I hate to say it, but I’m so glad this is the penultimate episode of season 12.
This season has had some decent storylines, but frankly, the majority have been pretty boring. For a series based on action and drama, there has been a distinct shortage of these elements over the last twelve episodes.
This episode lacked the exciting sequels we were hoping to see after Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode 11 and didn’t answer any of our questions. What do we need to do to get a sense of context?
The episode wasn’t that bad. To be completely fair, the growing bond between Violet and Novak (who introduced herself as Lizzie again in this episode, so who knows where all the online sources got “Lyla”) has been nice to see .
Novak opened up a lot more, giving Violet and viewers a glimpse into who she is. For someone who has made it clear that she prefers to move on frequently and remain free of attachment, it’s starting to become clear that Novak is quite sentimental and emotional.
She faced a very difficult call that involved the discovery of a deceased patient, which would be traumatic for anyone, and it affected her more than we could have expected. Honestly, Novak seemed a little surprised by her own reaction.
Seeing Violet show up for her new partner and give him a shoulder to cry on was pretty awesome. This relationship will probably also be very good for Violet, who needs a reliable partner who takes work as seriously as she does.
Violet cares deeply about the people she cares for, and she sees that in Novak as well. Although this can sometimes be seen as a weakness in their job, their empathy is, as Violet says, a superpower.
Violet: I noticed you have this super power. This deep empathy. The way you connect with people, it’s a true gift.
Novak: Yeah, I’m not so sure anymore.
There was a moment in Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode 12 where it looked like we might be dealing with a casualty. Cruz fell after a rescue during a call and had to be taken to medical for evaluation.
We already know we’ll be saying goodbye to an important character next week, thanks to Eamonn Walker’s departure from the show, so it seemed unlikely they’d kill Cruz off without warning.
It’s clear the writers wanted us to be on the edge of our seat during this scene, but it seemed so forced and unrealistic. There were moments in Chicago Fire where I held my breath for fear of losing a beloved character, but this wasn’t one of them.
The thing is, I want the kind of suspense they’re trying to create, so it’s not that I don’t understand what the writers are trying to do. It falls flat for one reason or another.
Here’s hoping next week’s finale can capture that feeling better than the rest of the short season managed to do.
Speaking of Boden’s absence and upcoming departure, there has been a lot of speculation about what would happen to his job after he leaves.
It seems unlikely that Severide will take over: he is not technically qualified and absolutely hates the paperwork-heavy side of leadership.
Additionally, Paramedic Chief Robinson is currently playing with his agenda. If the final minutes of this episode mean anything, Severide and Lennox are likely going to take risks to thwart her as she tries to sneak into the promotion she wants.
Depending on what they do, it’s unlikely to result in a promotion for Severide. Hopefully Stella comes back before he does something stupid enough to get himself fired, or joins Lennox at the unemployment office.
On that note, what exactly is Lennox’s point of view in all this? After Severide essentially had him fired, it seemed a little out of character for Lennox to come and warn the lieutenant about Robinson’s motives.
Given how little context we’ve been given for other weird moments this season, I doubt we’ll ever know why Lennox was weird about it.
Several key characters were missing from this episode. At this stage, the explanations for their absences become fragile. Stella, Carver, Mouch, Boden and Hermann were among those absent this week.
That’s probably a big part of what made this season boring. Mouch is one of the most entertaining characters on Chicago Fire, so we miss his presence when he’s not around.
While Boden was away, Hermann began to feel like a substitute father figure to some of the others. Cruz could have used Hermann’s advice about his struggles with Chloe, but instead he was forced to talk with Capp, who was virtually clueless.
Hopefully next season will bring more consistency in the casting and the storylines of each of them that will interest us.
With the season finale upon us, we only have one episode left to get a few questions answered. Some important issues, like what’s happening with Damon, how they’ll handle their goodbye to Boden, and what mysteries await Stellaride, are on fans’ minds as the season ends.
People are particularly curious about whether a baby Stellaride could be on the horizon and whether Damon has any past ties to a member of the team.
So, what do you think ? Are we too harsh in our view of the season so far?
While you wait for next week’s finale, you can watch Chicago Fire online and discuss your theories with us in the comments.
Haley Whitmire White is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow her on.
