S13.E18: Post-Mortem

[DanaK]

Quote

04/16/2025 (09:00PM - 10:00PM) (Wednesday): Boden returns on Grissom's orders to run a post-incident analysis after a house collapsed during a fire with a firefighter inside.

 

Edited April 16 by DanaK

[FnkyChkn34]

I thought this episode was really good, and I liked that I didn't know for sure who was hurt until the end. 

Great to see Boden again! 

But seriously, what do we have to do to get rid of Damon? He can go any day now...

[MediaZone4K]

It was a good departure from the normal formatting, most interesting episode in a while. Loved the mystery of the injured fire fighter.

Damon, the last hired and most expendable character getting injured was also anti-climactic.

The outcome of the episode was also anti climactic. I loved seeing Boden again, but I fully expected him to be fair but sympathetic to firehouse 51. It would've been compelling if someone faced consequences, not necessarily a firing, from what happened.

Pascal acknowledged what I was thinking when Herman questioned the evacuation-- this whole episode was a mechanism to get Pacal out. It looks like they tried to avoid predictability by having him cleared at the end.

Edited April 17 by MediaZone4K

[Dowel Jones]

I think this is the first episode I watched from beginning to end without walking off a doing something else for a moment during some slack part of the show.  I still need to rewatch Boden's explanation to understand how exactly they lost count, but it could happen.  Most FDs have a personnel accountability system set up for multi-resource fires, but that means you have to dedicate someone to that role, which takes them off the fireground.

 

[FnkyChkn34]

4 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

I think this is the first episode I watched from beginning to end without walking off a doing something else for a moment during some slack part of the show.  I still need to rewatch Boden's explanation to understand how exactly they lost count, but it could happen.  Most FDs have a personnel accountability system set up for multi-resource fires, but that means you have to dedicate someone to that role, which takes them off the fireground.

 

Herrmann was in charge of counting how many went in and how many came out. He was stationed at the front door and didn’t leave that spot. Six went in the front door and six came out the front door... but one went in through the window instead.

Carver saw the one guy fall through the floor when he was still at the window, so he went back in to get him. Kidd was down with the baby and didn't realize that Carver didn't come down the ladder.  When the evacuation order was called, Carver and the guy in the floor came down the stairs and Herrmann counted Carver as Damon, not seeing names or faces in the smoke, just counting bodies moving. Damon either got crushed before the evacuation call or disobeyed it and kept heading to the attic and by then, Carver was out so Kidd could account for him. 

I don't think it was anyone's fault, but maybe Carver could have said that he was getting the guy who fell?  But Boden said that their radios weren't always working, so maybe he tried and no one heard. 

[preeya]

7 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

I think this is the first episode I watched from beginning to end without walking off a doing something else for a moment during some slack part of the show.  I still need to rewatch Boden's explanation to understand how exactly they lost count, but it could happen.  Most FDs have a personnel accountability system set up for multi-resource fires, but that means you have to dedicate someone to that role, which takes them off the fireground.

 

There is an extensive recap of the episode here: https://bitl.to/4Nnw

[cfinboston]

Here's what I don't understand about counting bodies in/out. Each firefighter has his or her name printed on the back of the turnout coat. Wouldn't you look at the names as they exited to ensure each firefighter was accounted for? If Hermann was counting them leaving, wouldn't he have seen that Damon didn't exit the building?

[anna0852]

So I know I’ve said something similar to this on other threads, but I stand by it. It is amazing to me how certain characters really are the linchpin of the ensemble. And you don’t realize it till they’re gone. Having Boden back last night really drove home for me what a key member of the cast he was. As was Casey. Losing both of them I think is what really flipped the switch tonally for the show and it’s just been going downhill since then. The budget cuts and reduction in the number of episodes the cast members appear in doesn’t help either.

[FnkyChkn34]

3 minutes ago, cfinboston said:

Here's what I don't understand about counting bodies in/out. Each firefighter has his or her name printed on the back of the turnout coat. Wouldn't you look at the names as they exited to ensure each firefighter was accounted for? If Hermann was counting them leaving, wouldn't he have seen that Damon didn't exit the building?

Doubtful that there's time for that or that Herrmann could always see through the smoke. Herrmann was also manning the hose at the same time. Counting people would be easy; reading names would be very hard.

Pascal could have done it once they were outside, but it seems that it all happened very fast. Maybe he didn't have a chance. 

[anna0852]

37 minutes ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

Doubtful that there's time for that or that Herrmann could always see through the smoke. Herrmann was also manning the hose at the same time. Counting people would be easy; reading names would be very hard.

Pascal could have done it once they were outside, but it seems that it all happened very fast. Maybe he didn't have a chance. 

I did notice Kidd and Severide confirming their individual team members once (they thought) that everyone was out.

