them down (so he says), Kelly was all but putty in the man’s hands.
Imagine how pliable he must be at home when Stella asks him to do something.
Anyway, I digress.
My point is: I don’t trust Pascal, and I can’t understand why Severide seems so determined to trust him.
The weird Pascal/Severide dynamic was bursting with drama, but it wasn’t even close to being the most interesting story of the week.
Congratulations are in order!
Poor Mouch may have spent the better part of the episode being terrorized by a rogue pigeon a la Chimney vs. Crow on 9-1-1, but by the end of the hour, his heart had grown three sizes.
Whether the (frankly adorable) grumbling about pigeon welfare from Tony had an impact on Mouch’s change of heart, or he was just smitten at the idea of a baby pigeon when he found a lost egg, all’s well that ends well.
So on that note, congratulations on your new bird babies, Mouch.
Tony has been given a few more lines than usual this season, along with a bit more screen time, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Tony Ferraris is, of course, a real-life firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department, so he brings bonafide expertise to the set along with his endless wit and charm.
From sassy quips tossed at other firefighters to the treasure trove of animal-related fun facts that he seems to keep under his helmet, Tony is a delight every moment he’s on screen.
Other characters getting more face time lately include Ritter and Novak, both of whom steal every scene they’re in.
Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) only just joined the cast as of Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode 9, but she quickly settled into her role and is as much a fixture of the firehouse as everyone else.
Most of her scenes are with Violet (Hanako Greensmith), and this week was no exception.
These two have the kind of rare chemistry that takes on a life of its own.
I’ve made no secret about the fact that I’m shipping these two — sue me, I like to torture myself — but whether they end up romantically entangled or not, their relationship is something special.
Much like 9-1-1’s Buddie, Lizzie and Violet connected almost instantly, bonded over a tough call, and have been inseparable ever since.
While Violet attempts to move on from the remains of her situationship with Carver, Lizzie throws all her energy into playing the part of the devoted wing-woman.
And look — as much as I’m rooting for a Vizzie ship — I can’t say I’m disappointed in the casting choice for Violet’s new love interest.
Steven Strait joined the cast last week as Flynn, a good Samaritan on a scene who captured Violet’s interest, and the two of them have hit it off.
Maybe it’s a little on the nose because of how Carver (unintentionally, I guess) ghosted Violet, but Flynn’s extra efforts to make sure Violet didn’t feel blown off gave me butterflies.
What do you mean, you didn’t want to cancel your date over text in case she thought you were losing interest in her?
Alexa, play “Whatta Man” by Salt-N-Pepa.
Speaking of perfect couples, this reformed Stellaride hater was thrilled to see proof of the show’s strongest ship still sailing.
Okay, maybe a detour on date night to dig into an investigation for work isn’t the most romantic thing, but it’s on brand, so who can blame them?
In other news, the ship that won’t sink haunted our screens for far too many lingering moments again this week.
Carver and his strangely controlling Texan girlfriend had a few moments of toxicity that ranged from heavy petting to bitter arguing, and honestly?
We’re all getting very tired of the Carver/Tori storyline.
I know Carver is a beloved character, and people are still rooting for him to get with Violet, but at this point, he and Tori have annoyed me so much that I’m hoping they’ll quietly move to Texas and leave the 51 alone.
To give credit where it’s due, Holly Hinchliffe is playing Tori so brilliantly that she’s pretty much universally hated by Chicago Fire fans, and she’s only had a few minutes of screen time.
Bits and Bobs
I truly cannot take Severide seriously when he says things like “staties” and “ghost guns.”
Jocelyn Hudon posted on X during the episode that the pineapple mayo featured in the episode was gross, in case you were wondering.
The guy who sneezed his guts out of his stomach has caused me emotional damage, and I will be terrified to sneeze for the next month, minimum.
Just recently, I complained that Chicago Fire hadn’t had a real fire in a while, and this week the writers blessed us with the storage facility blaze of my dreams. Coincidence? Yeah, probably.
This week’s installment was a genuinely fun hour of television.
The mysteries surrounding the crooked state troopers and their connection to Pascal’s old boss will edge into next week’s episode, so we might finally get more answers about the guy’s history.
Hopefully that will also come with another appearance by the stunning KaDee Strickland as his wife Monica.
Let me know in the comments what you thought about the episode, and let’s chat about whether Pascal is as shady as I think he is.
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC, and you can catch up on older episodes on Peacock.
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