S10.E05: Two Hundred

[jewel21]

Quote

Casey makes a life-altering decision. Gallo, Ritter and Violet agree to an interview and photo shoot. Brett and Mouch launch the paramedicine program. Cruz comes closer to fatherhood.

Airdate: 10/20/2021

[FnkyChkn34]

So, just from the description... firefighters on the 200th episode of a firefighting show are not going to fight any fires?  Ok... ugh.

[SonofaBiscuit]

Wow, that suuuucks. Didn’t think Casey was actually leaving since it all felt rushed and not at all a proper send-off for an actor who has been on the show for ten seasons. I kept waiting for the foster parent thing to fall through, or the kids to show up in Chicago, or a three year flash forward, or whatever.  The way they apparently aged the kids up so Casey only has to move for three years could mean we are jumping ahead three years, I guess. (Now watch someone link to a Jesse Spencer exit interview, LOL). Just a crap send-off, IMO. Boo!!

[dovegrey]

Holy shit, he actually did it. Altogether, Casey (or Jesse Spencer?) seemed happier in this episode than he’s been in a long time. Good for him.

I’m disappointed we didn’t see Casey tell Boden, but I liked their scene together in Casey’s office. I loved the quick scene with Gallo after the car accident call. I’m surprised there was nothing with Casey and Severide until near the end. And I’m disappointed they didn’t have a talk about Darden and the boys, since that was a huge point of contention for them in the first three seasons.

They did a nice job of setting Casey up to be accepted by 51 as their new chief, so it’s kind of disappointing it seems he won’t be taking an officer position after 10+ years as an officer in what I understand is the country’s most respected and prepared fire departments; that experience usually transfers, though I suppose it was explained by him transitioning to fighting forest fires.

I wonder if Brett will leave the CFD after the 6 month paramedicine pilot program ends; she sort of hinted at that. That would pretty much put them at the end of the season, and Kara’s been on the show for a long time, too.

Kidd’s actor missed filming for last’s week episode and now the Big Episode 200. Sure, that seems normal?

Other random thoughts as I watched:

I was worried they were going to have the cat have died a terrible death. I kept remembering when Casey told Brett that cats usually make it. Ugh. Nope. Nope nope.

When have we ever seen a deputy district chief respond to a fire, when it wasn’t about 51 being disbanded, de-batt-chiefed, or someone getting in trouble? Look, if Boden doesn’t want to leave 51, then he shouldn’t have promoted. How silly. (And what a giant misrepresentation of actual officer roles… As a DDC, Boden is finally acting like a battalion chief but he still wants to act like a captain.)

When Donna went into labor, they didn’t take all the rigs out of service. 81, 51, and 61 stayed behind (okay, 61 got kidnapped by a mob guy, but still). Cruz isn’t that important a character, c'mon. But that was a nice (unsurprising) callback to Otis.

Don’t come back, Casey. Be free from this show, and enjoy the Pacific Northwest and fatherhood. I just wish I’d seen him sell that truck he’s had since at least 2012. And I wish he'd had one last scene with him putting his radio in Truck 81 for the next shift. Ah, well.

[dovegrey]

6 minutes ago, SonofaBiscuit said:

The way they apparently aged the kids up so Casey only has to move for three years could mean we are jumping ahead three years, I guess. (Now watch someone link to a Jesse Spencer exit interview, LOL). Just a crap send-off, IMO. Boo!!

They aged the kids down. Griffin was supposed to be 19-20 using his season 2 age. He's now something like 15, based on him saying he was 6 when Andy died in September 2012. The writers retconned this Darden kids exit and aged them down to make the foster situation happen.

At least he wasn't killed off, right? :-)

[Crs97]

I loved Trudy commandeering the bar and planning to find that party bus.  Nice crossover there.

I’m glad they didn’t kill off Casey.  Not surprised it was pretty low key, and it totally fits his character to move across country to help out a friend’s kids.  I think unfortunately we will now have Brett’s drama of a potential relationship with her chief.  They were pushing it pretty hard last week.  I wouldn’t mind a Carol/Doug/ER -esque reunion whenever she decides to leave the show.

[DanaK]

10 seasons is a long time for any cast member of a show. Good for Jesse for leaving because it felt right

[iMonrey]

Huh. So they actually wrote off Casey. Bright side, at least now the rabid Casey and Gabby fans on Twitter won't be dictating the storylines.

