S09.E01: Rattle Second City

[jewel21]

Firehouse 51 welcomes a new member to the team, whose presence could provide some complications. Brett's leadership shines during a scary call. Boden sees great potential in Kidd and proposes an idea that could have lasting repercussions.

Airdate: 11/11/2020

[Rabithed]

Anyone else yell “Hit the brakes, Brett?” She was fearless on that first call though  

 This episode felt disjointed and was a bit of a snooze fest

 

[mxc90]

Cruz couldn't see through the window and determine barging in would be a bad idea??! Also, the huffing and puffing wasn't a good look for him as being in somewhat decent shape is required for the job.

This show loves sending the paramedics to a house without police present. Had to laugh seeing the fool holding a gun to them all that time and then start chasing the ambulance (too bad Brett didn't hit the brakes and knock him over)! Brett placed a 10-1 and dispatch never sent police to the house? 

The show had an opportunity to drop the "Girls on Fire" storyline but kept it. Why? Hope the girl's parents tell Kidd "No way my daughter is going back now".

Surprised Mouch wasn't holding his nose or spraying air freshener when Herrmann walked out of the bathroom stall.

What's with Casey's hair? Dyed too dark or a bad hair piece?

So some time since last season and Casey and Brett are still in this phase? 

Not feeling Gianna. Already her sandwiches are greatest, Cruz role on the show is spend the entire episode to watch over her/act like a possessive lunatic as if she is so precious and Gallo melts when he is around her. 

Not one mention of Cruz's wife.

Severide is down and Boden sends no one to rush in and help (everyone else were changing air bottles? Total BS). "You have 2 minutes" is his order. Boden should be fired if they where hurt. 

Stella had no intention to help those trapped girls (she is lucky Mouch arrived). All she was worried about was Kelly. But if Boden said she is ready to be lieutenant, she is ready (who am I to argue)!

That ending! LOL. I don't think there was a scene where the fool didn't have the gun in his hand. He's probably lying there still holding on to it. I don't think the gun has any bullets. He kept teasing. Either shoot or go home!

[dovegrey]

Casey and Brett being dorks at Brett's apartment is the first time I really bought into Casey and Brett as a couple. They need to lose the quiet, repressed angst factor, though. I think it will only work if Brett lets herself dork out and Casey gets back his spark from the earlier seasons; this was a really good start. I'm actually interested to see where it goes.

Meanwhile, I've already had enough of Stellaride for the entire season. I said it last year when Kidd went to the leadership conference: I really wish she'd shy away from relying on her officer boyfriend to help her get ahead and, instead, go to Casey or Herrmann. Avoid the perception of impropriety, Kidd, at. all. costs. That also means to stop sitting in his lap while at work.

I don't mind the new paramedic. I'm glad it wasn't Violet. Cruz was ridiculous. And I didn't miss Foster.

Why did Kidd waste time, energy, and oxygen struggling to knock over the heavy statue, when her halligan was easily able to smash through the drywall? Good call, Kidd. 

Nice of the reporter to not wear a mask while interviewing Herrmann and Mouch, but then to put the mask on once everyone around her left. That's definitely how it works. Good call.

Boden is going to promote up. I thought they were going that way last year, and I wonder if Season 8 was originally supposed to end with Boden taking a deputy chief position and Kidd passing the lieutenant's exam. Casey's been captain long enough to somewhat feasibly promote up to batt chief, which would let Severide and Kidd get promotions - a little magical and unrealistic, but who cares at this point. The firehouse dynamics were stale last year and I still think they're stale; I'm kinda hoping it happens. 

Brett's storyline with the angry brother reminded me a lot of the storyline in season 3 with Mills pissing off the mob boss father of a kid who drowned. Not a bad thing. 

We'll see where season 9 goes. I think it's a shorter season, so the cast has a break before season 10?

[jewel21]

Nice to have the show back. I found Casey's new hair color distracting. I was also distracted by how all the actors were just hanging out and kissing and not wearing masks. I hope they're all being safe. 

I thought it was ridiculous that Brett finds her apartment door open and rather than call the police, she calls Casey. Like, seriously?

That ended killed me. I actually yelled "no" at my TV, heh. I know they're going to be fine but I still didn't want it to end. 

[Waterston Fan]

I'm not feeling this show right now.  Cruz was crazy ridiculous, what is up with him? 

Brother with the gun, how can you work with that on you anyways. 

Persistence may pay off but sometimes it can be a turn off as well and Stella was annoying. 

Would have made more sense to have the treasure near Molly's if it was possible but I wonder if someone told him where it was for sure. 

 

[FnkyChkn34]

OK, a couple things were really lazy writing, IMO, or purposeful writing but just stupid.  Not sure which...

Brett thinks a crazy guy with a gun has broken in to her apartment so she calls Casey, and not Burgess or 911?  Unarmed Casey, with the bad covid hair?  Lazy writing: just a poor way to get him to come over to her apartment and spend the night.

Brett needed to just slam on the brakes and let the guy fly right by.  She then pulls a U-turn and gets the f out of there.  Not hard, and what I think any person would have actually done in that situation?  Also, maybe it wouldn't be too difficult to get them some bulletproof glass?  Purposeful writing because they then needed to crash... but stupid.

And Herrmann burying the treasure right in front of the firehouse, and doing a TV interview right in front of the firehouse???  Come on.  That was the written to be stupid on purpose, I know, that was the whole point of the storyline... but it wasn't interesting or funny.  It was insulting to the characters, so now the audience really thinks that they are that dumb.

 

EDIT to add:  And which one wants off of the show?  Because promoting Kidd to Lieutenant makes way too many chefs in the kitchen, or whatever that phrase is.  Does she just stay as a Lieutenant under Captain Casey on the truck?  That's... dumb.  They are at the point where someone needs to be transferred to a different house, and it really needs to be Severide or Kidd because of their relationship, but if Severide leaves then the show might as well be over.

Edited November 12, 2020 by FnkyChkn34

[NJRadioGuy]

The Waterless Fire Department strikes again. Why are they always going in without a charged hose line? At least no Slammigan on the breach--conventional tool work, so...yay?

