S05.E10: The People We Meet

[WendyCR72]

A week off before this airs:

Severide agrees to a bone marrow donation but a work accident throws everything into flux. Casey and Dawson try to find harmony at home. Meanwhile, Otis and Mouch decide to film a PSA encouraging people to join the Chicago Fire Department but hit a creative wall in the process.

[Crs97]

Two laugh out loud moments, neither of which was intentional on the part of the showrunners:

1.  When the grandmother thanked Gabby for making Louie so happy

2.  When Gabby kept having the push the monkey Louie was holding out of her camera shot during her big emotional scene

[LittleIggy]

The little boy playing Louie was adorable, but, gee, that was the saddest looking kid. Did he ever smile?

Severide having that bone marrow extraction was excruciating to watch! Kelly got to have a Civil War style surgery experience.

[Crs97]

It might've been nice to have someone explain, even in a throwaway line, why Kelly couldn't be put under general anesthesia for the procedure. I'm sure the national bone marrow agency is swamped with new volunteer registries after this storyline.  It just felt like irresponsible story-telling unless it's true that donating bone marrow is among the most painful procedures ever.  Smh 

[milner]

The only time Louie spoke was when he was facing away from the camera.  I don't think the little actor can actually speak. For a time I thought a story line was going to be that he had a learning disability or that the trauma he had experienced in his young life had rendered him mute. Shows what I know!

[izabella]

Well, I hope Louie ends up happier with his dad and new family because he sure never seemed happy with Gabby and Casey!

Severide is nuts.  So he saves that woman's life and they fall in love.  Ok, but they barely know each other despite that, so I'm going to need more if they want to sell her as "the love of his life" all of a sudden. 

[MakeMeLaugh]

Severide finding his soulmate is a ripped from the headlines plot line (here is a recent example:  http://abc7chicago.com/health/life-saving-liver-donation-leads-to-love-for-frankfort-couple/1147452/). Not sure why he could have pain meds after the extraction and not during it. 

Gabby's eyebrows were wiggling right up her forehead as she emoted during her big scenes, while Casey's subtle reactions were so much more effective. Way to make Louie happy and excited about his new family--nah it's all about Gabby. Laughed out loud when they left him to pack his own suitcase, and then again when he had to pull it himself down the sidewalk. Poor Louie. Ah well, let's see how Gabby reinvents herself now!

Edited January 18, 2017 by MakeMeLaugh

[Lillybee]

I was surprised that Dawson did the right thing  and allowed Louie to go with bio dad.

[Dowel Jones]

So Casey and Gabby's address is 911.  Cute.

Someone please explain how Severide can swan dive from 15' up (or more), hit the ground with his torso, and be up walking around the next day.  No broken bones, no nothing. 

Otis's blown chance at film stardom reminds me of my hobby of skydiving.  More than a few jumps have been lost due to one thing:  Don't forget to turn on the camera.

[Chas411]

I'm surprised Gabby gave him up but from a storytelling point of view I can see how they couldn't realistically keep him with both Gabby and Casey still on the same shift.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Two laugh out loud moments, neither of which was intentional on the part of the showrunners:

1.  When the grandmother thanked Gabby for making Louie so happy

Honestly - is Grandma watching the same show we are? Frankly, they could not have gotten rid of Louie quick enough. It's become downright laughable how sad that kid always looks! Like at the start of the episode when he's sitting at the kitchen table, and Gabby sets down a bowl and spoon in front of him, and he just stares at it like he wants to cry. Jeez! Cheer up kid it's only cereal! 

Look - clearly someone in the casting department thought this poor little kid was adorable but GOD - he looks terrified. It's like watching child abuse and we're expected to pretend he's acting like a normal kid? We're not stupid. And nobody bought that he was actually talking either - too obvious his back was to the camera and someone else's voice was dubbed in. He never talks. You know how much normal kids that age chatter? You can't shut them up. If they weren't going to do a story acknowledging that something is clearly wrong with him they needed to get rid of him. So, good riddance.

I had to fast forward thru Severide's gruesome bone marrow extraction. I'm not into torture porn.

Quote

Someone please explain how Severide can swan dive from 15' up (or more), hit the ground with his torso, and be up walking around the next day.  No broken bones, no nothing. 

He was lucky, but in fact fire fighters are trained how to break their fall, and the heavy gear they are wearing pads them pretty well. It still would have been more realistic if he'd had at least a sprained ankle or broken wrist.

[Driad]

I didn't see all of this episode, but did they really imply that the only way to donate bone marrow is with painful surgery? That is false, and irresponsible because it could influence potential donors not to donate. There are two methods, one surgical (with anesthesia) and one more like giving blood. Info from the experts:

https://bethematch.org/transplant-basics/how-marrow-donation-works/steps-of-bone-marrow-or-pbsc-donation/

[Sake614]

Color me shocked that St. GAbby did the right thing and gave up Louie. Loved the twist of Andre bringing his whole family and then saying his uncle wanted to come but he thought it would be overkill, lol! Also really glad he came back and had a reasonable explanation for missing the meeting.

bye Louie. Maybe now you'll actually smile. But thankfully it won't be on my screen.