I'll give credit where credit is due, this show really does accident scenes well. That tire spinning in front of that lady's face? Wow.

Not so with all rescue scenes. I don't get how this para medicine thing is supposed to work. Mouch and Brett run this thing off shift? Do they get paid? I thought the idea was to take resources away from non-emergency calls. Is it that they go see all these people off shift so they don't call 911 during their shift? Because someone is always on shift.

They go to see Joan, and are immediately alerted that something is wrong because her door is wide open. But then she's just collapsed from taking the wrong medication. So why was her door open? Did she open her door then go collapse in the living room?

I didn't even remember Chloe's name until they said it, we never even saw her during Cruz's big PTSD storyline. Now she has the baby and they shut down the whole fire house? WTH - let's hope nobody has a fire. Naming the baby Brian and calling him Otis was cute though, I'll admit.

 

[DanaK]

I too have trouble seeing how the Paramedicine thing is supposed to be better or a better use of resources than the regular paramedic thing

[dovegrey]

19 minutes ago, DanaK said:

I too have trouble seeing how the Paramedicine thing is supposed to be better or a better use of resources than the regular paramedic thing

All of the above. And I didn’t understand why they weren’t wearing CFD paramedic uniforms. It’s funded by the CFD and staffed by the CFD…but they don’t wear CFD uniforms. What. I wouldn’t let them and their clunker van from 1985 anywhere near me.

Maybe the response time problem really stems from one of their busiest houses routinely shutting down for various things, like someone going into labor, and their Deputy District Chief not doing his job because he’s obsessed with one firehouse out of dozens and has a high schooler as a whiz-kid assistant. 

Seriously, now that these five very special episodes are done (which were pretty good for the most part), we’re back to some seemingly ludicrous plot about 51 becoming a 911 dispatch center. Hmm, I wonder why Jesse Spencer got tired of the show and left… 🤔 It’s a mystery only Severide can solve!

Edited October 21, 2021 by dovegrey

[LittleIggy]

The perpetually drunk brewmaster! 😂

Poor cat. 😢

I’m so glad the Chief will be back at 51. 
Sad that Jesse Spencer is leaving (apparently). 
Yay, Trudy! Hope she found the party bus. 

[Dowel Jones]

The actor portraying the Darden kid made a slight error when he said that PG&E would be coming out to check the meter.  PG&E doesn't operate in Oregon, except for a small outpost in Klamath Falls.  PGE, Portland General Electric does, however, cover much of Oregon.

Plot device be damned, there is no way a metro city FD is going to hire an unknown from halfway across the country based on a phone call.  To paraphrase The Big Lebowski, "Fire departments aren't like Vietnam.  There are rules."

Coming up, no doubt:  Gallo and Ms. 200 relationship drama; Severide investigating kamikaze cat; the return of Kidd; Boden vs. new BC pissing match over office space and how to run 51.

[NJRadioGuy]

3 hours ago, dovegrey said:

 I wouldn’t let them and their clunker van from 1985 anywhere near me.

With that music-montage of them running calls I was getting a Mother, Juggs, and Speed vibe.

The cat arson thing....I just fucking can't. Any sort of animal cruelty portrayed as entertainment is a hard safeword for me. I'm a cat dad, including our dear sweet little pain-in-the-arse all black kittie Pixel. That storyline seriously didn't belong in an otherwise good show. Nitpicking, but that was a roaring conflagration they had going--there probably wouldn't even have been a skeleton left if he was the origin of that. And with that fire both in the rafters and through the floor and into the basement there's no way that's getting extinguished by one engine crew with a couple of hand lines. 

It was a really nice juxtaposition of Heaven and Hell, though.

[Guildford]

Is it wrong to say I have not missed Kidd one iota?

[WinJet0819]

13 hours ago, Crs97 said:

I think unfortunately we will now have Brett’s drama of a potential relationship with her chief.  They were pushing it pretty hard last week.

Ugh!!! This show needs put the kabosh on pushing all this romantic drama. All it does is take over episodes and seasons. And Brett going from a captain to a chief. How about focusing on accuracy with first responders and having Brett find a relationship with somebody OUTSIDE of the workplace, for a change? A number of the male characters have relationships outside the workplace, but all the women constantly keep having relationships within the workplace.