All those hot models and none of them swoon for a fireman after getting rescued? C'mon show, you're slipping!

If Stella was leadership material she'd ask for a transfer away from her probably-soon-to-be-fiancé.

WTF with that MAYDAY. Where's the Accountability (FAST) truck? If it's as small a job as it looked on arrival there'd still be a half dozen pieces of apparatus, going immediate to a second or third alarm once the pyro devices were made known. They should have had enough troops inside to get Severide out in seconds. Where was the rest of Squad for that matter?

Why the deck gun, and why so late? 81 should have had a monitor going from the top of the ladder, 61 needed 2 or 3 charged 2-1/2 lines—along with about 6 more engine companies and 3 or 4 more trucks.

[FnkyChkn34]

35 minutes ago, NJRadioGuy said:

The Waterless Fire Department strikes again. Why are they always going in without a charged hose line?

. . .

 

Why the deck gun, and why so late? 81 should have had a monitor going from the top of the ladder, 61 needed 2 or 3 charged 2-1/2 lines—along with about 6 more engine companies and 3 or 4 more trucks.

I'm not sure what a deck gun is, but my limited understanding is that you can't pour water on the fire when there are people - victims or firefighters - still inside?  So they couldn't take the lines in on the first sweep, and the truck couldn't be pouring water on from above, until they knew the building was empty?  I assume that is for multiple reasons, the least of which is not the smoke it would create, plus the weight of the water from above.  Herrmann seemed ready as soon as the order was given.

[dovegrey]

1 hour ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

EDIT to add:  And which one wants off of the show?  Because promoting Kidd to Lieutenant makes way too many chefs in the kitchen, or whatever that phrase is.  Does she just stay as a Lieutenant under Captain Casey on the truck?  That's... dumb.  They are at the point where someone needs to be transferred to a different house, and it really needs to be Severide or Kidd because of their relationship, but if Severide leaves then the show might as well be over.

Boden promoting would open a spot for Batt Chief Casey, which would open spots for Capt. Severide and Lt. Kidd. Dawson worked under Casey when he was captain in season 6 and they were married, so that’s somehow not a problem. I don’t get the sense Jesse Spencer wants a whole lot of heavy screen time these days and I could see this kind of big shift happen. 

I think the show could survive Casey OR Severide leaving but not both. The secondary leads aren’t that strong, and a lot of the weight Casey, Severide, and even Boden carry as leads come out of the older storylines when the show was strong and they actually had compelling stuff going on. Anyway, both actors are up for contract renewal this year. I think Eamonn Walker is too?

[NYCFree]

Isn’t Hermann a lieutenant as well? Or some kind of higher title? I don’t remember exactly what it is but there were a couple of story lines around that last year, like angst with Mouch and preparing for an inspection that didn’t happen.

[FnkyChkn34]

1 hour ago, NYCFree said:

Isn’t Hermann a lieutenant as well? Or some kind of higher title? I don’t remember exactly what it is but there were a couple of story lines around that last year, like angst with Mouch and preparing for an inspection that didn’t happen.

Yes, he is a Lieutenant too.  Boden is Battalion Chief, Casey is a Captain, and Severide and Herrmann are Lieutenants.  One of the stories last year or the year before was that there wasn't a place for Herrmann, until someone retired or quit on the truck that we never used to see.  So now they each run their own truck (squad, engine, and truck, but I only know which one squad is).  If Kidd also becomes a Lieutenant, there is no place for her unless someone leaves.

Edited November 12, 2020 by FnkyChkn34
fixed typo

[jabRI]

I knew that the 'treasure' was another one of hermann's get rich quick schemes that's going to come back to haunt him.  Burying it in front of the firehouse? lazy.  And what does 'free drinks for life' mean? A drink a day/week, or endless rounds on the house whenever you stroll in?  

[iMonrey]

Sure, Cruz has known the new paramedic since childhood and she's like a sister to him, to the extent that he's acting overly protective, even though we have never heard of her before. I doubt she or Sylvie are dead. They wouldn't introduce a new character and push her this hard just to kill her off. 

I couldn't figure out what was going on with her after the close call with the gunman. She was acting like it affected her more than she was willing to say, but then she was all flirty with Gallo. So was she shell shocked or not?

I got a kick out of the meta scene of Casey doing a bad Australian accent for Sylvie. (Y'all know Jesse Spencer is Australian, right?)

[preeya]

4 hours ago, jabRI said:

I knew that the 'treasure' was another one of hermann's get rich quick schemes that's going to come back to haunt him.  Burying it in front of the firehouse? lazy.  And what does 'free drinks for life' mean? A drink a day/week, or endless rounds on the house whenever you stroll in?  

This was so dumb it wasn't even funny. Did anyone not know the poem puzzle would be solved at warp speed?

It looks like we have a new version of the three stooges.

[WinJet0819]

7 hours ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

Yes, he is a Lieutenant too.  Boden is Battalion Chief, Casey is a Captain, and Severide and Herrmann are Lieutenants.  One of the stories last year or the year before was that there wasn't a place for Herrmann, until someone retired or quit on the truck that we never used to see.  So now they each run their own truck (squad, engine, and truck, but I only know which one squad is).  If Kidd also becomes a Lieutenant, there is no place for her unless someone leaves.

Exactly. And I don't see anyone leaving. If Stella gets the Lieutenant position, she's going to have to leave. Unless the writers become corny, and she chooses to turn down the promotion for her love of Severide to stay together in the same house. But going by what happened in the building fire, her leaving wouldn't be the worst thing. Her hesitating to help the victims because she was worried about Severide is something that just cannot happen, especially when every second counts in a fire. You can't keep a clear head to do your job properly if you're partly worried about your lover, and it can risk the lives of other people.

[dovegrey]

24 minutes ago, preeya said:

This was so dumb it wasn't even funny. Did anyone not know the poem puzzle would be solved at warp speed?

It looks like we have a new version of the three stooges.

Yeah, Ritter is basically Otis, for all intents and purposes.

