Chicago Fire Review: A Man’s Legacy (Season 6 Episode 7)
We’re back from hiatus after a cliffhanger that left us wondering if Gabby Dawson was about to experience another loss.
On Chicago Fire Season 6 Episode 7, “A Man’s Legacy,” we learn Ramon’s fate in an episode that has more than one character examining their relationship with a parent.
Thankfully, Gabby’s father is going to be just fine. It’s an intense couple of minutes as Gabby drives the ambulance carrying her own dad, trusting Brett to take care of him in the back. Once at the hospital, it’s revealed pretty swiftly that he’s going to be okay.
On the one hand, it’s a bit of a relief emotionally not to sit through an episode wondering if he’s going to pull through, but with such a dramatic cliffhanger, the resolution feels a bit rushed here.
It’s similar to how fast we learned Casey was okay at the beginning of Chicago Fire Season 6 Episode 1, “It Wasn’t Enough.” It’s good news, especially because we don’t want to see Gabby go through more trauma at this point, but the payoff just isn’t there.
The point is more about what happens next, though. Gabby is forced to face how she’s been treating her father, who as it turns out, was stabbed because he was trying to help someone else, and he stepped in front of the knife.
Obviously, Gabby feels guilty for their last conversation. It’s actually something I wish we would have explored further — along with her reaction to the attention he gets in the hospital — but it’s an interesting way to have her evlauate their relationship and to see them bond at the end.
Because the most emotional moment from “A Man’s Legacy” comes from her father telling her she’s the real hero, not him.
Ramon: You’re there for people even when they’re at their worst … You’re the real hero. My hero.
Meanwhile, Chief Boden reflects on his relationship with his own father, but in a very different way. After rescuing a Blues legend from an electrical fire, Boden is heartbroken to see what has happened to the man — Stoke Porter.
He questions what good a man’s legacy is if it can’t keep him from ending up broke, sick, and alone. It’s devastating for him to see someone who meant so much to him (we find out later why) in such a bad state. Worse, Porter doesn’t make it.
Doing what Chicago Fire does so well, there’s a good balance of humor and heart throughout the episode. Part of that humor comes from Boden roping Matt and Mouch into a night of listening to blues and smoking cigars with him. They have no idea why they’re doing it, but they go along with it because Matt realizes very simply that it’s what Boden needs in that moment.
Watching them follow along without realizing why is funny and also endearing — that’s loyalty, and it’s sweet of them not to question it.
It’s not until the Molly’s II opening that we find out the significance of Stoke Porter to Boden. He shares the story with Porter’s daughter.
It was the first time his father took him to listen to Porter, and he was able to identify with his dad in a way he’s never been able to before through that music. It’s a powerful moment. I love getting those bits of back story and emotion from Chief Boden probably more than any other character.
The Molly’s II opening, by the way, has its own drama and its own humor. Otis forces the opening to happen more quickly than it should because he wants to impress a girl, and thankfully, it works out okay — even despite his horribly awkward radio flub.
That scene is almost unbearable to watch. As it embarrassing as it is for Otis, it’s made so much worse by the douchebag radio host. Does that guy really think this is the way to Stella’s heart? I hope not.
What’s nice about that entire plotline is the support Otis gets from his friends. They all realize it’s a bad idea to open that early, but they go along with it because it’s what Otis needs in that moment, much like Matt and Mouch go along with Boden. There’s a theme of loyalty and of standing by one another that carries the episode, even in the small ways.
Other Thoughts:
- Stella’s awkwardness around Severide is so revealing, but what I appreciate more is Severide’s reaction to it. “I’m gonna let her sort it out. If she wants to talk to me about it, she will.”
- In true Gabby Dawson fashion, she runs after a civilian going back into building that was on fire — and not in firefighter gear, but as a paramedic. The situation almost turns deadly, of course, but everyone comes out okay.
- Brett and Antonio! More of these two, please.
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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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.