Marvelous Geeks

I started Chicago Fire because I was intrigued by the relationships, but I stayed because of the characters, with Eamonn Walker’s Chief Boden at the top of the list. In most reviews and features, I’ve often referred to him as the heart of Firehouse 51, and that much is still accurate, even while he’s no longer there. They are a family because of the admiration and kindness he’s shown them, and they’ll undoubtedly continue to be because of everything he’s given. Still, even this temporary goodbye hurts.

Chicago Fire 12×13 “Never Say Goodbye” underlines that this isn’t goodbye, and for once, we could believe them. We know that while Walker is stepping down, the character is still looking out for his family, ensuring that some of the frustrating scenarios we’ve seen in the past two seasons die down a bit. At the same time, the episode drops two massive confessions, which could lead to riveting narrative arcs in Season 13. 

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Chicago Fire Season 11, Episode 5 gives fans a spooky season episode to dive into with a lighter tone that brings Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd’s best to the surface. But a trigger warning is due for those of us, Sylvie Brett included, who have coulrophobia (fear of clowns).

As Violet states, getting yelled at by Gallo and Ritter is the most normal she’s felt since returning to work after Evan’s death. And in a nutshell, Chicago Fire’s “Haunted House” subtly digs into this idea of normalcy by allowing its characters to make mistakes without necessarily dealing with the aftermath. Further, while it’s nice to see that Violet is feeling better, I once again hope the series doesn’t merely gloss over her grief.

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What did Evan die for? It’s hard to answer this question in the wake of grief as much as it is to grieve. But Chicago Fire’s “The Center of the Universe” tries its best to. On a show like this, it’s easy to get attached to many of its characters. It’s why you can’t stop watching when something terrible happens to a favorite character. Firehouse 51 is a special place with genuinely good people who’d do anything to protect one of their own and those in the world.  

Chicago Fire 11×04 is a harrowing episode to break down, maybe even worse than “Completely Shattered” because grief is seldom an easy topic to examine. However, much like the title suggests, grief is at the center of the universe. It’s a part of all of us. If you haven’t experienced life-changing grief yourself, the chances are you know someone who has. It changes you, wraps itself around every junction of your being, and stays with you for the rest of your life. This episode frames the ravages of grief through Violet and Chief Boden while making it abundantly clear that the heart of the series remains this work family.

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There’s a reason that Chicago Fire remains the heart of the One Chicago universe, and it’s by virtue of its characters. At the top of the list is Chief Wallace Boden, the pinnacle of a leader and proof that every successful workplace is only as good as who’s on top.

When Boden’s trip to the supermarket is interrupted by an active shooter, he does what he does best–he reasons and shows his heart, allowing the young man to eventually understand that there’s plenty of heart still left in this world. There’s a lot about this episode that works, but it all boils down to the work Eamonn Walker puts in as Chief Boden, as well as the rest of the squad outside the store. The tension throughout is utterly harrowing, and the stakes are incredibly high, but somehow, when we make it to the end, it’s the type of rewarding episode that people will take about for days to come.

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