S08.E12: Then Nick Porter Happened

[jewel21]

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A series of false alarms at a private school hinders 51's ability to respond to legitimate emergencies. Kidd asks for ideas to surprise Severide on his birthday. Cruz and Brett rent out their extra room but get more than they bargained for.

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Airdate: 01/22/2020

[dovegrey]

Cruz is getting married soon, so now is a good time to get a new, non-Chloe roommate? Instead of Cruz and Brett and/or Cruz and Chloe talking about what the roommate arrangement will realistically look like once Cruz and Chloe move in together? (Also, Cruz was living alone with his ex-girlfriend...? Chloe's a saint.) (And, while I know that many people choose not to live together before marriage, I'm surprised Cruz and Chloe aren't.)

Severide gets all up on his high horse, has Casey take the entire house to beg schoolkids to say something about the alarms, and then near-violently confronts and accuses the first one to offer help? "Sorry if I scared you..." What a douche. Flashback to the time he physically battered an innocent kid in a high school. 

It'd be great to actually see some of the drama in the Boden household, rather than hearing Boden talk about it for Eamonn Walker's weekly 45 seconds of screentime. Donna who?

Casey still does construction! It's been a damn while. And I imagine he's getting the hell out of Severide's place, now that Kidd's moving in?

Did Dawsey ever publicly make out in the firehouse like Stellaride did in this episode? I'm embarrassed for them.

Just like with the mattress factory episode, this episode, at times, felt like a Saturday morning kids "drama." It's educational and informational! Don't pull fire alarms, kids; false alarms kill. It feels like there is some effort to match the pacing/tone of seasons 1-3, maybe a little bit, but it's just not hitting right (IMO). The storylines aren't convincing.

[mxc90]

From the preview, I was expecting head master to be evil, covering up something at the all boys school and to be taken away in cuffs at the end of the episode.

Nope! The big reveal is bullying! They are scrapping the bottom of the barrel for a story.

If response time was the issue, why wasn't House 20 sent to the house instead? Or are we done with the overlapping boundaries?

It's a good thing Elijah didn't get the idea to start a fire and burn down Stover. Did he use a ladder to reach the fire alarm?

Did any of the teachers or students notice Elijah was missing while everyone was standing outside? Forget being bullied kid, you are ignored by everyone. 

Why was Elijah brought to the firehouse?  They couldn't talk to him at the school?

Whatever happened to seeing Trudy's plan with her share of Molly's.

Cruz and Sylvie could have easily rejected Mouch's proposal for Porter. Not sure why they were quick to say yes.

How did this show miss a story line with Chloe jealous of Cruz rooming with Sylvie? And now Foster is going to move in! Maybe it's coming.

The wife missed a good opportunity to guilt Kelly and Casey to finish the job the husband started in the basement, fix other stuff around the house, mow the lawn, and go grocery shopping.

I guess they could only do one awareness topic and not discuss the dangers of being depressed and drinking at  7 in the morning.

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by mxc90

[MsJamieDornan]

Every week the show gets worse.

[Waterston Fan]

Didn't like this episode and it seemed more like a PSA than anything. 

You really don't know what people are going through so sometimes its dangerous to be nice and help others.

Really wanted to see Platt kick some ass. 

[Guildford]

So Cruz, Sylvie and Foster are together 24/7...very few married couples spend that much time together, let alone work colleagues. 

I was actually half enjoying the housemate story, it wasn't AS dumb as last weeks C-plot but in usual #OneChicago style anyone who is not stationed at 51 is a buffoon. They had to make him hideously over the top annoying to make sure we got the point.

Someone needs to crack a window in the writers room, the lack of oxygen in there is starting to become a problem.

Stella and Severide I just can't seem to muster any enthusiasm for them, which is weird because as characters individually they weren't so bad, but together they are just dull.

Nice to meet Ritter's boyfriend. I do like the whole Ritter/Gallo bromance they are building...so I fully expect that to blow up in our faces by the finale.

Trudy seemed as pissed as I was that they bought her in & then blew her off. I wanted to see her do something, anything because she does SFA on PD. I thought they'd made her buy into the bar to actually provide some kind of new storyline/angle....but its been crickets and then they trot her out for this.....nothing.