And since around season 6, Herrmann has been written like he inhaled too much smoke and suffered brain damage, when he used to be a highly competent and respected senior firefighter with a hot head and a terrible sense for finances and business (aka, realistic). Cruz hasn't fared much better; I kinda miss the days when he was a serious character who murdered a gang leader by fire, became suicidal, nearly killed Mouch, and nearly cost Casey his career. That'd be nice again.

Everything is ham-fisted, right down to Boden having an epiphany after staring dumbfounded at two bumbling, overweight, disheveled white guys who represent CFD leadership.

[WinJet0819]

I found this episode to be trial of my patience. The writers couldn't be more obvious with all the Casey-Brett interactions. She comes back from a tough call, Matt's there to greet her with concern. She sees her door open, and instead of calling 911 or Burgess, she calls Matt, who is not a cop.

And Burgess even being involved is another example of lazy writing and misusing characters from the One Chicago universe. Intelligence members would not handle a suspicious guy with a gun, as it's not in their purview.  That would be something to contact patrol officers, or maybe a Narcotics detective.

The new paramedic, Gianna, is not even there for 5 minutes, and the writers are already trying to pair her with Gallo. I guess that means Violet is gone, and with it, any chance at another relationship that would be outside of Station 51. I would really hate for this show to morph into Station 19.

Severide and Stella bored me to tears, which has become the norm.

I guess Mouch, Hermann, and Ritter were there to provide the comedic relief?

 

[NJRadioGuy]

10 hours ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

I'm not sure what a deck gun is, but my limited understanding is that you can't pour water on the fire when there are people - victims or firefighters - still inside?  So they couldn't take the lines in on the first sweep, and the truck couldn't be pouring water on from above, until they knew the building was empty?  I assume that is for multiple reasons, the least of which is not the smoke it would create, plus the weight of the water from above.  Herrmann seemed ready as soon as the order was given.

The deck gun is the large "nozzle" like device mounted on the bed of the engine. Good for exterior attacks, and that's what was being set up after Severide got out. There are many schools of thought for using it. Some departments will hit the front of the fire building with the gun as they're connecting to the hydrant, others will never or almost never use it. And yes, it's generally not a good idea to use it with known trapped victims (steam burns are nasty), but when you have heavy fire upon arrival you need to get as much water on it as you can (by some schools of thought). 

Real-world, the first arriving engine lays one or two hand lines and prepare to make entry. Other members of the crew, or crew from the second due engine(s), will take the nearest hydrant to supply water to the first due engine. Engines have an internal 500 gallon tank (typically, some larger) so if orchestrated properly they can be ready with water as Truck goes in to search, and then the engineer will cut over from tank water to the hydrant once it's opened. Unless Truck arrives long before an Engine, no way the truckees are going in without an Engineman on the nozzle and a backup and the line charged with water. Good plan is two 2.5" lines going in or 1.75" for smaller jobs.

If a job is too dangerous either by being fully involved upon arrival or perhaps after a flashover or backdraft, roof and walls losing integrity, etc, the incident commander will pull everybody out and go defensive (exterior attack only, to contain it--surround and drown--and protect surrounding exposures). You'll see these on the news and they'll involve numerous tower ladders shooting water into the collapsed roof.

8 hours ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

Yes, he is a Lieutenant too.  Boden is Battalion Chief, Casey is a Captain, and Severide and Herrmann are Lieutenants.  One of the stories last year or the year before was that there wasn't a place for Herrmann, until someone retired or quit on the truck that we never used to see.  So now they each run their own truck (squad, engine, and truck, but I only know which one squad is).  If Kidd also becomes a Lieutenant, there is no place for her unless someone leaves.

51 is an engine (the machine that pumps water, supplies hoses, and is rarely seen on-screen. Hermann is the officer. 61 is a Truck company (also known in other departments an the aerial, ladder, or hook-and-ladder). Different type of vehicle entirely, equipped with a telescopic extension ladder ("the stick") that goes 8 to 10 stories up. They initiate searches, vent the roof, eject smoke, overhaul and have some rescue duties. Casey is the Captain (there would be other LTs on different platoons). Rescue 3 is a heavy rescue, one of only a small handful for the entire city. They'd do technical rescues, marine rescues, building collapses, etc, in real life, and may or may not be dispatched to simple building fires since their specialized skills probably wouldn't be needed, but could be needed elsewhere. Severide is the officer. Boden is a Battalion Chief and in reality would be responsible coordinating up to a half a dozen other firehouses and be the initial incident command at jobs until a division chief or other BCs arrive.

Edited November 13, 2020 by NJRadioGuy

[MsJamieDornan]

I dont have a clue why I watch this show. It's awful.

[Guildford]

9 hours ago, WinJet0819 said:

Exactly. And I don't see anyone leaving. If Stella gets the Lieutenant position, she's going to have to leave. Unless the writers become corny, and she chooses to turn down the promotion for her love of Severide to stay together in the same house. But going by what happened in the building fire, her leaving wouldn't be the worst thing. Her hesitating to help the victims because she was worried about Severide is something that just cannot happen, especially when every second counts in a fire. You can't keep a clear head to do your job properly if you're partly worried about your lover, and it can risk the lives of other people.

Which is the 2nd time this has happened. Remember she lost half her lung (or almost did, can't remember) because she had to save Severide & his magical swinging wang & in the process ran out of oxygen. (Two seasons ago perhaps). The whole firehouse then descended on the hospital en masse to harass & harangue the hapless Drs at Med.

Edited November 13, 2020 by Guildford
Just spelling

[dovegrey]

40 minutes ago, Guildford said:

Which is the 2nd time this has happened. Remember she lost half her lung (or almost did, can't remember) because she had to save Severide & his magical swinging wang & in the process ran out of oxygen. (Two seasons ago perhaps). The whole firehouse then descended on the hospital en masse to harass & harangue the hapless Drs at Med.

And then a few episodes later she jumped Casey for refusing to let her help save Severide from a chimney and then Casey had to take her to task about not being clearheaded about Severide. But now Casey lives with them both and only talks to Brett, so. 
 