 

Edit: According to Deadline, Haas did say that Matt and Sylvie will remain together with long-distance relationship. I'll be curious to see how long that lasts, but it should mean we don't have to suffer through seeing Brett jump into a relationship with the new chief. At least, for now.

Edited October 21, 2021 by WinJet0819

[jgjbanker]

So, here are my thoughts. First, can't be mad at Jesse for wanting to take a break from network television. An article I read said he has been doing it 18 years straight. With a new wife, I am sure he was ready for a break.   With that said, really hope he decides to come back in a year or 18 months to the show. 

As for Brett, you know Kara likes being on the show, so not surprised Brett stayed. After watching, I am not sure about her and Hawkins romantically. Just too many obstacles to overcome, mainly the fact he is her boss. 

Will be interesting to see if that promote Kidd to 81, or if they bring in someone else to stir the pot a little. 

All in all, liked the episode, sad for Brettsey fans like me, and have no idea where Derek goes from here, as Casey WAS the main storyline this year. 

Edited October 21, 2021 by jgjbanker

[judyri]

1 hour ago, WinJet0819 said:

A number of the male characters have relationships outside the workplace, but all the women constantly keep having relationships within the workplace.

This,  most women I know are level-headed enough to know not to get involved with someone at work. Doing otherwise is just waiting for the shoe to drop.  Most work places, even first responder places, frown on job-related relationships.  Better to just keep them separate.

[Crs97]

I’m just thrilled Casey didn’t decide to move to wherever Gabby ended up.

[NJRadioGuy]

Just to add to what I wrote earlier, they found the cat's remains under a couple of relatively unburned wooden pews. If that was the point of origin the fire would have burned up from there and out. Maybe they really do need Severide to head up Chicago OFI, since whoever determined that was the POI hasn't the first clue about fire dynamics. Fire burns up, not down, so how did the basement become a raging inferno?

Now granted, I haven't been in a catholic church in a very long time; if I were to cross the threshold of one either it or I would spontaneously combust. But with that said, I've never seen a modern church with a wooden floor, so unless the parish priest had a secret portal to hell down there, how was the floor compromised that badly? Also, you know, going in with hose lines would have helped too, but this is the Chicago Waterless Fire Department we're talking about here.

Edited October 22, 2021 by NJRadioGuy

[dovegrey]

4 hours ago, Guildford said:

Is it wrong to say I have not missed Kidd one iota?

I haven’t either. Not at all. Maybe she’ll find a lieutenant position in the Boston Fire Department and stay there. 

With Med essentially rebooting with a lot of new cast and being better for it, I do wonder how Fire would do if they started to lose more originals or long standing characters like Kidd. All these Chicago shows are ancient or approaching it. Fire is rare that so many have been around for so long, but I don’t know if that’s good for them. 

2 hours ago, jgjbanker said:

All in all, liked the episode, sad for Brettsey fans like me, and have no idea where Derek goes from here, as Casey WAS the main storyline this year. 

The showrunner interviewed a little while ago that the first five episodes were written essentially as a mini season in build up to 200…and, in hindsight, Jesse leaving. He apparently told the showrunner he was leaving sometime before production started for season 10 and they both wanted him to stay until 200. So, basically, this year has been about Casey because Casey was leaving, so he finally got decent screen time and a decent storyline.

I think this show took Jesse and Casey for granted after Monica left, to be honest; he had very little to do until Brettsey, and then he really only had Brettsey stuff. He was so happy and relaxed in this episode that I wonder if he’s been unhappy for a good long while. 

Edited October 21, 2021 by dovegrey

[iMonrey]

Did Casey even talk to the Darden kids' mom? How does he know she wouldn't approve of him taking them to Chicago? They sort of blew right past that plot point, because the school counselor said she probably wouldn't. Which raises the question of how much authority she has over the situation from prison. If she has sole determination where the kids wind up, then it's ridiculous to think Casey wouldn't even bother going to visit her and ask her! And just because the counselor seems to think it would be bad for the kids to move again doesn't mean she's right. Clearly the younger one is in enough trouble that it can't get much worse. If he's running around with a bad crowd and doing drugs, maybe moving him somewhere else is actually a good idea.

But? Contrivance so Casey needs a reason to leave Chicago, I guess. The whole decision just felt very rushed.

