Reviewer Rating: 4.5/5.0
4.5
(Content warning: This article discusses a scene depicting an attempted suicide.)
It feels like the season has just begun and it’s already time for the Chicago Fire to take a mid-season break. What’s the time anyway?
Overall, the episode was fun, a little stressful, and after months of waiting we finally got some insight into Pascal and Lizzie’s characters.
Where in the world is Kelly Seyfried?
It’s worth noting that one of the main characters on Chicago Fire is missing this week.
Stellaride fans are hoping for a sweet moment between Kelly and Stella to keep us going over the winter holidays. Unfortunately, Seyfried didn’t show up.
The script makes casual references to travel to explain his absence, but it still feels strange that he was left out of an episode as important as the midseason finale.
We don’t have to wait too long for him to return – he’ll appear in a promo for the next episode, which airs in January.
This isn’t the first time we’ve had an episode (or more) without Severide, either.
Still, 51 just won’t be the same without him.
The Lizzie-centric one we’ve been waiting for
I’ve made no secret of the fact that Lizzie Novak is my favorite character on the show, and this week has been a real treat.
From the beginning, the episode centers on Lizzie in a way she hasn’t before.
This gave Jocelyn Hudon a chance to showcase herself, and she certainly did.
Over the course of several emotional scenes, Lizzie’s walls begin to come down and we finally learn a little bit about her origins.
Based on her reaction to the phone call, it is speculated that one of her parents committed suicide when she was a child. She’s obviously still dealing with a lot of trauma.
The call was graphic, and social media circles have begun debating whether the network handled it appropriately.
Should Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 8 contain a trigger warning?
No trigger warnings are given to prepare viewers for the graphic depiction of a suicide attempt shown midway through the episode. That’s…a choice.
I am a strong advocate for telling stories about mental health and suicide on television. However, I think viewers should be aware of this before jumping into such a graphic scene.
Trigger warnings are easy to add, and they provide people with the opportunity to make informed decisions about the media they are consuming.
Unfortunately, this particular scene comes without any warning, presumably to make the audience feel a bit like Lizzie did when the door opened.
This was a sudden and obvious trigger for her, as evidenced by the way she yelled at the victim.
I wish the network would handle this more carefully, but I have to send flowers to Jocelyn Hughton. She portrays the traumatic response with extreme realism, and watching her unravel was heartbreaking to me.
pascal, exposed
After months of waiting, we finally get to know more about Pascal’s personal life. I have a lot to think about this character right now.
I know I’ve been hot and cold on him all season.
Pascal himself seemed to me to be hot and cold, and I could never fully understand who he was as a person and a chief.
After half a season of swinging between desperately distrusting and hopelessly falling in love with this mysterious new guy, I think this episode finally gave me what I was looking for.
While much remains unsaid about his past, his history in Miami and his relationship with his wife, we saw a new, more vulnerable side of Pascal in the fall finale.
He takes the time to encourage Lizzie when she clearly needs it, allows Refrigerator to hang out around the station until the dog can go home to its owner, and extends an olive branch to Monica after an argument.
Pascal is a complex human character
Every tender and uncertain moment proves that Pascal is a good guy at heart.
Whatever happened to him, it turned him into a man who was afraid to let others in, even his own wife.
This seemed like a reasonable enough explanation for why a lot of his behavior so far seemed a bit fishy, so I decided to operate under the assumption that Pascal just needed some time to warm up so he could unfreeze.
That said, his relationship with Monica leaves something to be desired. This has always been a source of confusion for me when they appear on screen.
The first time we see the couple, Monica throws Dom’s clothes out of the house. Now, eight episodes later, she tells him she doesn’t like being without him.
It baffles me that two people can be codependent and emotionally distant at the same time, but these two did it.
Time gone by returns to Ghost Cruz
Cruz takes center stage for much of the hour, which isn’t nearly as interesting as him accidentally stealing a bike from a kid.
Received any kind of threats? Objectively bad.
Receive threats in the form of hollow bullet pendants filled with cremated human remains? Well, that’s really ominous.
Naturally, it all came to a head very quickly. Cruz faced a horrifying explanation that was more horrifying than expected.
You may remember that back in Chicago Fire season 1, episode 10, Cruz decided not to rescue Flaco Rodriguez, the leader of a dangerous gang called the Mad Kings.
It was a heavy decision, but he did what he felt he had to do for the greater good, and no one can blame him for it.
Except maybe Flacco’s cousin.
Leon shows up at the station and tells Cruz that Junior, Flaco’s cousin and a member of the Mad Kings, has been released from prison.
They didn’t initially confirm whether they were in danger, but the evidence came to light when Cruz was followed into the church by Cruz himself.
The episode ends on a cliffhanger. Cruz stood in front of Junior, looking terrified, while Junior was hell-bent on revenge.
I’ll be honest; I kept waiting for the gunfire to end the episode, but it never came.
It’s still a harrowing scene that creates a compelling storyline for Cruz when the show returns next year.
Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 8 “Bits and Bobs”
- Ritter’s anxiety about moving in with Dwayne is completely legitimate, but I do hope these two can meet in some compromising way.
- I’m pretty sure the refrigerator was inserted as a plot device for two reasons: one, to soften our view of Carver, who has been insufferable all season, and two, a chance for him to reveal that he and Tori finally broke up.
- Mochi and Herman are both grumpy old men, and having a grumpy old friendship is always so special to me. Mochi’s certificates remind me of my late grandfather – they were the “old man” mint for decades.
- I’ve come up with a reasonable explanation over and over again that Pascal only prepared one steak (where was Monica?) and chose bake it in the oven.
- Violet once again proved how incredible the Chicago Fire friendship is when she didn’t hesitate to cancel the date to spend time with Liz.
- I missed seeing Steven Straight in this episode, but the Violet/Lizzie moment was worth it.
As usual, a lot happened in this episode, and now we have to wait an agonizing seven weeks before Chicago Fire returns with a new episode.
Now, please post all your thoughts and theories so we can discuss this episode!
If you need a rewatch, it might be a good idea to revisit the entire series if you have time, as the writers are bringing back storylines from long ago.
Chicago Fire returns Wednesday, January 8 at 9/8c on NBC.
Watch Chicago Fire online