[NJRadioGuy]

One thing about this being an ensemble show is that pieces are replaceable with cheaper pieces as the show ages. Casey, Severide, and Boden probably aren't going anywhere but the surrounding cast are all pretty much expendable. So I fully expect at least one officer to transfer out now that a main cast member is at officer rank on each piece of apparatus (Engine, Truck, and Squad), plus a B/C. Stella will have nowhere to go as an LT if she stays in the house. I sincerely hope they don't put the LT and the Captain of the truck on the same platoon, which would be ridiculous. IRL after you pass a promotion exam you'll eventually get moved to a new house/company as openings become available (when a Truck lieutenant retires, a new LT from the promotion list—who's qualified on Truck—gets the job).

I like Kidd and Severide as a couple, even though they don't sizzle on screen. But there's no way in hell they should be working together in the same house, or on the same shifts. The problem is how to keep them both on the show if nothing else gives.

15 hours ago, dovegrey said:

Cruz hasn't fared much better; I kinda miss the days when he was a serious character who murdered a gang leader by fire

I have never been able to stand Cruz since that incident, which I would consider first degree murder. Yeah, the gang leader needed killing, but not like that. Cruz should have paid for that with his own life in a fire later that season in true dramatic fashion. 

[dovegrey]

5 hours ago, NJRadioGuy said:

One thing about this being an ensemble show is that pieces are replaceable with cheaper pieces as the show ages. Casey, Severide, and Boden probably aren't going anywhere but the surrounding cast are all pretty much expendable. So I fully expect at least one officer to transfer out now that a main cast member is at officer rank on each piece of apparatus (Engine, Truck, and Squad), plus a B/C. Stella will have nowhere to go as an LT if she stays in the house. I sincerely hope they don't put the LT and the Captain of the truck on the same platoon, which would be ridiculous. IRL after you pass a promotion exam you'll eventually get moved to a new house/company as openings become available (when a Truck lieutenant retires, a new LT from the promotion list—who's qualified on Truck—gets the job).

I like Kidd and Severide as a couple, even though they don't sizzle on screen. But there's no way in hell they should be working together in the same house, or on the same shifts. The problem is how to keep them both on the show if nothing else gives.

I have never been able to stand Cruz since that incident, which I would consider first degree murder. Yeah, the gang leader needed killing, but not like that. Cruz should have paid for that with his own life in a fire later that season in true dramatic fashion. 

With Stellaride staying in the same house - Casey and Dawson did it first, which is why I don't think these writers will make a big deal about Kidd and Severide staying in the same house, even if they get married. The show was a lot better about hanging a lantern on the wild inappropriateness of Casey and Dawson (she was his candidate; he was her lieutenant; they were on the same rig; etc), and a big deal was often made about it, which made it more acceptable, IMO. The writers are treating Stellaride as perfectly, aw-shucks acceptable, and it's skeevy.

With Cruz - for sure, totally agree. I'd just rather have episodes that generate that sort of discussion about characters versus episodes that generate discussions that are more often about whether Herrmann, Mouch, or Cruz was the most ridiculous or infantile any given week. (I'm a broken record on this, and, despite how much I've tried to stop watching this show, I think it's one that I love but don't like.)

[NJRadioGuy]

39 minutes ago, dovegrey said:

With Stellaride staying in the same house - Casey and Dawson did it first, which is why I don't think these writers will make a big deal about Kidd and Severide staying in the same house, even if they get married. The show was a lot better about hanging a lantern on the wild inappropriateness of Casey and Dawson (she was his candidate; he was her lieutenant; they were on the same rig; etc), and a big deal was often made about it, which made it more acceptable, IMO. The writers are treating Stellaride as perfectly, aw-shucks acceptable, and it's skeevy.

That inappropriateness of candidate vs superior was inexcusable, but it did make for network TV storylines that could be cranked out in no time flat. This one has the potential for drama, sure, but here it's a very real plot problem of what to do with the character after making her promotion a major plot point for a portion of the season. So she earns her bugle...what do you do with an extra officer in a station that's got all the officers it needs. All I can think of is that Hermann is on the way out of the show (or he gets demoted or whatever) and she takes over Engine. Or she becomes a part-timer, and we only see her in cameos when she leads another company against 51 (since only 51 can be good guys), or as Mrs. Severide...which obviously won't happen.

If the storyline of "Stella gets a promotion" put her in line for a specialist job (maybe a Hazmat specialist for the station, or something they make up entirely out of whole cloth for the show) then I think it would be workable. But unless a current cast member vacates a position, I can't see where an extra LT fits in.

39 minutes ago, dovegrey said:

...whether Herrmann, Mouch, or Cruz was the most ridiculous or infantile any given week. (I'm a broken record on this, and, despite how much I've tried to stop watching this show, I think it's one that I love but don't like.)

Sometimes they're funny but more often than not, cringeworthy. But look back 45 years to Emergency! and Chet Kelley. He wasn't any better, and that's putting it mildly. I wore out my fast-forward button on those horrible C-plots when I binged through all 7 seasons of that show in 2018.

[dovegrey]

24 minutes ago, NJRadioGuy said:

That inappropriateness of candidate vs superior was inexcusable, but it did make for network TV storylines that could be cranked out in no time flat. This one has the potential for drama, sure, but here it's a very real plot problem of what to do with the character after making her promotion a major plot point for a portion of the season. So she earns her bugle...what do you do with an extra officer in a station that's got all the officers it needs. All I can think of is that Hermann is on the way out of the show (or he gets demoted or whatever) and she takes over Engine. Or she becomes a part-timer, and we only see her in cameos when she leads another company against 51 (since only 51 can be good guys), or as Mrs. Severide...which obviously won't happen.

If the storyline of "Stella gets a promotion" put her in line for a specialist job (maybe a Hazmat specialist for the station, or something they make up entirely out of whole cloth for the show) then I think it would be workable. But unless a current cast member vacates a position, I can't see where an extra LT fits in.

