Reviewer 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 feels much longer than it actually is.
Still, this episode was worth the wait. Over the course of the hour, we get a great mix of action and character development.
I have more questions now than when I started tonight, but I choose to trust the writers to not lead us astray with the story they’re telling.
The big picture in the room this season is Chief Dom Pascal.
In Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 1, his image is shrouded in a cloud of mystery, and we know no more about him than we did a few months ago.
From a viewer’s perspective, we have every reason to disbelieve this man.
Rugged good looks aside (don’t bother me; I’ve loved Dermot Mulroney my whole life), Pascal doesn’t project the warmth and openness that 51 is used to.
Frankly, his interactions with Stella gave me goosebumps, but he and Seyfried seem to have become good friends since Pascal arrived.
To be honest, I don’t quite understand this dynamic.
Seyfried is so suspicious of the chief that he expresses his concerns to Stella and is willing to completely disobey Pascal.
(Does anyone else swoon when Seyfried says “My firehouse is not for you”? Or is it just me?)
But all it takes is a quick ego boost from Pascal for Seyfried to start looking at him like an overeager puppy again.
Once the chief tells Seyfried that he’s right about the dirty cops and sends him on a top-secret mission to take them down (or so he says), Kelly has the man completely in his hands.
Imagine how submissive he must be at home when Stella asks him to do something.
Anyway, I digress.
My point is this: I don’t trust Pascal, and I don’t understand why Seyfried seems to trust him so firmly.
The strange Pascal/Severeide dynamic is full of drama, but it’s far from the most interesting story of the week.
Congratulations!
Poor Mochi may have spent most of the episode terrified by a rogue pigeon a la Chimney vs. Crow in 9-1-1, but by the end of the hour, he The heart has grown three times in size.
Whether Tony’s (frankly endearing) complaints about the pigeons’ welfare had an impact on Mochi’s change of heart, or he was simply fascinated by the idea of baby pigeons when he discovered the missing eggs, all’s well that ends well.
So, congratulations on your new baby bird, Mochi.
Tony has a few more lines than usual this season and a little more screen time, which I’m really happy about.
Of course, Tony Ferrari was a real-life firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department, so he brought real expertise to the set along with endless wit and charm.
From his witty quips about other firefighters to the treasure trove of interesting animal-related facts he seems to hide under his helmet, Tony is a joy to watch every moment he’s on screen.
Other characters who have been given more screen time recently include Ritter and Novak, both of whom steal every scene they’re in.
Novak (Jocelyn Hughton) just joined the cast of Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode 9, but she quickly fell into her role and became a regular at the firehouse like everyone else.
Most of her scenes are with Violet (Hanako Greensmith), and this week is no exception.
The two have a rare chemistry that takes on a life of its own.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m shipping these two – sue me, I love torturing myself – but whether or not they end up romantically entangled, their relationship is special.
Like Buddy in “9-1-1,” Lizzie and Violet bond almost immediately, bond over a difficult phone call, and have been inseparable ever since.
While Violet tries to escape her relationship with Carver, Lizzie devotes all her energy to playing the role of loyal wingwoman.
Look, as much as I support Vezzer, I can’t say I’m disappointed in the casting of Violet’s new love interest.
Steven Strait joined the cast last week as Flynn, a good Samaritan who piques Violet’s interest and the two hit it off.
Maybe it’s a little annoying because Carver (unintentionally, I guess) ghosted Violet, but the extra effort Flynn went to to make sure Violet didn’t feel blown away made me cringe.
What does it mean that you don’t want to cancel a date via text message in case she thinks you’ve lost interest in her?
Alexa, play “Whatta Man” by Salt-N-Pepa.
Speaking of perfect couples, this reformed Stellaride hater is happy to see evidence that the show’s mightiest ship is still sailing.
Okay, maybe taking a date-night detour to dig into work isn’t the most romantic thing, but that’s the brand’s thing, so who can blame them?
In other news, the unsinkable ship has been on our screens again this week for so many lingering moments.
Carver and his controlling Texas girlfriend had some toxic moments, ranging from intense caresses to heated arguments, and honestly?
We’re all tired of the Carver/Tori storyline.
I know Carver is a beloved character and people are still rooting for him to be with Violet, but at this point, he and Tori are irritating me and I hope they quietly move to Texas State state, leave 51 alone.
To her credit, Holly Hinchliffe was so good as Tori that Chicago Fire fans generally hated her and she only had a few minutes of screen time.
bit and bob
- I really can’t take Severide seriously when he says things like “static” and “ghost guns”.
- Jocelyn Hudon posted on X for this episode that, in case you were wondering, the pineapple mayonnaise in this episode was disgusting.
- That sneezing guy took a toll on me mentally and I will be afraid of sneezing for at least the next month.
- Just recently I was complaining that Chicago Fire hadn’t had an actual fire in a while, and this week the writers blessed us with the storage facility fire of my dreams. coincide? Yes, it might be.
This week’s TV episode was really interesting.
The mystery surrounding the evil state troopers and their connection to Pascal’s former boss will come up in next week’s episode, so we might finally get more answers about this guy’s history.
Hopefully the amazing KaDee Strickland will reprise his role as his wife Monica as well.
Let me know what you thought of this episode in the comments, and let’s discuss whether Pascal is as shady as I thought.
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC, and you can watch older episodes on Peacock.
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