[Artsda]

So I guess Severide's arrest plot is over? He goes from that to jumping out of buildings to surgery without pain relief? Didn't Severide have an issue with pain killers earlier in the show?  

[Dowel Jones]

Don't worry about Louie.  The father (or his family) will probably do something unusually stupid and everyone will have to traipse on over to Chicago Justice to sort it out.  The saga continues.

[WendyCR72]

3 minutes ago, Dowel Jones said:

Don't worry about Louie.  The father (or his family) will probably do something unusually stupid and everyone will have to traipse on over to Chicago Justice to sort it out.  The saga continues.

Take that back! Take that back RIGHT NOW before someone connected to the franchise reads this nonsense!

[statsgirl]

9 hours ago, Driad said:

I didn't see all of this episode, but did they really imply that the only way to donate bone marrow is with painful surgery? That is false, and irresponsible because it could influence potential donors not to donate. There are two methods, one surgical (with anesthesia) and one more like giving blood. Info from the experts:

https://bethematch.org/transplant-basics/how-marrow-donation-works/steps-of-bone-marrow-or-pbsc-donation/

They said that Severide couldn't have the epidural because he hurt his spinal chord (????)  No one said anything about the non-surgical technique.

I couldn't understand why they didn't consider hypnosis (my mother was allergic to local anaesthetics and had her root canals under hypnosis) or acupuncture.  Or why  medical student was doing instead of a real doctor who had done it many times before and presumably could have done it with less pain for the donor.

I'm so glad I'm not invested in this show so I don't go into a rage over stupid things like this.

Speaking of which, I know Gabby is pretty much hated here but in spite of Louie's gadziliion relatives, I think it would have been better for the child's separation issues to leave him with Dawson and Casey.  He's recently lost his mother, the only relative he knew he had, he ended up in the system and now he's finally adjusted to living with Casey & Dawson.  Putting him with his dad now is not only going to traumatize him yet again, he's going to be in and out of whatever relative takes him during his father's deployment and possible future tours as opposed to having a stable two parent family.  His dad's family could still be involved with him, they could still take him on sleepovers and trips but at least he would have a stable home he knows he's going to return to.

[Sake614]

11 hours ago, statsgirl said:

he's going to be in and out of whatever relative takes him during his father's deployment

he said his superior officer was supportive of him staying close to home so he could raise Louie. So that doesn't appear to be an issue. And if he does deploy later on, Louie will already be acclimated to him and his family.

I'm just glad we don't have to see that sad sack kid anymore. He's a cutie for sure, but he NEVER smiled. Not once.

[Sandman]

On 2017-01-18 at 2:29 AM, Dowel Jones said:

So Casey and Gabby's address is 911.  Cute.

I noticed that, too.

I know I'm a sap, but I found the whole episode brutal. I don't even mind that Louie never smiled -- given his history, I thought it was one of the more realistic aspects of the storyline. I agree that changing Louie's family situation yet again could aggravate his anxiety. André's family better be prepared for some rough road. I give Gabi and Casey credit for trying to do the right thing.

I didn't understand why general anesthesia wasn't appropriate in Severide's donation. I wasn't even aware of the non-surgical option. I knew that Stella and her Ears of Woe were going to turn up just when Severide was cosying up to Anna.

Did anyone else see the "Ripped from the headlines" preview for Chicago Justice? They're not even trying to pretend that it's not L&O: The Next Generation anymore, are they?

Edited January 19, 2017 by Sandman

[ChicksDigScars]

Well, L&O, Next Generation, New Zip Code. 

I see that Dick Wolf took a page out of the Shonda Rhimes "look-out-for-the-anvils"  formula of weekly drama writing. As soon as I saw the kids on the curb, I knew that it was going to be Gabby's Come to Jesus Moment regarding Louie. And when the kids said that Daddy went back for their sister (Whatta Good Daddy), I was checking the ceiling for falling anvils. 

Edited January 19, 2017 by ChicksDigScars

[Sandman]

Yeah, the Hero Daddy bit was laying it on a little thick, even for this show.

[juliet73]

On 1/19/2017 at 8:29 AM, Sake614 said:

he said his superior officer was supportive of him staying close to home so he could raise Louie. So that doesn't appear to be an issue. And if he does deploy later on, Louie will already be acclimated to him and his family.

 

The dad was being stationed to Rock Island, IL which is about a 3 hour drive from Chicago.  Yes, it's closer than Afghanistan, but it's not like he and Louie are going to be right around the corner for daily visits or last minute babysitting, etc. Either way I'm glad that storyline is over. 

I thought Stella and Severide were just "friends with benefits". Now he has to choose between her and the cancer girl? Seriously? 

Otis, Cruz and Herrmann are so under used. Give these guys an actual storyline already! 

[iMonrey]

Not to mention the thankless job that is playing Capp. The guy is lucky to get one line of dialogue every few episodes.

[MakeMeLaugh]

Severide's "choose between Stella and Anna" is the same story line from season 1 when Gabby was carrying a torch for Casey while he was engaged to Haley. Come on, Show--like Stella doesn't have other options?

[Court]

Unless there is abuse, drugs, or neglect, the courts are going to place the child with the biological family. Even if Louie's dad was on drugs, someone in his family would have been likely awarded custody.