Chicago Fire Review: A Breaking Point (Season 6 Episode 4)

Gabby Dawson has a special chance to shine on Chicago Fire Season 6 Episode 4, “A Breaking Point.”

Even if you hadn’t seen the previews for the episode, it doesn’t take long to realize something is going to keep Dawson from Casey’s promotion ceremony.

Their phone conversation at the beginning of the episode immediately fills us with a sense of dread, despite the cuteness of the couple and the fact that Dawson has a special surprise for her husband. Casey confirms the time of the ceremony and asks when she’ll be there, and she promises she’ll be there an hour before.

Yeah, that doesn’t happen.

Because it’s just then that Dawson notices falling concrete at a construction site, and realizing just how dangerous it is, tries to intervene.

She doesn’t think twice, and when the construction worker she tries to reason with treats her as insignificant, she goes around him. She runs into the parking deck shouting for everyone to get out as fast as they can. It’s not the smartest move, but it’s the quickest thing she can come up with, and her own safety is the last thing she has on her mind.

All of that is true to her character, and when the parking structure collapses, she steps up naturally as a leader.

Though that’s not to say that her leadership isn’t met with some resistance. Will Tucker puts himself in place as a leader — even when that leadership is poor. The others go along with Will on the plan to dig their way out despite a firefighter’s determination that doing so is far too dangerous.

Yes, the fact that he’s in uniform would suggest to the others that he would make a good leader in a desperate situation, but you have to wonder if Dawson were a man whether they’d have all listened to her instead.

In fact, you have to wonder if the construction worker who blows her off would have reacted differently as well.

Maybe not, but I think putting Dawson in this situation — because she’s a woman — is largely the point. She’s the leader and the hero here, not any kind of damsel in distress, and that’s inspiring.

Meanwhile, back at the fire department, Casey is adjusting early to his new role as Captain, and no one envies him. It’s an honor, of course, but the extra work of it has clearly caught him a bit off guard.

That provides a bit of much-needed humor (including a new firehouse pet!), for what this show does consistently well — offering balance. While the focus is on Dawson and a life-threatening situation, we still get moments to breathe a little.

Casey is increasingly concerned that no one has heard from Dawson, and she doesn’t show up when she says she will — and thankfully, with everyone dressed for a proper ceremony, they’re all able to put together where she is once Herrmann’s wife says where Dawson really was that morning.

We get a parallel when the team arrives to the scene, though this time, it feels more hopeful.

They get the elevator phone working, and Dawson is able to get through to the firefighters outside, eventually on the line with Casey. It mirrors, just a little, the Season 5 finale when Casey said goodbye to her, sure that he was going to die in that fire.

There are no goodbyes on this call, though. Instead, it’s a plan for rescue. And thank goodness, that plan works.

Casey’s ceremony is that much more special with everyone a bit scuffed up from the rescue, and Dawson’s present for him still in tact — a badge that belonged to the first captain Firehouse 51 ever had.

Casey holding back tears and trying to look stoic makes it such a sweet and emotional moment. The respect these two have for one another is such a key part of their relationship, and that’s shown yet again when Casey stops the applause to take a moment to honor his wife for the leadership she showed that day.

Other thoughts:

• We still have reason to be suspicious of Hope. As Kidd points out, she has an explanation for everything. She’s still got me nervous.
• Colleen is flat out awful. Even at the end once they’ve all been rescued, she can’t look a man of color in the eye when he offers a kind gesture. It’s just sad.
• Will Tucker sums up the episode perfectly at the end: “You’re a badass, Gabby Dawson. Thanks for keeping us alive down there.”

What did you think of this episode of Chicago Fire? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Chicago Fire airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.

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