[iMonrey]

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If response time was the issue, why wasn't House 20 sent to the house instead? Or are we done with the overlapping boundaries?

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Yeah and it was such an issue they went back there to hand out fliers. What if they got another call? Isn't this pretty much going to be an issue wherever they are? I'm sure there are lots of times when they get a call and they're further away then they would be if they were at the station. 

Why is Mouch even friends with Nick? We've already seen what an irresponsible goof he was about trying to sell the Slamigan at the Expo. This is someone who thinks he can plop his ass down in the middle of the sofa and choose which DVD his brand new roommates are going to watch. What an idiot. I'd be pissed at Mouch for even recommending this jerk. 

[Dowel Jones]

For a moment there I thought the writers were going to have Casey go undercover as a substitute teacher or something so he could spy on the academy students.  Thankfully, they went the less stupid more obvious route.  Then again, they could have brought The Wig in from OFI to quiz the kid, and rekindle some drama in 51.  So I guess we got lucky this episode.

I did a quick search on paramedic salary in CFD.  Sorry, Foster, but if $50,000 (average) per year isn't enough for your own apartment, maybe you should look at your budget.

[izabella]

I was really hoping they would send Trudy over to that school.   She would have sorted things out very quickly with the false alarms, and then would have put the Fear of Trudy into the ones doing the bullying.  Problem solved!

[Josh371982]

I said repeatedly last night "WHY IS CRUZ LIVING WITH BRETT INSTEAD OF HIS FIANCE CHLOE?" Also with Kidd moving in with Severide and Cruz and Chloe living together after they are Married, I see a Single Casey moving in with Brett and Foster. Leading up to him and Brett hooking up in time for Saint Gabby Sue to return at the end of the season pregnant with Dawsey child 

[The Ringo Kidd]

  On 1/23/2020 at 10:23 PM, Josh371982 said:

I said repeatedly last night "WHY IS CRUZ LIVING WITH BRETT INSTEAD OF HIS FIANCE CHLOE?" Also with Kidd moving in with Severide and Cruz and Chloe living together after they are Married, I see a Single Casey moving in with Brett and Foster. Leading up to him and Brett hooking up in time for Saint Gabby Sue to return at the end of the season pregnant with Dawsey child 

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I think you have just chartered out the rest of the season!

Kadiooz!

[Fostersmom]

Yeah it sucks for the fire department when kids pull the alarm for no reason, but this happens all over the country every single day. It's nothing new, but apparently it's cause for firemen to all but send in the swat team to take down kids in Chicago. Holy shit, over reaction much? I mean, I now this firehouse is extreme on a regular basis, but this was just ridiculously stupid. 

[dovegrey]

I just realized that a bit character had more of a separation/divorce story than Casey ever got. Perfect.

[dovegrey]

  On 1/23/2020 at 9:56 PM, Dowel Jones said:

I did a quick search on paramedic salary in CFD.  Sorry, Foster, but if $50,000 (average) per year isn't enough for your own apartment, maybe you should look at your budget.

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Nearly everyone but Herrmann and (formerly) Kidd insists on living in massively expensive apartments/lofts. They're all dumping their paychecks into housing. 

But Foster probably has med school loans out the ass, so her $50K per year is in the wind. 

[iMonrey]

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 I see a Single Casey moving in with Brett and Foster. Leading up to him and Brett hooking up in time for Saint Gabby Sue to return at the end of the season pregnant with Dawsey child 

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STOP THAT.

Don't give them any ideas.

[Guildford]

  On 1/23/2020 at 10:23 PM, Josh371982 said:

I said repeatedly last night "WHY IS CRUZ LIVING WITH BRETT INSTEAD OF HIS FIANCE CHLOE?" Also with Kidd moving in with Severide and Cruz and Chloe living together after they are Married, I see a Single Casey moving in with Brett and Foster. Leading up to him and Brett hooking up in time for Saint Gabby Sue to return at the end of the season pregnant with Dawsey child 

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But by this stage they are figured out that Matt is infertile and can't father children so Gabby scuttles off back to PR to find another victim to pin it on.