Sometimes they're funny but more often than not, cringeworthy. But look back 45 years to Emergency! and Chet Kelley. He wasn't any better, and that's putting it mildly. I wore out my fast-forward button on those horrible C-plots when I binged through all 7 seasons of that show in 2018.

I think Boden could promote up (he wanted to in season 6) and become recurring like Grissom (and Casey becomes batt chief - not entirely realistic but it could work - which opens up Truck). That would barely change what Eamonn Walker does now. Or, I could see Jesse Spencer leaving entirely; Casey has nothing to do for going on three years now. Or I could see David Eigenberg/Herrmann leaving. I’m really, really curious what the original season 8 finale was supposed to be, as Kidd-gets-promoted was a season 8 storyline and I think we’re seeing what would have been part of the last 3-4 episodes of season 8. (I have no spoilers.)

I guess I’m saying I miss the original tone of the show, when the C plots weren’t always super funny or substantive, but they weren’t as silly or useless, either. These characters are capable of a lot more stories, and it’s a gigantic waste of talent, cast camaraderie and chemistry, and even success of the show/franchise. I’m tired of storylines that only consistently and dramatically focus on Severide, Kidd, and/or Brett when there are 12 main characters in this “ensemble.” 🙂 

[WinJet0819]

1 hour ago, dovegrey said:

With Stellaride staying in the same house - Casey and Dawson did it first, which is why I don't think these writers will make a big deal about Kidd and Severide staying in the same house, even if they get married. The show was a lot better about hanging a lantern on the wild inappropriateness of Casey and Dawson (she was his candidate; he was her lieutenant; they were on the same rig; etc), and a big deal was often made about it, which made it more acceptable, IMO. The writers are treating Stellaride as perfectly, aw-shucks acceptable, and it's skeevy.

With Cruz - for sure, totally agree. I'd just rather have episodes that generate that sort of discussion about characters versus episodes that generate discussions that are more often about whether Herrmann, Mouch, or Cruz was the most ridiculous or infantile any given week. (I'm a broken record on this, and, despite how much I've tried to stop watching this show, I think it's one that I love but don't like.)

Casey and Dawson only stayed at the same house due to the writers killing off Shay, which garnered sympathy to having Dawson stay to keep the house together. Prior to that, Boden was all about following procedure and shut down any idea of Dawson staying at the house and work under her boyfriend. In this case, as NJRadioGuy has stated, if they're going to pursue Stella going for Lieutenant, it's a plot problem, as there's no place to put her at the house. Casey is Captain on Truck, Severide is Lt. on Squad, and Hermann is Lt. on Engine. And if Boden wants her to show her leadership qualities, there's no way to do that at House 51, unless somebody is leaving or is killed.

[dovegrey]

21 minutes ago, WinJet0819 said:

Casey and Dawson only stayed at the same house due to the writers killing off Shay, which garnered sympathy to having Dawson stay to keep the house together. Prior to that, Boden was all about following procedure and shut down any idea of Dawson staying at the house and work under her boyfriend. In this case, as NJRadioGuy has stated, if they're going to pursue Stella going for Lieutenant, it's a plot problem, as there's no place to put her at the house. Casey is Captain on Truck, Severide is Lt. on Squad, and Hermann is Lt. on Engine. And if Boden wants her to show her leadership qualities, there's no way to do that at House 51, unless somebody is leaving or is killed.

Yeah, I've talked about the officer situation and possible plots and personnel changes about four times in this thread alone. Whether or not Derek Haas understands CFD officer structure is another matter entirely. 

The impact of Kidd and Severide being in a relationship while working together stands regardless of her rank, or even his rank, or anyone's rank. It's impacted her work multiple times since season 7 alone. It's a separate conversation, IMO, beyond Boden mistaking leadership potential in someone who very clearly hesitated to save two civilians because her boyfriend's PASS was going off. And, regardless of why Dawson was allowed to serve on Truck 81 with Casey, it happened, it's precedent, and the writers aren't even trying to address the issues with Kidd and Severide. (And Brett and Casey, for that matter. We'll see how Casey reacts next week to 61 crashing off a bridge.)

I need to bring my expectations down about twenty notches.

[Guildford]

11 minutes ago, dovegrey said:

Yeah, I've talked about the officer situation and possible plots and personnel changes about four times in this thread alone. Whether or not Derek Haas understands CFD officer structure is another matter entirely. 

The impact of Kidd and Severide being in a relationship while working together stands regardless of her rank, or even his rank, or anyone's rank. It's impacted her work multiple times since season 7 alone. It's a separate conversation, IMO, beyond Boden mistaking leadership potential in someone who very clearly hesitated to save two civilians because her boyfriend's PASS was going off. And, regardless of why Dawson was allowed to serve on Truck 81 with Casey, it happened, it's precedent, and the writers aren't even trying to address the issues with Kidd and Severide. (And Brett and Casey, for that matter. We'll see how Casey reacts next week to 61 crashing off a bridge.)

I need to bring my expectations down about twenty notches.

I have to say I am really disappointed with that side of Stella's character developement (or devolvement) When she came she was a strong independent no nonsense firefighter...and they turned her into a bit of a simpering idiot over Severide. It's a disservice to her character & female characters in general when as soon as they become involved with a 'work colleague' they cease to be able to function rationally and logically. It's so nice that the writers keep reinforcing the well ingrained perceptions that women can't function when their man is hurt, can't have a career and children, have to be bitchy to be badass, or go full on batshit crazy when they get rejected. The misogyny of the OneChicago world is alive and well.

[WinJet0819]

3 hours ago, Guildford said:

I have to say I am really disappointed with that side of Stella's character developement (or devolvement) When she came she was a strong independent no nonsense firefighter...and they turned her into a bit of a simpering idiot over Severide. It's a disservice to her character & female characters in general when as soon as they become involved with a 'work colleague' they cease to be able to function rationally and logically. It's so nice that the writers keep reinforcing the well ingrained perceptions that women can't function when their man is hurt, can't have a career and children, have to be bitchy to be badass, or go full on batshit crazy when they get rejected. The misogyny of the OneChicago world is alive and well.

