Chicago Fire Review: The Whole Point of Being Roommates (Season 6 Episode 8)

The best part of Chicago Fire Season 6 Episode 8, “The Whole Point of Being Roommates,” is Gabby Dawson being exactly who she is.

Dawson has never been someone to stay within the guidelines when she felt she shouldn’t. Even when we first met her on the pilot episode, she was quick to bend the rules if it meant saving a little girl’s life.

Now, she’s going above and beyond her duties as she becomes invested in a teenager who is clearly in need of some help.

This is what I admire about Gabby, even when you know she’s going to wind up getting in trouble or causing other problems by getting involved in things when she doesn’t have to.

It’s in her nature to want to help people beyond just saving their lives, and regardless of how problematic that can be at times, it’s what makes her a hero.

No one was shocked when she ran after the girl on Chicago Fire Season 6 Episode 7, “A Man’s Legacy,” despite the danger. And it’s certainly not surprising that as soon as she feels in her gut something is wrong with Bria’s situation, she makes it her mission to find out.

Bria is in a terrible spot, and as much as we don’t want to see her taken away from her father, whose story is actually quite sympathetic, we know that she deserves better care. On top of that, her father should be getting the help he needs.

Gabby’s not alone in wanting to help — Severide is becoming invested in it too, in part because he sees that Bria is a good kid in a bad situation, and I think also in part because he doesn’t want Gabby to go it alone.

So why isn’t it Casey who is by her side with this instead?

This is something the two of them have struggled with before. Casey is more reserved in these kinds of situations, which in the long run, is a probably a good balance for their relationship.

It’s telling, though, that his first instinct is actually that Bria is lying about her father and pulling one over on Gabby. But thankfully Casey knows when to close his mouth and walk away. For now.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t already tension between them over it, and that worries me.

But he knows this is a big part of who Gabby is — don’t forget about how the two of them ended up with Louie in the first place.

Speaking of which… the previews for this episode feel telling. It’s been a while since Gabby and Matt lost Louie, and it feels odd that they haven’t been talking about somehow trying again to start a family.

Now Bria, a girl who Gabby has bonded with and who is about to put in the foster care system — assuming she can be found — is in need of a parental figure. So it seems obvious that in one way or another, she’s going to end up living with Gabby.

Or maybe that’s just me being hopeful, because it’s something I’d love to see, not just for Gabby but for her relationship with Matt. Let’s change up those dynamics a little.

Meanwhile, Brett is rekindling things with Antonio while insisting she doesn’t want to “catch feelings.”

It looks to me like that’s exactly where the both of them are headed, and really, it feels a bit false to me when she backs away. I can’t fully pinpoint why, except for how much the two seem to have already fallen completely for each other.

As they spend time together and try to figure out what they’ll be to one another, they try to keep it a secret. Brett tells Gabby pretty quickly, which makes sense, and then her roommates figure it out.

It’s sweet how protective Otis and Cruz are, and even though they shouldn’t be meddling, I think it’s also telling of their relationship how quickly they figure out the person Brett is seeing is Antonio. They know their roommate well, and those relationships — those friendships — are always the most important part of this show.

Other Thoughts:

• The police officer impaled through the neck by a fence post is one of the more disturbing things we’ve seen on Chicago Fire. It’ll be a while before I can shake that image.
• I’m so glad Chief Boden’s brother-in-law turns out to be trustworthy after all.
• I adore seeing Boden and Donna together. Their relationship is one for the books.

What did you think of this episode of Chicago Fire? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and don’t forget to give the episode your own rating!

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

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