Chicago Fire - Headlong Toward Disaster - Review

Chicago Fire – Headlong Toward Disaster – Review

Well, well, well…looks like Saint Casey had a weekend-long rendezvous with Bar Slut, Beth. This is a side of Casey we’ve never seen, and while I don’t particularly care for it, it’s nice to see him with a little life, a little story. He was getting boring.

With his father’s passing, Chief Boden will be out on furlough, and Chief Pritchett will be filling in. Before he even says a word, you know exactly what kind of man Chief Pritchett is – hint, not a good one. On their first call, not only does Pritchett show his lack of instinct on the job, but also how much of a jerk he can be. When Otis slips and falls on a bowling lane, he belittles him and mocks him, something Boden would never do.

After the first call, Beth shows up at the house to finalize divorce papers with her soon-to-be ex-husband. Drumroll please…it’s Pritchett! Of course it’s Pritchett. So not only is Casey sleeping with his new chief’s wife, but Pritchett doesn’t care for Casey. Seeing as how Casey is one of the best guys there is and Pritchett one of the worst, they naturally butt heads almost instantly. While I obviously don’t care for Pritchett, his character creates an excellent foil for Casey, which will hopefully continue to bring him out of his boring funk. Though after the second call of the night, I’m not so sure that Pritchett isn’t hell-bent on making sure Casey doesn’t come out of a burning building at some point.

We finally got some quality bro time between Casey and Severide! In a weird twist of events, it’s Severide telling Casey he’s being too reckless with Beth. While I don’t love that Casey and Dawson are broken up, I do love the scenes we get with Casey and Severide as a result. Keep them coming!

When the pipe breaks in Sylvie and Dawson’s apartment, Dawson calls Casey. Oh these two, when will they get it together? In a cheesy, cliché moment, the sink sprays all over Casey, and it’s clear the two still love each other.

With Newhouse still out on furlough, Squad is short a member and guess who Pritchett brings in? Tommy Welch! I know I shouldn’t be excited to see him (Firehouse 51 certainly isn’t), but I was disappointed when he left. He’s a controversial character, but I feel like there’s so much we don’t know about him yet, and I stand by what I said earlier this season – I bet we come out of this liking Tommy Welch.

Welch doesn’t receive the warmest of welcomes, but surprisingly, I think his way in will be Dawson. I don’t think his problem with Dawson was ever about Dawson; there’s clearly something in his past we don’t know yet. Anyway, Welch seems to be open to making amends and I hope they do. He could be an excellent addition to a pretty bland Squad (with the exception of Newhouse and Severide, of course).

Later, Beth stops by the firehouse on divorce business, but also to see Casey. She kisses him, even though Casey tells her their affair has to stop. I’m glad he ended it, but not before Welch saw the kiss. Well shoot.

When Pritchett has Casey and Severide cleaning windows for insubordination, Casey looks in and sees Dawson below. Welch approaches her, and at first, I think he’s worried for her; it’s almost a jealous look, like he’s afraid Welch will swoop in (what in interesting turn of events that would be…). Then, the look becomes fear, as it’s clear to Casey that Welch told Dawson about his little fling with Beth. Hell hath no fury…watch out, Casey.

Herrmann visits Boden to keep him updated on the goings on at 51. Chief is more bothered than I thought he would be about having Welch in the house, but the scenes do end up being comedic. Boden is a new dad, and Herrmann has like 10 kids (exaggeration, yes, but I’m close). It’s clear who the new dad is, and who has been doing it for years. When Baby Boden won’t stop crying, Herrmann puts him on the floor and gives him his key ring.

“Is that a pocket knife on that key ring?” asks Boden.
“He’ll never get that thing open. Those tiny fingers?” responds Herrmann. Love him.

The girl Sylvie saved, Celia, shows up at the firehouse to thank Sylvie. She seems eager and earnest and sweet, and call me a skeptic, but there’s something there we don’t know. I think she’s got ulterior motives. But of course, Sylvie and her good hearted sweetness can’t resist, and she gets involved. When Celia tells her she lost her guitar, Sylvie buys her another one.

Is it just me or is Capp getting a lot more attention as of late? For someone who has been virtually nonexistent for two and a half seasons, he’s seen quite a bit of screen time these past few weeks. What’s your angle here, writers? I mean, I know I complain about the men of Squad never being in the spotlight, but Capp is not the answer. Dream team: Severide leading Newhouse, Clark (still miss you, Jeff Clark!), and yes, Welch. Now there’s an intriguing Squad.

What did you think of the episode? How long will Pritchett stick around? How long will Welch be around?

About the Author - Meghan Reynolds

A Colorado native, Meghan was born a raised a Denver Broncos fan. Aside from football, she loves storytelling, whether it be movies, television, books, or music. Some of her favorite shows of the past and present include LOST, Friends, The Office, Scandal, Chicago PD, and Chicago Fire. She is excited to be reviewing two of those shows for SpoilerTV, Chicago PD and Chicago Fire.