100% agree. I hate what they've turned her into. I mentioned it last year when she needed to have Severide give reassurance that she could succeed at the officer's camp. She was refreshing when she first came onto the show because she was the opposite of Gabby. She did her job as a firefighter with no drama, was confident in her abilities, and was really just one of the guys. And then as soon as they put her with Severide, she's reliant on him to give her encouragement. She's constantly going into Severide's quarters for every worry or concern she has. And it's sad. I would like to see strong women characters who are self-reliant and confident in their abilities. And that's constantly ruined by the writers' need to keep pairing them up. The new paramedic is not even on the show five minutes, and they're already trying to create another in-house relationship between her and Gallo. I swear that it seems this show is trying to become more and more like Station 19.

It's the same thing I say about the Chris Alonso character in SWAT, who is the only woman on the team and is kick-ass.

It's why I wonder how Dick Wolf has allowed this. His shows were good without needing the relationship drama. He had one of the best TV partnerships ever in Benson and Stabler, and he NEVER considered putting them in a romantic relationship. It allowed the character of Olivia Benson to shine as a strong, self-confident independent woman. And he completely throws that away in the One Chicago shows.

[NJRadioGuy]

5 hours ago, dovegrey said:

...leadership potential in someone who very clearly hesitated to save two civilians because her boyfriend's PASS was going off.

Classic trolley problem situation. Boyfriend or not, a brother's down and in mortal danger vs two civilians in mortal danger. There's only one you with no cavalry able to come in time. You don't know the civilians; you know and respect the colleague, and in this case have a romantic relationship with him, which could still happen if you are stationed in two different houses, or you're a spare board floater and happen to get toned-out to the job by fate.

Policy may say you go after the civilians. The trapped colleague would probably insist on it if he knew. But basic instinct and human nature may well countermand that. I just can't snark on Kidd for that decision or question her judgement. If you're Kidd and you go after the civilians only to see them find an exit on their own or they realize they're going the wrong way and can make it out; you go back and find your colleague burned up, could you live with that? Could your fellow FFs? Double that if he was your romantic interest. You know for a fact your colleague will die horribly if you don't act. You do not know with 100% certainty that the civilians will perish.

Forget the romantic aspect; if that colleague dies your career is over. Nobody would ever want to work with you again. Nobody would trust their back to you. Not to mention the lifelong nightmares, second-guessing every decision for the rest of your life, years in therapy, PTSD, etc. If the civilians die it's a horrible tragedy, you'll probably still have nightmares and PTSD, but your brothers and sisters on the job will support you and have your back (not to mention your money won't be any good in bars for a very long time).

Sure, you'll carry the names and faces of those two civilians in the dark recesses of your mind, but they'll go in there along with the MVA victims your team couldn't get out of the crash, the baby who died in your arms after her mother OD'd and lit up the apartment by accident, the homeless guy that froze to death on Christmas Eve outside the bar where stockbrokers were spending their bonuses on hookers and blow, and the countless others that you couldn't get to in time.

Edited November 14, 2020 by NJRadioGuy

[greyhorse]

On 11/11/2020 at 9:19 PM, jewel21 said:

I thought it was ridiculous that Brett finds her apartment door open and rather than call the police, she calls Casey. Like, seriously?

Exactly.  And let's say it took Casey even 15 minutes to get there.  You're going to sit outside the open front door quietly until he arrives?  Uh no, you're going to run and get the heck out of your building and call the police.  And Casey going in?  It's not like he had a gun or even a baseball bat.  What would he have done if he encountered the brother with the gun?

On 11/12/2020 at 9:04 AM, NYCFree said:

Isn’t Hermann a lieutenant as well? Or some kind of higher title? I don’t remember exactly what it is but there were a couple of story lines around that last year, like angst with Mouch and preparing for an inspection that didn’t happen.

Yes, Hermann became a lieutenant and all of a sudden we saw Engine.  I suppose there was an Engine in the house all along but we just never saw it.  Convenient.

The buried treasure ripped from the headlines was so idiotic.  What was the point?  And there should have been some stipulation about free drinks.  Well drinks?  Beers on tap?  Or are we talking top-shelf mixed drinks whenever the heck you want.  And are you allowed to order one and hand it off to somebody else?  More clarification needed but I guess it's such a stupid storyline that it just doesn't matter. 

Cruz is supposed to be the overprotective big brother for Gianna.  But it's not like they're related.  She's a grown woman.  I guess Violet is gone and that's too bad because I liked the playful banter she had with Gallo.

 

[WinJet0819]

32 minutes ago, NJRadioGuy said:

Classic trolley problem situation. Boyfriend or not, a brother's down and in mortal danger vs two civilians in mortal danger. There's only one you with no cavalry able to come in time. You don't know the civilians; you know and respect the colleague, and in this case have a romantic relationship with him, which could still happen if you are stationed in two different houses, or you're a spare board floater and happen to get toned-out to the job by fate.

Policy may say you go after the civilians. The trapped colleague would probably insist on it if he knew. But basic instinct and human nature may well countermand that. I just can't snark on Kidd for that decision or question her judgement. If you're Kidd and you go after the civilians only to see them find an exit on their own or they realize they're going the wrong way and can make it out; you go back and find your colleague burned up, could you live with that? Could your fellow FFs? Double that if he was your romantic interest. You know for a fact your colleague will die horribly if you don't act. You do not know with 100% certainty that the civilians will perish.

Forget the romantic aspect; if that colleague dies your career is over. Nobody would ever want to work with you again. Nobody would trust their back to you. Not to mention the lifelong nightmares, second-guessing every decision for the rest of your life, years in therapy, PTSD, etc. If the civilians die it's a horrible tragedy, you'll probably still have nightmares and PTSD, but your brothers and sisters on the job will support you and have your back (not to mention your money won't be any good in bars for a very long time).

Sure, you'll carry the names and faces of those two civilians in the dark recesses of your mind, but they'll go in there along with the MVA victims your team couldn't get out of the crash, the baby who died in your arms after her mother OD'd and lit up the apartment by accident, the homeless guy that froze to death on Christmas Eve outside the bar where stockbrokers were spending their bonuses on hookers and blow, and the countless others that you couldn't get to in time.

