SkimIt
Despite the name Chicago Fire, this show is as much about the personal lives of the cast as anything else. That’s especially the case this week as the squad struggles to solve a number of harrowing personal issues.
Chicago Fire starring Jesse Spencer and Taylor Kinney airs on NBC Wednesdays at 10:00 pm ET.
Dawson Really Will Do Anything to Save Her Brother
Tonight’s episode begins right where the last episode ended. Dawson’s (Monica Raymund’s) undercover cop brother has been shot in a drive-by in the hospital parking lot. She manages to keep him alive long enough to get him into the emergency room, but given the amount of blood, the long-term prognosis can’t be good. Shay (Lauren German) is already at the hospital with Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Claire, who has just had her baby. She rushes to be with Dawson, who is emotionally gutted by the shooting.
Later everyone is back at the firehouse and Dawson tells everyone her brother is still in critical condition. A detective from the narcotics squad shows up to speak with Dawson, but it’s obvious he’s as interested in investigating her brother as the person who shot him. She refuses to talk to him, but I’m pretty sure this power play isn’t over.
Over dinner, Herrmann (David Eigenberg) talks with Oscar about their bar and says their new “silent” partner will be over later to discuss things. Given the guy is probably connected to organized crime, they are likely to be in for a rough partnership.
The Silent Partners Can be the Scariest Ones
The squad gets a call to the lakefront for a possible drowning. A boy has fallen into the water and he’s been under for maybe five minutes. Severide throws on a wet suit and goes into the water. He finds the boy and brings him to the shore, but it’s not clear if he’s still alive. Shay, Mills and Dawson treat him as they rush to the hospital. He appears to be dead but as they continue to work on him he develops a mild, but noticeable pulse.
Back at the firehouse, Herrman and Oscar meet their new partner Schmidt. He tells them he’s an equal partner, which Hermann doesn’t agree with it at all. He tells Schmidt that he’ll be taken care of, dependent on what he brings to the table. Schmidt doesn’t say much and in this case that’s probably not a good thing.
Dawson goes to the hospital to visit her brother, who’s now conscious. He tells her that narcotics detective is out to get his badge from him. Dawson reminds him that if his shooting was gang-related, one cop would know the details. She goes to visit Voight in prison, which is where he was sent after harassing Casey (Jesse Spencer). He tells Dawson he’ll help, but it’ll cost her an unspecified favor and she agrees.
A Chicago City Inspector on the Take…I’m Shocked
The city inspector is looking over Hermann and Oscar’s new bar and he tells them he can’t approve the layout. He tells them that he had an understanding with the previous owner and Oscar tries to offer him a bribe. The inspector laughs it off, which can’t be a good sign.
At the same time Dawson is making a visit to the building where Voight said she’d find someone who could testify against the gang members that shot her brother. He warned her not to go alone but there she is, wading into danger. The informant pulls a gun on her and she manages to gasp out why she’s there. He tells her if she ever comes back, he will “blow her head clean off.”
Back at the firehouse, Battalion Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) brings in Dawson and tells her the word has already gotten back to him about her prison visit. He warns her that news about the visit is going to travel fast and he suggests she talk to Casey and explain her decision before he hears it from someone else. She takes his advice and it doesn’t go well. Not surprisingly, Casey is not thrilled she’s seeking advice from the bad cop who tried to kill him.
The Hoarding House of Death
The inspector shows up at the firehouse with Schmidt and tells Herrmann and Oscar everything has been approved. He’s now limping and based on Schmidt’s gaze, it seems he’s figured out what he can contribute to earn his 25 percent share of the bar.
The squad gets a call to a house collapse and when they arrive the house has begun to fold in on itself. A neighbor tells the fireman that the resident is a “crazy hoarder” and they could hear the floors creaking for months. The ground level of the house has collapsed into the basement. They make their way into the basement using airbags and wood to create a path through the debris and junk. They pull out a scared teenage couple, who had been making out in the basement.
That night Herrmann visits the bar and sees Schmidt. He tells his potential partner that what is standing between him and a long-deserved success is his attitude. He hands Schmidt a crowbar and tells him that if he wants to break his leg like he did with the inspector, have at it. Otherwise, he’ll give Schmidt a one percent interest for simply walking away and staying away. Unbelievably, he agrees but it’s not clear if he really means it.
Back at the hospital Dawson’s brother tells her he’s off the hook. Voight’s witness came through and his name is clear. But Dawson now owes Voight a favor and soon enough that will ruin her life.