Quote

The cat arson thing....I just fucking can't. Any sort of animal cruelty portrayed as entertainment is a hard safeword for me. 

I felt like the second shot of the cat's body was unnecessary and lingered a bit too long. I agree it was very triggering for anyone who loves animals.

Quote

I think this show took Jesse and Casey for granted after Monica left, to be honest;

Oh, no doubt, hence my previous comment about the rabid Casey/Gabby fans on Twitter. The show put Casey in limbo after Monica Raymund left, partly because they probably hoped she would come back again, and partly because the Twitter fans were so devoted to that pairing. 

[WinJet0819]

48 minutes ago, dovegrey said:

The showrunner interviewed a little while ago that the first five episodes were written essentially as a mini season in build up to 200…and, in hindsight, Jesse leaving. He apparently told the showrunner he was leaving sometime before production started for season 10 and they both wanted him to stay until 200. So, basically, this year has been about Casey because Casey was leaving, so he finally got decent screen time and a decent storyline.

I think this show took Jesse and Casey for granted after Monica left, to be honest; he had very little to do until Brettsey, and then he really only had Brettsey stuff. He was so happy and relaxed in this episode that I wonder if he’s been unhappy for a good long while. 

Confirms my suspicions. If they had known last season that Jesse was planning to leave, I don't believe they push the Brettsey stuff so hard, if at all. And I am glad that Jesse gets to be free. There was nothing much more for his character to do, and he really was being wasted. 10 years, on probably one of the most physically demanding of all Dick Wolf shows, had to be taking its toll.

Edited October 21, 2021 by WinJet0819

[Josh371982]

4 hours ago, WinJet0819 said:

Ugh!!! This show needs put the kabosh on pushing all this romantic drama. All it does is take over episodes and seasons. And Brett going from a captain to a chief. How about focusing on accuracy with first responders and having Brett find a relationship with somebody OUTSIDE of the workplace, for a change? A number of the male characters have relationships outside the workplace, but all the women constantly keep having relationships within the workplace.

 

Edit: According to Deadline, Haas did say that Matt and Sylvie will remain together with long-distance relationship. I'll be curious to see how long that lasts, but it should mean we don't have to suffer through seeing Brett jump into a relationship with the new chief. At least, for now.

The Brettsy shipper that I am is hoping they have Brett stay loyal to Casey after the time they spent getting them together. Word is Casey will be back for Steallaride wedding so I'm hoping for him to come back to help give Brett a send-off as he proposes Marriage or Simply she decides to leave CFD to live with Him in Oregon

[judyri]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

And just because the counselor seems to think it would be bad for the kids to move again doesn't mean she's right. Clearly the younger one is in enough trouble that it can't get much worse. If he's running around with a bad crowd and doing drugs, maybe moving him somewhere else is actually a good idea.

Is it even legal for a 16 year old to be head of a household?  How are they paying utility bills? How are they not in foster care already? Maybe they explained and I missed it.  It's so contrived I just don't get it.

[dovegrey]

12 minutes ago, judyri said:

Is it even legal for a 16 year old to be head of a household?  How are they paying utility bills? How are they not in foster care already? Maybe they explained and I missed it.  It's so contrived I just don't get it.

They would have been removed and put into foster care immediately after DCS discovered the aunt was gone. It would have made more sense for that to have happened and for Heather to have reached out via prison phone call or through DCS to get Matt involved, rather than teenage Griffin burning through his last money to travel to Chicago alone with no questioning him about it. Or had Griffin been his correct age (19) with custody and trying to “raise” Ben, with DCS still refusing to let Ben leave Oregon, which would have functionally changed nothing. I like the storyline and I don’t begrudge the write out as a concept, but it’s definitely not fully realized.

Also, I don’t understand why the aunt abandoned her house and never came back. It was a decent looking house, once it was clean. 

And I don’t understand why Matt is so sure he’ll leave Oregon in three years. If Griffin is in college there and Ben is doing well or needs another year of high school to graduate, that’s just too bad? He’s back to Chicago and the boys are entirely on their own if they don’t move with him? Yeah, right. 

[SuzieQ]

21 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Yay, Trudy! Hope she found the party bus. 

That was the best pop in ever!