[Josh371982]

  On 1/25/2020 at 12:14 AM, Guildford said:

But by this stage they are figured out that Matt is infertile and can't father children so Gabby scuttles off back to PR to find another victim to pin it on.

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LOL yes! But then I wouldn't mind if he had a baby with Brett down the line though just not with Gabby. So he can be free of her hopefully 

[Sake614]

While I agree about everyone seeming to live above their means, &50k/year in a high-tax city like Chicago likely comes out to about $30k take home. Find foster did say that her landlord wanted to raise her rent significantly, so I can believe she’s struggling. Add in her med school loans and other living expenses? She probably doesn’t have much left.

[spunky]

That little boy was so cute and ended up being more mature than two of the so called adults in the room. I loved his little get well soon card. His logic for getting the school in trouble was understandable. He just wanted the bullying to stop. The whole vacation storyline with Stella was just useless. They could have introduced us to Ritter’s boyfriend without all of that nonsense.

[WinJet0819]

  On 1/23/2020 at 10:23 PM, Josh371982 said:

I said repeatedly last night "WHY IS CRUZ LIVING WITH BRETT INSTEAD OF HIS FIANCE CHLOE?" Also with Kidd moving in with Severide and Cruz and Chloe living together after they are Married, I see a Single Casey moving in with Brett and Foster. Leading up to him and Brett hooking up in time for Saint Gabby Sue to return at the end of the season pregnant with Dawsey child 

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That's my question. For a guy who's engaged, he sure spends very little time with his woman. He's off for 48 hours, and he's spending the night at the apartment with his female roommate and Nick, instead of being with Chloe.Even for traditionalist who don't sleep with their fiancée before marriage, they should still see each other almost every day. She's hardly been mentioned since episode 5. The writers make it seem like he's still single, and then remember to have Brett throw in that Cruz is engaged to Chloe almost as an afterthought. If anything, instead of looking a for a new roommate, Cruz should be talling Sylvie he's looking to move out into a place for just him and Chloe. 

Let's also not forget that the lack of Chloe since episode 5 is probably due to the actress', Kristen Gutoskie, schedule. But if they can't show her, why even bring up this roommate storyline that highlights their living situation, that is highly implausible.

[dovegrey]

Nothing about the roommate situation made any sense for the characters, because the writers aren't writing based off character needs; they're forcing the characters to respond to dumb plots. In fact, the storylines are so disconnected from what the characters say they have going on, that I'm actually beginning to think the writers storyboard from a Madlib script, where all the blanks are drawn out of a hat or brainstormed in five seconds.

Such as: This week on Chicago Fire, [character name] [verb with details] because of [random scenario] that [character name] instigates; this results in a [adjective] [situation] that leaves [character] [verb-ing] if [character] will [verb with details]. Meanwhile, [character] and [character] have to deal with [random situation] that leads to [another random situation]. Elsewhere, [character name] and [character name] [verb] a [adjective] [situation] that results in [emotion or consequence] for both of them.

'Cause, look, I created that Madlib script, then outlined a typical stupid episode in about two minutes: This week on Chicago Fire, Casey burns the candle at both ends because of a new CFD captain test instigated by Gorsch; this results in a touchy situation that leaves Boden wondering if Casey will stay at 51. Meanwhile, Severide and Kidd have to deal with a parking situation that leads to animosity with their neighbors. Elsewhere, Foster and Brett deal with a dangerous call that results in shaken nerves for both of them. 

[SnarkySheep]

  On 1/23/2020 at 3:20 AM, dovegrey said:

Cruz is getting married soon, so now is a good time to get a new, non-Chloe roommate? Instead of Cruz and Brett and/or Cruz and Chloe talking about what the roommate arrangement will realistically look like once Cruz and Chloe move in together? (Also, Cruz was living alone with his ex-girlfriend...? Chloe's a saint.) (And, while I know that many people choose not to live together before marriage, I'm surprised Cruz and Chloe aren't.)

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Despite the length of time Cruz has been dating Chloe, we still know next to nothing about her. We have been given zero backstory...or even personality, really. She seems nice enough, but not really distinguished in any specific way.