S04.E07: Sharp Elbows

[WendyCR72]

Chief Boden finds himself in the middle of a fiasco concerning a female neighbor, who he believes is setting him up. Severide, who is still on probation from his altercation with Captain Patterson, receives a surprise visit from his father and discovers some interesting information on Patterson that could be a game changer. Meanwhile, romance blossoms at the Chicago Fire Department gala.

[Sandman]

Wonder if Treat Williams and Tom Amandes gave each other "Damn you, Berlanti!" noogies on set?

 

"Romance blossoms"? -- how's that? More like "everything is super-awkward at the CFD gala!"

[Misslindsey]

 

Wonder if Treat Williams and Tom Amandes gave each other "Damn you, Berlanti!" noogies on set?

I would love this! I miss Everwood.

[statsgirl]

I still hate the Boden storyline because it makes it hard for women who really have been assaulted to be taken seriously, but I loved everyone supporting him at the gala. So pretty.

[squidprincess]

Everyone looked so nice in their formal wear.  Though I wasn't a fan of Brett's dress.  Dawson and Chilli looked amazing.

 

I liked the (semi?) resolution to the Patterson plot.  It was nice seeing Severide finally stop being an idiot about everything.  He was unfairly targeted, but he kept making things worse for himself.  

 

I laughed a little when Casey's only reaction to getting hit by a car was mild irritation.  That said, shouldn't there have been some kind of follow up exam?

Edited November 25, 2015 by squidprincess

[LittleIggy]

The Chief needs to take Voight up on his offer. He'd dig up who is behind this.

[Happy Harpy]

See, show? It's easy for me to sympathize with Gabby when she does good things in character, like confronting Patterson. I'm even thankful for the chip on her shoulder, then.

 

They do want to redeem Patterson. I guess I need to stop the countdown to his last episode. Sigh.

 

Sylvie and Otis? Come on! Zero chemistry, bad idea imo. Can't they bring back Severide's half sister, if they want a romance for Otis? I liked them together and they had other things in common than working at the same place.

 

It's funny how I generally like Treat Williams but I still can't stand Severide's dad.

 

Loved Boden and Voight. It was nice to see the latter since I dropped CPD (I'll only miss Olinsky this week, then). I know, the story was all about when you Do the Right Thing, things get better, but I agree: against a Mustache Twirling Villain, Boden needs to get down and dirty.

 

Chili and Jimmy continue to be the most adorably adorable couple. Like the unicorn of ships.

[Trooper York]

Boden needs to take up Voight on his offer. You can only solve problems in Chicago the Chicago way. I think from the previews that it was the real estate guy who is trying to set up Boden. That makes more sense. How would a fire chief have the resources or the knowledge to get a woman to set up Boden. It is too complicated. It would be much simpler to just ding Boden off of his work. There are a million regulations and I bet Boden violates a bunch of them and it would be easy enough to just transfer him.

[MaryHedwig]

I laughed a little when Casey's only reaction to getting hit by a car was mild irritation.  That said, shouldn't there have been some kind of follow up exam?

Isn't Casey still one head injury away from a lifetime of vegetation?

Edited November 26, 2015 by MaryHedwig

[squidprincess]

isn't Casey still one head injury away from a lifetime of vegetation?

 

They're probably either saving that for some sort of big sweeps thing (there's a neurosurgeon on Chicago Med, isn't there?) or the 100th episode.

[Dowel Jones]

Oh my God, they performed a successful, lifesaving, technical rescue without Gabby!  This show is going off the rails. 

 

Look for another crossover with the maybe-reformed gang member.  Maybe even both PD and Med.

 

There has to be some backstory with the assault case.  If she's willing to take a beating from someone in order to frame Boden, it's not just one person with a grudge.

[MaryHedwig]

It's funny how I generally like Treat Williams but I still can't stand Severide's dad.

Wonder if Treat Williams and Tom Amandes gave each other "Damn you, Berlanti!" noogies on set?

While both Treat Williams and Tom Amandes are most likely displaying their great acting chops, I am missing the more charming, whimsical sides of them I have seen in their other performances.

 

There has to be some backstory with the assault case.  If she's willing to take a beating from someone in order to frame Boden, it's not just one person with a grudge.

I had similar thoughts. I wonder if the landlord is her pimp and she was therefore forced to take this beating, or endure something even worse. It is messy to have Boden's neighbor after him at the same time his boss is.  Are these two stories unconnected? Is the world/God against Boden/Job? 

 

...Or is this the beginnings of a new spin off: Chicago Home Owners Association?

Edited November 25, 2015 by MaryHedwig

[juliet73]

I would totally watch Chicago HOA!

[Margherita Erdman]

The Chief needs to take Voight up on his offer. He'd dig up who is behind this.

Please, please let Voigt take this over and use whatever distasteful methods he needs in order to make this go away, preferably offscreen or as a subplot on PD (I bet Mouse could dig up whatever is shady about the lying lady, incl what her specific motivation is here).