Edited October 22, 2021 by SuzieQ

[dovegrey]

7 hours ago, WinJet0819 said:

Confirms my suspicions. If they had known last season that Jesse was planning to leave, I don't believe they push the Brettsey stuff so hard, if at all. And I am glad that Jesse gets to be free. There was nothing much more for his character to do, and he really was being wasted. 10 years, on probably one of the most physically demanding of all Dick Wolf shows, had to be taking its toll.

If he had announced it before the resolution of the head injury storyline or before he denounced Gabby, Casey would have 100% left Chicago to reunite with Gabby. Jesse apparently pushed for Brettsey to happen (according to some upset fans, so grain of salt and all that), and I wonder if he didn’t know that season 9 would be it, or if he knew but didn’t want Casey to leave with Gabby. I kinda want the latter option to be true, because Haas screwed him after Monica left.

The COVID lockdown also changed some perspectives in general. We had people decide against retiring (they were bored at home), decide to retire (they didn’t miss work at all), and people leave for better schedules elsewhere because they got back to work and realized how much they valued time at home. With the apparent increase in major players leaving network shows, I wonder how much is because of lockdown changing perspectives… and all these glossy Hulu and Netflix shows  pulling in huge viewership+critical acclaim and they’re just 10-12 episodes a season. Working on a thankless primetime network 22-episode hamster wheel must feel like a rip off. 

Edited October 21, 2021 by dovegrey

[Dowel Jones]

Okay, I'm not an industry fellow, but 22 weeks is less than half a year.  Is it really that hard?  A lot of people put in 5-6 day weeks all year round in other jobs, and the rescue/fire calls on the show are less than 1% of the episode time.  Yes, it's a grind at times but so are a lot of jobs.

[MKR630]

The idea that Casey goes to Oregon to bra guardian for the boys goes against every logical and best interests of the child standard. Disrupting his career and source of income to go to a rural state because they have a few friends is nonsense. Chicago is home for the boys and they have a much larger support network through the CFD that includes at least 10 no blood uncles in the Fire House. Don’t listen to the social worker because she doesn’t know what she is talking about. Unless Casey wants to leave the show, Correct this mistake Producers

[MKR630]

Wrong Move. Be a guardian and bring the kids to Chicago where you have a stable income and they have a greater support network of at least 10 uncle firefighters and a house that relishes the boys. It is nonsense to pick up and move to Oregon based on a few friendships and a clueless social worker. If Casey is leaving the show, write in severide as replacement guardian

[preeya]

Didn't Mrs. Cruz say she was having a C-section for the birth? Did the writers forget that or did she go into premature labor? I really didn't  understand the hospital/baby scene.

[dovegrey]

24 minutes ago, Dowel Jones said:

Okay, I'm not an industry fellow, but 22 weeks is less than half a year.  Is it really that hard?  A lot of people put in 5-6 day weeks all year round in other jobs, and the rescue/fire calls on the show are less than 1% of the episode time.  Yes, it's a grind at times but so are a lot of jobs.

They film from mid-July to end-of-April/beginning-of-May for a 22-episode season, which includes a fall break and a longer Christmas break, then they have part of May, June, and part of July off. It's kind of a teacher schedule, in a way.

Back when I was really into the show because it was decent, I used to follow the actors on Twitter and read a lot of their interviews. Jesse permanently blew out his knee filming that grain silo rescue in season 4 or 5, and, by season 2, he'd permanently wrecked his neck from the dozens of takes it requires for a single accident/incident scene, doing up-and-downs (out of the truck, into the truck, stunts, filming real fire scenes on the burn stage) with full 60-70 pound firefighter gear, including the O2 tanks on their backs. He said that's all 100% real gear, except for a piece missing from the SCBA (maybe a regulator, I think?). He mentioned at the time that he was not the only one of the original cast who had permanent injuries from filming. He didn't name names.

A more recent interview from I think David Eigenberg or possibly Christian Stolte mentioned that their rigs don't have heat or air conditioning, and they're crammed in them with filming equipment for hours, whether it's below zero or 100 degrees. Monica and Jesse once joked that they didn't realize filming stopped if it was 20 degrees below zero, because...filming didn't stop if it was 20 degrees below zero. They get whatever Chicago weather they get, and they go. Fire is notorious for being a grueling set, especially back when they were doing 2-3 fires an episode. I think is why so few fires are filmed anymore. It was injuring them.