This is the third time in 3 seasons where Stella has done this. She almost got irreparable lung damage because she stayed giving Severide hose support, well after her air had run out and didn't report it. When Severide was trapped in a house, she was willing to leave Otis on his own to carry an unconscious victim because she wanted to stay by Severide's side. That's a clear breach of the buddy system. And now this one, where she hesitated to save victims because Severide's pass was going off. That simply cannot happen. That's why having two romantically involved people in the same firehouse is strictly prohibited. You have to have a clear frame of mind, and it's just not possible when your worry over your significant other overrides your proper decision making in a fire. It puts everyone else at risk.

[dovegrey]

6 hours ago, WinJet0819 said:

This is the third time in 3 seasons where Stella has done this. She almost got irreparable lung damage because she stayed giving Severide hose support, well after her air had run out and didn't report it. When Severide was trapped in a house, she was willing to leave Otis on his own to carry an unconscious victim because she wanted to stay by Severide's side. That's a clear breach of the buddy system. And now this one, where she hesitated to save victims because Severide's pass was going off. That simply cannot happen. That's why having two romantically involved people in the same firehouse is strictly prohibited. You have to have a clear frame of mind, and it's just not possible when your worry over your significant other overrides your proper decision making in a fire. It puts everyone else at risk.

Haha, I agree with both of you. The fire scene in this episode was not well done and I agree with others upthread that it didn’t make sense that Kidd was the ONLY ONE able to save Severide. I saw it as her hesitating to save civilians when it was not a true forced choice between a fellow FF dying or two civilians being left to burn alive. (I imagine her career would be done either way, once families sue the living hell out of the CFD for Kidd choosing boyfriend over duty. And yeah that gets into discussion of to whom FFs owe duty.) For instance, when Casey went down in season 2, the structure was 100% involved and was collapsing when Boden and others ran in to get him. This fire was not nearly at that level yet. If it had been a situation where she and Severide were the last two in a catastrophic situation, it wouldn’t bug so much, because any of them would hesitate in that situation. But they weren’t in that situation, at least how it was staged onscreen.

And it is a frequent occurrence now with Kidd, which adds injury to the insult. I will give credit to Dawsey for this kind of stuff never happening when Dawson was on 81, IIRC. (Not trying to open that can of worms but those two kept decent boundaries at incident scenes.)

[NJRadioGuy]

11 hours ago, WinJet0819 said:

 That's why having two romantically involved people in the same firehouse is strictly prohibited. You have to have a clear frame of mind, and it's just not possible when your worry over your significant other overrides your proper decision making in a fire. It puts everyone else at risk.

Couldn't agree more. They shouldn't be in the same house or on the same shift. Her judgement is clearly compromised. Not saying in this case she made the wrong call, but the pattern has been established. 

[NJRadioGuy]

On 11/14/2020 at 1:26 AM, greyhorse said:

I suppose there was an Engine in the house all along but we just never saw it.  Convenient.

Yep, there was. We still only see Hermann and his Probie, Ritter, with speaking lines. And they still never have water in time. I'm pretty sure I read that the background actors on Engine 51 are actual CFD firefighters. That house is the real-world home to CFD Engine 18, so I'm guessing it's some of their off-duty personnel?

And speaking of which, regarding Rescue 3. We know Severide is the officer, Capp, and Cruz are firefighter/specialists on the crew but there's a fourth man on the crew that we never really see much of and who almost never has speaking lines. He's the driver, Tony Ferraris, who is the actual operator for real-life Squad 2 on the north side.

"Station 51" should never have been an engine-centric house on the show since E51 is never really featured in the plot and they haven't learned how to put the wet stuff on the red stuff 9 times out of 10. The cast is already too big, and having another 4 or 5 team members getting their own stories just wouldn't work. T81, R3, A61, and B25 are the stars.

[AnnA]

I find Stella incredibly annoying and after reading this thread, it looks like I'm not the only one.   I agree with those of you who said it's inappropriate for her to repeatedly park herself on Kelly's lap at work.    

[dovegrey]

56 minutes ago, AnnA said:

I find Stella incredibly annoying and after reading this thread, it looks like I'm not the only one.   I agree with those of you who said it's inappropriate for her to repeatedly park herself on Kelly's lap at work.    

I used to really like Kidd. I don’t like that they’re writing her as constantly needing Severide’s approval in order to be calm and confident, and then ending most of the scenes with lap sitting and kissing. Beyond that, I’ve been trying to figure out why this storyline with Kidd and Severide bugs me so much.

Severide has consistently been depicted as a hands-off officer, one who very rarely steps in to help develop other firefighters.  Multiple times, Severide has responded with something like “why are you talking to me?” when firefighters at 51 asked him for mentorship/help. This isn’t just an earlier-seasons thing; Severide exclusively sticks to Squad, and, even then, he often refuses to train/professionally support his people (Kannell at the end of season 5 comes to mind; in season 7, Cruz being absolutely shocked that Severide showed up to Cruz’s medal ceremony).

If any other firefighter at 51 were to come to Severide for help passing the lieutenant’s exam, he would look at them as if they'd grown a second head. No way would he help develop Ritter, or Gallo, or even Otis when Otis was alive. But since it’s someone he’s rolling around in bed with, he’s all sweet and supportive and “you know I’m always here for you” about it. It’s skeevy nepotism, and then she sits in his lap for smoochies.

[juliet73]

On 11/12/2020 at 5:49 PM, iMonrey said:

I got a kick out of the meta scene of Casey doing a bad Australian accent for Sylvie. (Y'all know Jesse Spencer is Australian, right?)

I wish he would have talked with his real Australian accent and have Sylvie make fun of it for being "the worst" she ever heard.

[FnkyChkn34]

On 11/15/2020 at 8:05 PM, AnnA said:

I find Stella incredibly annoying and after reading this thread, it looks like I'm not the only one.   I agree with those of you who said it's inappropriate for her to repeatedly park herself on Kelly's lap at work.    

