Last night’s Chicago Fire felt like there was almost too much going on at times.
Severide was investigating a murder. Kidd was trying to find recruits for her Girls on Fire program. The Reddit guy was looking for Casey. Plus, Brett was feeling insecure about her newly formed bond with Julie, her birth mother.
But then Julie was having contractions, and then she was dead. Let me say that again. One minute she was having fun with Sylvie at a bar, and then the next thing we know, she was dead.
What the hell just happened? I thought for sure she was going to be bad news for Brett, but now I just can’t reconcile with the fact that she’s just suddenly gone. We will talk more in-depth about this in a minute, but seriously.
What the hell just happened?
Severide and his missed calling as a detective
Let’s be honest here.
Our boy Kelly loves playing detective. He can’t see a case that smells fishy that doesn’t send his detective radar off the charts, and he just needs to be involved.
So when a fire in a motel turns out to be a murder case, he joins forces with OFI’s Wendy Seager to investigate.
Seager, who is already working closely with Stella on trying to promote the Girls on Fire program, obviously jumps at the chance to work with Kelly Severide and leaves Kidd to fend for herself.
Insert eye-roll here.
Their investigation points to the fact that whoever did it used an accelerant to burn down a motel room, so they could hide the fact that a murder had just taken place.
In the end, it’s Boden that points Severide in the right direction.
While Kelly and Seager think that the janitor may have done it — because the accelerant used was a substance often found in cleaning supplies — Boden points out that that particular substance also cleans medical supplies.
And guess what, the victim had attended a medical supply conference, representing his company with a few other colleagues.
So it turns out the killer was his junkie coworker, who killed the kid dealing drugs outside the convention center, and then killed his colleague who had seen the whole thing, to shut him up.
The poor guy was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Girls of Fire
I love that Kidd is the one spearheading this. It gives her a fantastic storyline of her own, it shows her leadership skills, and I hope it’s the one thing that paves the way for her to make ranking officer.
Because if there’s anyone in that Firehouse who deserves that, it’s Stella Kidd.
I don’t love that they brought Wendy Seager into this because it automatically links this storyline to Severide. Seriously, Bechdel test, anyone?
She could have done just fine without Seager and the jealousy that comes with her presence.
That said, I would have been devastated if the program was taken down before it could even get off the ground. But I am so, so glad that it was Stella’s effort with Kylie that ultimately convinced the girl to show up and bring her friends.
I see nothing but good things coming out of this storyline — as long as Seager keeps her claws to herself and far, far away from Severide.
Newly orphaned Sylvie Brett
Have you guys recovered from that one-two sucker punch they delivered last night? I know I haven’t.
From the moment this storyline started, I had a feeling this was going to end in heartbreak for Brett. I just knew it. But I was sure that Julie had an angle for contacting Brett out of the blue, especially now that she was pregnant.
Of course, it had to be a scam, or she needed a kidney or something.
But then Julie was super nice, and they bonded, and for the first time in a while, we saw Brett happy. She met her birth mother, they formed a great bond, got along fantastically well, she has this blossoming thing with Casey.
Everything was great. And she deserved that, especially after losing Otis and her failed engagement.
But this is Chicago Fire. Of course, they had to pull the rug from under her and kick her while she was down. When Julie showed up at the Firehouse in labor, Brett was so happy.
She was going to meet her little sister, and everything was going to be just fine. Julie had just reassured her that she was part of the family.
Everything was great.
When the doctor showed up for the second time and delivered the news, I felt the ground disappear from under my feet. I was expecting anything, but not that. I was not expecting Julie to die. Just like that. She was just… gone.
Brett didn’t even get to say goodbye.
Kara Killmer delivered one hell of a performance because the shell-shocked look on her face was heartbreaking. And then, when she held her little sister for the first time and finally broke down… my heart, you guys.
I have no idea where we’re going from here. A possible outcome would be that Scott bails on the baby, and Sylvie suddenly finds herself having to raise a child.
Or the total opposite — he takes the baby away and doesn’t let Sylvie have any contact.
Whatever happens, I hope it’s something that, at the very least, helps Brett grow. Because if this doesn’t have any consequences, then what was the point? I hope this wasn’t just pain for the sake of pain.
Because, right now, my heart is broken for Sylvie Brett. It’s just not fair.
Chicago Fire airs on Wednesdays at 9/8C on NBC.