I get they make a lot of money, but no job is worth that. If I see colleagues making equal money working far less and getting more recognition for it, I'm probably jumping ship, too. And if I've consistently worked full-time in the industry since I was 16, like Jesse, and had three very long stints on very successful shows, I'd be ready to flat-out retire, regardless of money and fame. It's just a job, and money ain't everything. I don't begrudge anyone for deciding to move on from a job that's not working for them anymore.

Edited October 22, 2021 by dovegrey

[NJRadioGuy]

13 minutes ago, dovegrey said:

Jesse permanently blew out his knee filming that grain silo rescue in season 4 or 5, and, by season 2, he'd permanently wrecked his neck from the dozens of takes it requires for a single accident/incident scene, doing up-and-downs (out of the truck, into the truck, stunts, filming real fire scenes on the burn stage) with full 60-70 pound firefighter ge.... He mentioned at the time that he was not the only one of the original cast who had permanent injuries from filming. He didn't name names.

It's ironic that these pretend firefighters suffer greater rates of injuries than their real-life counterparts who have proper training, muscle memory, they drill constantly, and they don't repeat the same physically-risky stunts for 10 hours a day straight until it looks perfect on a director's screen.

[Guildford]

2 hours ago, MKR630 said:

The idea that Casey goes to Oregon to bra guardian for the boys goes against every logical and best interests of the child standard. Disrupting his career and source of income to go to a rural state because they have a few friends is nonsense. Chicago is home for the boys and they have a much larger support network through the CFD that includes at least 10 no blood uncles in the Fire House. Don’t listen to the social worker because she doesn’t know what she is talking about. Unless Casey wants to leave the show, Correct this mistake Producers

Did you read any of the interviews that came out after the episode aired? Jesse chose to leave, this was the way they wrote him out, leaving him the option to come back if he felt able or possibly appear in some future episodes.

I thought it was a nice send off, didn't ruin his character like they are want to do on these shows & didn't kill him off.

Jesse told them he was leaving before the start of filming this season, he agreed to stay until the 200th so they could wrap up his storyline.

[LittleIggy]

4 hours ago, preeya said:

Didn't Mrs. Cruz say she was having a C-section for the birth? Did the writers forget that or did she go into premature labor? I really didn't  understand the hospital/baby scene.

I’m thinking she went into labor earlier than expected.

[Crs97]

Her c-section was scheduled for after his shift, and he was still working.  She went into labor unexpectedly.

[WinJet0819]

5 hours ago, dovegrey said:

They film from mid-July to end-of-April/beginning-of-May for a 22-episode season, which includes a fall break and a longer Christmas break, then they have part of May, June, and part of July off. It's kind of a teacher schedule, in a way.

Back when I was really into the show because it was decent, I used to follow the actors on Twitter and read a lot of their interviews. Jesse permanently blew out his knee filming that grain silo rescue in season 4 or 5, and, by season 2, he'd permanently wrecked his neck from the dozens of takes it requires for a single accident/incident scene, doing up-and-downs (out of the truck, into the truck, stunts, filming real fire scenes on the burn stage) with full 60-70 pound firefighter gear, including the O2 tanks on their backs. He said that's all 100% real gear, except for a piece missing from the SCBA (maybe a regulator, I think?). He mentioned at the time that he was not the only one of the original cast who had permanent injuries from filming. He didn't name names.

A more recent interview from I think David Eigenberg or possibly Christian Stolte mentioned that their rigs don't have heat or air conditioning, and they're crammed in them with filming equipment for hours, whether it's below zero or 100 degrees. Monica and Jesse once joked that they didn't realize filming stopped if it was 20 degrees below zero, because...filming didn't stop if it was 20 degrees below zero. They get whatever Chicago weather they get, and they go. Fire is notorious for being a grueling set, especially back when they were doing 2-3 fires an episode. I think is why so few fires are filmed anymore. It was injuring them.

I get they make a lot of money, but no job is worth that. If I see colleagues making equal money working far less and getting more recognition for it, I'm probably jumping ship, too. And if I've consistently worked full-time in the industry since I was 16, like Jesse, and had three very long stints on very successful shows, I'd be ready to flat-out retire, regardless of money and fame. It's just a job, and money ain't everything. I don't begrudge anyone for deciding to move on from a job that's not working for them anymore.