[Dowel Jones]

3 hours ago, preeya said:

There is an extensive recap of the episode here

I take some issue with the setup that the investigation was a result of media attention.  Any serious injury or death would merit an in-depth investigation regardless of media attention.  Of course, the show has always been written such that Station 51 are heroes and must be protected against the evil management of CFD.  That required a guest appearance of Deputy Commissioner Boden, whose function has always been to be the bulwark in front of Station 51.

As far as the investigation goes, every fire, and, for that matter, every incident has the potential to go to hell in an instant.  There's not always blame to be assigned, but that's what drove this episode. I would hope that Pascal would institute a procedure change in the accountability system.  Granted, Hermann stood by the door the entire time, but there were multiple entry/exit points.  There should have been a more central point where everyone would report to.  It wouldn't have mitigated the actual accident, but they might have realized it sooner.  Also, in reality (and they could have used it here to good effect) the universal evacuation signal is three blasts on the air horn, repeated a few times.  It's way more effective than radio traffic.

[iMonrey]

I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I definitely appreciate trying something new in terms of the format. And I definitely appreciated having Boden back. Wow, I hadn't fully realized the gravitas he brought to the show until he was gone. 

At the same time, I was a bit irritated with the mystery of who fell through the floor and was injured, because they kept referencing someone named Clarence and I assumed this random red shirt we'd never heard of before was the obvious victim. But then it turned out Carver rescued Clarence and someone else fell through the floor. Same hole? I kind of didn't get it. Clarence only fell halfway though and Carver rescued him and they came downstairs, but did Damon actually fall through the floor at all and if so was it the same spot?

[FnkyChkn34]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

But then it turned out Carver rescued Clarence and someone else fell through the floor. Same hole? I kind of didn't get it. Clarence only fell halfway though and Carver rescued him and they came downstairs, but did Damon actually fall through the floor at all and if so was it the same spot?

I think rather than Damon falling through something, something fell on him.  From some behind the scenes photos I saw, it's a bit clearer that he made it to the attic and the roof fell on him.  

[Artsda]

That was a good puzzle episode, but it was obviously budget episode. 

[NJRadioGuy]

One of the best they've done in a while. Kudos to the writers. And if that interior fire footage was GCI that's the most convincing CGI I've ever seen. At first glance that sure as hell looked like live fire with real 2-1/2" lines in operation. Interior cameras at a real fire training academy maybe??

The director, cinematographer and DOP need to take a bow here as well. 

I don't care about Damon so they could have found a way to remove him from the show that way, but whatever.

So much for those nice APX digital radios from last season. And you don't get analog static on digital radios. Just sayin'.

Pascal called for a still and box upon arrival. In real CFD parlance, that's a call for 4 Engines, 2 Trucks, 1 Tower Ladder, 1 Squad, 3 Battalion Chiefs, 1 Deputy District Chief, 1 Command Van, 1 Ambulance, 1 OFI Car, 1 EMS Field Officer. They had two engines, one truck, one squad, one chief, and one ambulance. There would also have been a RIT (Rapid Intervention Team), consisting of one Truck, an ALS Ambulance and a Battalion Chief.

One somber fire service Easter egg was the second engine that arrived, and damnit all the feels came back to me with that. Engine 33 (the second engine company) was operating in the basement of a fire that went sideways. A nod to the horrific 2014 9th Alarm on Beacon St. in Boston, guaranteed. Officer and FF lost in the line of duty there, and damnit I thought that's where they were going here. I'm very glad they didn't.

But technical nitpicks aside, this was very, very well done. Easily the best episode of the season.

[Swrwade]

I couldn't stop thinking where is Jack's mother? I mean it's great his brother was there but shouldn't somebody have contacted the rest of his family and his mother in particular? Isn't that protocol in situations like his?

[FnkyChkn34]

6 hours ago, Swrwade said:

I couldn't stop thinking where is Jack's mother? I mean it's great his brother was there but shouldn't somebody have contacted the rest of his family and his mother in particular? Isn't that protocol in situations like his?

The writers haven't figured out who she is yet.  How many secret kids could Benny really have? We already found Katie, and now Jack? It makes little sense to me that Kelly couldn't have known about either one...

[Swrwade]

On 4/21/2025 at 11:19 PM, FnkyChkn34 said:

The writers haven't figured out who she is yet.  How many secret kids could Benny really have? We already found Katie, and now Jack? It makes little sense to me that Kelly couldn't have known about either one...

There are also the two sons that Benny had with Beth though Kelly knows about them because Benny talks about them in one of the episodes before Kelly finds out who Katie is. Crazy how one man can have so many kids.

[FnkyChkn34]

1 hour ago, Swrwade said:

There are also the two sons that Benny had with Beth though Kelly knows about them because Benny talks about them in one of the episodes before Kelly finds out who Katie is. Crazy how one man can have so many kids.

Those were step-sons, *I think.*  I could be wrong, but that's what I thought I remembered.  He took them in like their father though, and then just abandoned them too.