Then we won't have to watch this silly subplot — supremely offensive silliness at that. As someone above pointed out, it relies on the nasty trope of the false sexual assault claim used to destroy a good man. I would argue further it is deeply offensive at another level, since it simultaneously evokes the all-too-familiar story from our fraught U.S. history of the big strong black man unjustly accused of sexual violence against, if not a "white" woman, then someone much lighter-skinned, and treated with a presumption of guilt by law enforcement.

Lazy, socially tone-deaf storytelling and writing, too bad since it is at odds with this show's unusually (for TV) diverse cast and a good number of storylines (even if they are mostly B plots) that reflect the ethnic, racial, and class diversity of Chicago.

Boden needs to get back to his lovely wife and adorable baby in their cute house and back to the legitimate issues of his job like overseeing actual fires and other emergency call outs, as well as helping to resolve the substantive tensions between Severide & Patterson (not the Riddle bullshit, but the much more interesting dynamic that could develop out of what happens with the grudging respect and honesty that began last night with Severide deciding against smearing Patterson's reputation and Patterson taking the stick out of his ass for a minute).

As others have said here repeatedly, I find it SO VERY tiresome and so discordant with the overall thrust & tone of the show for every single season to have some bureaucrat, politico, criminal, and/or business leader (who may or may not be also politically and/or criminally connected) to specifically target 51 and Boden for persecution.

The characters are interesting enough, and there is plenty of conflict and material for both story and character development in the day to day of doing their jobs and living their lives in the community, that there is no need to constantly nail this particular shift* of this particular firehouse up on one cross after another to illustrate their unity, caring for one another, and commitment to lives of public service.

Also❗️ Connie is awesome. I have noticed that she is getting incrementally more visibility and speaks at least one line more frequently than in past seasons (like every other episode or so). More please.

* Isn't there at least one other shift that works 51? Where do they stand with "saving" the house whenever it is "under attack"? Does/do the other shift commander or commanders support Boden? So weird that there is never any reference to or sighting of these invisible colleagues except for the locked cage of food with the signage about X shift keeping out or whatever.

Edited November 25, 2015 by Margherita Erdman

[NJ RadioGuy]

* Isn't there at least one other shift that works 51? Where do they stand with "saving" the house whenever it is "under attack"? Does/do the other shift commander or commanders support Boden? So weird that there is never any reference to or sighting of these invisible colleagues except for the locked cage of food with the signage about X shift keeping out or whatever.

I think those shifts are also populated by the other 3 or 4 engine companies, 2 or 3 truck companies, haz-mat and other assorted appartus that would roll on every single working fire.

 

And as for that roof rescue, anything involving the words "on the roof" would mandate something that could throw up at least one ladder (if not the stick itself). Even engine companies carry at least a couple of ground ladders, and honestly the closest engine to the address would have been sent with the Squad and ambo.

Edited November 26, 2015 by NJ RadioGuy

[Kel Varnsen]

What bugged me about the roof rescue was why the hell was the captain on the ground just looking up like a dumbass? When he saw his guys were in trouble, why wasn't he hauling ass up those stairs to get up to the roof?

Also not sure why boden couldn't ask voight to dig into the woman without resorting to dirty tactics? Then again i still don't understand why she even had boden's personal number.

[betsyboo]

See, show? It's easy for me to sympathize with Gabby when she does good things in character, like confronting Patterson. I'm even thankful for the chip on her shoulder, then.

 

<snip>

It's funny how I generally like Treat Williams but I still can't stand Severide's dad.

 

Chili and Jimmy continue to be the most adorably adorable couple. Like the unicorn of ships.

See - My hatred of Gabby obscures all things. I appreciate your take on it and will try to tell myself she was standing up for her squad/chief. Instead, all I saw was a brat who can't control her mouth and learn to pick a time and place to talk. And it irritated me NO END that she was included in the double secret probation meeting with Hermann Mouch Casey and Severide.

 

Ha! I agree on Treat. I LOVE him, but was yelling at Kelly thru the TV - don't take the envelope, Kelly! don't do it!!

 

Agree on the unicorn of ships. McQueen = swoon.

 

As for Boden - well the whole thing is ridiculous. I actually FF thru it all because I had such a huge case of second hand embarrassment.

 

I've admitted this on the CPD thread but not here I don't think. I have officially forgotten how Voight treated Casey in Season 1. JB is just too delicious in the role and I thoroughly enjoy his relationship with Brooke Davis. So I'm with all of you who want Boden to take his help.

 

Where's the dog?

[Chas411]

Finally catching up with the episodes I'm behind on.

 

Gabby's little tantrum at Patterson and Matt's follow up tantrum when Patterson threatened punishment for her rudeness once again proves why they shouldn't be working together. So unprofessional.

 

I love Voight and butting into the Chief's interview is so in character for him. I'd actually like to see Tom Amandes guest on Chicago PD and butt heads with Voight after watching this episode.

 

Otis and Sylvie is random and pretty much the exact same as Cruz and Sylvie.

 

The three girls looked gorgeous at the gala.