This is why it wouldn't surprise me if there's a domino effect over the next few years and a couple of others choose to leave citing these reasons. No show is worth having permanent injuries, no matter how well it's doing. And Jesse stated he wanted to focus on family, which means he's probably looking to add to his family with his new wife, who is now done with her PhD program. And he wants to be physically capable to play with his kids, should he have any. Outside of guest appearances, I can't see him coming back to the show on a full-time basis. Besides the wedding, it wouldn't surprise me if the next time we see him, it will be the series finale.

[SonofaBiscuit]

Ah, so they aged the kids down...if I had not mixed up what I read in the comments thread on the earlier episodes, I might have realized that they did that to force the foster care situation and provide Casey with a reason for leaving.  

Did I miss why the aunt wouldn't take the kids?  I can't imagine letting your nephews go into foster care instead of doing whatever you can to take custody of them...

At least Jesse Spencer is open to returning.  Either have Sylvie go live with Casey in Oregon if Kara Killmer decides to leave, or bring Casey back in the final season.  Probably the best they can do, I guess. 

Another show I watch just lost two original cast members in the last year, so I am not taking this very well, LOL. Honestly still not over losing Otis or Peter Mills... 

 

 

[Artsda]

Sad to see Casey go. I'll miss his bromance with Kelly more than anything. Hope they have him return.

Casey of all people should know long distance didn't work out last time.

No Kydd again, yay!

[SilverLake0315]

On 10/21/2021 at 8:12 AM, Guildford said:

Is it wrong to say I have not missed Kidd one iota?

There was a time (the Dawson era) that I would have given ANYTHING for Casey to leave the show. Now I’d gladly keep him if it meant Kidd would go. 

[Nessa]

I felt Casey's farewell to be very underwhelming, no party at Molly's no Stella to wish him luck etc.

[FnkyChkn34]

On 10/21/2021 at 8:07 PM, dovegrey said:

Back when I was really into the show because it was decent, I used to follow the actors on Twitter and read a lot of their interviews. Jesse permanently blew out his knee filming that grain silo rescue in season 4 or 5, and, by season 2, he'd permanently wrecked his neck from the dozens of takes it requires for a single accident/incident scene, doing up-and-downs (out of the truck, into the truck, stunts, filming real fire scenes on the burn stage) with full 60-70 pound firefighter gear, including the O2 tanks on their backs. He said that's all 100% real gear, except for a piece missing from the SCBA (maybe a regulator, I think?). He mentioned at the time that he was not the only one of the original cast who had permanent injuries from filming. He didn't name names.

Just speculation, but I'm guessing Taylor Kinney is permanently injured too.  He's had a lot of the other risky stunts and if you look closely, I think he has a bit of a limp.

[WinJet0819]

3 hours ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

Just speculation, but I'm guessing Taylor Kinney is permanently injured too.  He's had a lot of the other risky stunts and if you look closely, I think he has a bit of a limp.

Taylor Kinney is a safe bet to have a permanent injury. He's only one to have done as many, if not more, physically demanding scenes than Jesse. Especially, since Squad has to do the more extreme rescues. And out of David Eigenberg, Joe Minoso, and Christian Stolte, one of them probably has a permanent injury, too. More than likely Minoso.

[MaryHedwig]

On 10/20/2021 at 11:53 PM, NJRadioGuy said:

The cat arson thing....I just fucking can't. Any sort of animal cruelty portrayed as entertainment is a hard safeword for me. I'm a cat dad, including our dear sweet little pain-in-the-arse all black kittie Pixel. That storyline seriously didn't belong in an otherwise good show. Nitpicking, but that was a roaring conflagration they had going--there probably wouldn't even have been a skeleton left if he was the origin of that. And with that fire both in the rafters and through the floor and into the basement there's no way that's getting extinguished by one engine crew with a couple of hand lines. 

I agree. However,  I was relieved to hear that cats usually survive fires, as they tend to fend for themselves. I hope that is really true, as we are a four-cat family.

[NJRadioGuy]

5 hours ago, MaryHedwig said:

However,  I was relieved to hear that cats usually survive fires, as they tend to fend for themselves. I hope that is really true, as we are a four-cat family.