At this point, I don't actually have a problem with it.  Their relationship has clearly been CFD approved, everyone knows about it, and they seem to only show them in those intimate moments in the privacy of Severide's own officer quarters.  He doesn't even share with Casey anymore because Casey got Captain's quarters, right?  So honestly, they aren't bothering anyone.  And... it's just a TV show. 😉 

[NJRadioGuy]

2 minutes ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

At this point, I don't actually have a problem with it.  Their relationship has clearly been CFD approved, everyone knows about it, and they seem to only show them in those intimate moments in the privacy of Severide's own officer quarters.  He doesn't even share with Casey anymore because Casey got Captain's quarters, right?  So honestly, they aren't bothering anyone.  And... it's just a TV show. 😉 

I get that you have to intermix relationships and work on the show, although I still don't like it. I like them as a couple, but to do this kind of stuff in the House is every shade of wrong.

[FnkyChkn34]

4 hours ago, NJRadioGuy said:

I get that you have to intermix relationships and work on the show, although I still don't like it. I like them as a couple, but to do this kind of stuff in the House is every shade of wrong.

In real life, absolutely.  In a fictional TV show?  Meh. 😉 

It would happen all the time in real life in an office situation though.  People date their coworkers all the time. 

[Brookside]

On 11/12/2020 at 7:20 AM, NJRadioGuy said:

 

If Stella was leadership material she'd ask for a transfer away from her probably-soon-to-be-fiancé.

.

If Stella were leadership material she'd know that her PDAs at the firehouse with Severide are entirely inappropriate.  And as her superior, Severide should know better, but he's always been led by his dick or his ego.  Casey should have sat down with them separately (at work) and told them there would be consequences if he saw or heard of any further incidences.  And then follow through.

But since this is TV that will never happen.

 

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by Brookside

[Dowel Jones]

On 11/12/2020 at 5:18 PM, preeya said:

This was so dumb it wasn't even funny. Did anyone not know the poem puzzle would be solved at warp speed?

That actually happened in a city where I used to live.  A Chico, CA radio station did a similar promotion (not free drinks, though), with weekly clues to the location.  Some office worker looked out her window two weeks into the contest and made a connection with what she saw, walked over to the location, and found the 'treasure'.  If I recall, it was mostly local business prizes and low level stuff, but it was funny.

Quote

Sure, you'll carry the names and faces of those two civilians in the dark recesses of your mind, but they'll go in there along with the MVA victims your team couldn't get out of the crash, the baby who died in your arms after her mother OD'd and lit up the apartment by accident, the homeless guy that froze to death on Christmas Eve outside the bar where stockbrokers were spending their bonuses on hookers and blow, and the countless others that you couldn't get to in time.

Stop giving the writers ideas!  LOL

Edited November 22, 2020 by Dowel Jones
More stuff

[JustBecause]

On 11/14/2020 at 1:00 AM, NJRadioGuy said:

Classic trolley problem situation. Boyfriend or not, a brother's down and in mortal danger vs two civilians in mortal danger. There's only one you with no cavalry able to come in time. You don't know the civilians; you know and respect the colleague, and in this case have a romantic relationship with him, which could still happen if you are stationed in two different houses, or you're a spare board floater and happen to get toned-out to the job by fate.

Policy may say you go after the civilians. The trapped colleague would probably insist on it if he knew. But basic instinct and human nature may well countermand that. I just can't snark on Kidd for that decision or question her judgement. If you're Kidd and you go after the civilians only to see them find an exit on their own or they realize they're going the wrong way and can make it out; you go back and find your colleague burned up, could you live with that? Could your fellow FFs? Double that if he was your romantic interest. You know for a fact your colleague will die horribly if you don't act. You do not know with 100% certainty that the civilians will perish.

Forget the romantic aspect; if that colleague dies your career is over. Nobody would ever want to work with you again. Nobody would trust their back to you. Not to mention the lifelong nightmares, second-guessing every decision for the rest of your life, years in therapy, PTSD, etc. If the civilians die it's a horrible tragedy, you'll probably still have nightmares and PTSD, but your brothers and sisters on the job will support you and have your back (not to mention your money won't be any good in bars for a very long time).

Sure, you'll carry the names and faces of those two civilians in the dark recesses of your mind, but they'll go in there along with the MVA victims your team couldn't get out of the crash, the baby who died in your arms after her mother OD'd and lit up the apartment by accident, the homeless guy that froze to death on Christmas Eve outside the bar where stockbrokers were spending their bonuses on hookers and blow, and the countless others that you couldn't get to in time.

Disagree. You save the civilians 100% of the time. You don't become a firefighter to save your colleagues; you become one to serve and protect the public.

And regrading the bolded, a true firefighter would respect you for saving lives regardless of who they are (or at least I'd hope so because if not, then I'd be glad to sacrifice them for a civilian lol)

[FnkyChkn34]

On 11/21/2020 at 3:59 AM, Brookside said:

If Stella were leadership material she'd know that her PDAs at the firehouse with Severide are entirely inappropriate.  And as her superior, Severide should know better, but he's always been led by his dick or his ego.  Casey should have sat down with them separately (at work) and told them there would be consequences if he saw or heard of any further incidences.  And then follow through.

But since this is TV that will never happen.

 

 

LOL, sorry... but why Casey?  Just because he's Captain?  He has no room to talk.  He and Dawson were just as guilty.

[SnarkySheep]

On 11/11/2020 at 10:27 PM, mxc90 said:

The show had an opportunity to drop the "Girls on Fire" storyline but kept it. Why? 

IMO they are trying super hard to push the female firefighter angle, and bonus points if the female is a woman of color. I have no issue with this as a general concept, except that when it happens on this show, they tend to make the character some kind of superhero, beloved by all and unable to do anything that isn't a huge success. It's what happened with Gabby, and now with Stella. Literally everyone who interacts with either of these women is left with their jaw hanging down in wonder, eyes glistening with tears as their lives change 10000% because Gabby or Stella graced their lives with a moment of attention.