Depends on the fire, depends on the cat(s). Nothing will survive a flashover, and with modern construction and building materials, going from ignition to flashover can be 2 minutes or less if you're unlucky or someone gives it some oxygen. Our house is sealed up pretty tight so there's nowhere for them to go if things go bad fast. But we thankfully have working smoke and CO detectors all over, and plenty of extinguishers, so there's that. 

[AnnA]

On 10/27/2021 at 12:24 AM, Nessa said:

I felt Casey's farewell to be very underwhelming, no party at Molly's no Stella to wish him luck etc.

I agree.   They had a big party at Molly's for Peter Mills but nothing, nothing, NOTHING for Matt Casey.

[magicdog]

On 10/21/2021 at 6:41 AM, WinJet0819 said:

Ugh!!! This show needs put the kabosh on pushing all this romantic drama. All it does is take over episodes and seasons. And Brett going from a captain to a chief. How about focusing on accuracy with first responders and having Brett find a relationship with somebody OUTSIDE of the workplace, for a change? A number of the male characters have relationships outside the workplace, but all the women constantly keep having relationships within the workplace.

Having just re-watched the episode tonight (and watching earlier syndicated episodes recently) I must say a big yes to this!  I don't know the rules for CFD in reality but I should think that such relationships would be discouraged.  It would be seen as unprofessional to get involved with co-workers in this way.   It's not like the firemen are the only guys out there.  

[WinJet0819]

So I'm rewatching all the eps from last season since I took an hiatus from watching last spring. Watching this episode I actually felt a need to vomit. Casey's last episode as a main character was underwhelming. Not a great sendoff. And they really take all the rigs out of service and abuse the privilege of the lights and sirens just because Cruz's wife is having a baby? And then waiting while she's in labor for 5 hours. Come on!!! This feel-good stuff is way, way, way overblown. And with 51 now being the "central-most" station, that can't help but put strain on the other firehouses. There could be a big fire going on, and the closest firehouse has its rigs and ambo out of service, though they can be found blocking the emergency entrance to a hospital, for five hours because one of their firefighters is about to have a baby. I feel bad for the people that may die or get serious burns because they're waiting too long for a company from further out to get to them.

Not to mention, Cruz & Chloe didn't want her parents to be the first to meet their son? Or Cruz's brother Leon? Yes, a firehouse has great camaraderie, but it's more like a community than a family. I'm pretty sure most, if not all, firefighters want their entire company to be present when they are having a child. If the firehouse is your only family, ahead of actual living family members, you got some issues. Man, on this show, the whole family aspect of 51 is overblown to death.

And of course, Kylie has to find some loophole that leaves 51 the center-most house in the district. "51 needs you." No. 51 needs to be able to grow without him. As he said, you have to trust that the foundation you laid while you were here will hold firm for the people who come after you.

[WinJet0819]

On 10/21/2022 at 12:04 AM, WinJet0819 said:

So I'm rewatching all the eps from last season since I took an hiatus from watching last spring. Watching this episode I actually felt a need to vomit. Casey's last episode as a main character was underwhelming. Not a great sendoff. And they really take all the rigs out of service and abuse the privilege of the lights and sirens just because Cruz's wife is having a baby? And then waiting while she's in labor for 5 hours. Come on!!! This feel-good stuff is way, way, way overblown. And with 51 now being the "central-most" station, that can't help but put strain on the other firehouses. There could be a big fire going on, and the closest firehouse has its rigs and ambo out of service, though they can be found blocking the emergency entrance to a hospital, for five hours because one of their firefighters is about to have a baby. I feel bad for the people that may die or get serious burns because they're waiting too long for a company from further out to get to them.

Not to mention, Cruz & Chloe didn't want her parents to be the first to meet their son? Or Cruz's brother Leon? Yes, a firehouse has great camaraderie, but it's more like a community than a family. I'm pretty sure most, if not all, firefighters want their entire company to be present when they are having a child. If the firehouse is your only family, ahead of actual living family members, you got some issues. Man, on this show, the whole family aspect of 51 is overblown to death.

And of course, Kylie has to find some loophole that leaves 51 the center-most house in the district. "51 needs you." No. 51 needs to be able to grow without him. As he said, you have to trust that the foundation you laid while you were here will hold firm for the people who come after you.

firefighters don't want their entire company to be present when they have a child.

Stupid typos