Chicago Fire Review: Put White on Me (Season 6 Episode 17)
Just as Stella and Severide begin to figure out what they are to one another, a new complication arises on Chicago Fire Season 6 Episode 17, “Put White on Me.”
Severide’s mother shows up to town unannounced with full plans to move right in with her son, who incidentally, does not live alone. When he introduces his mother to Stella, he calls her his roommate, and that’s about it.
His mother, by the way, isn’t the type of woman to be okay with such a living arrangement, and she doesn’t seem crazy about Stella at first.
What’s sweet is Stella’s determination to make a connection with Jennifer, and her ability to figure out how to do so without too much difficulty.
I’m also excited by the idea of getting more backstory on Severide by bringing his mother into the picture (and the complicated relationship she apparently has with his father). Severide’s character has a lot of depth that has yet to be explored.
And speaking of backstory — oh Gabby, stop it with the secrets already.
It’s completely understandable that this is an awkward situation and add to that Cordova’s request that he be able to prove himself to his new boss before that boss learns he’s slept with his wife, you can see the logic.
But it is worrisome that her first reaction is to keep a secret rather than to get things out in the open.
Matt is troubled by that and notes the pattern, upset because every time she keeps a secret he feels like she’s distancing herself.
What we need to see is more of their relationship overall, because while on paper all of that sounds like an important enough story, the trouble they keep having continues to ring false.
As for Otis, he’s coming to terms with the idea of working at a desk while he recovers from his injury — which is thankfully an option thanks to Boden.
In an effort to prove himself useful, he nearly causes the Firehouse a world of trouble (or so he thinks) by giving the young boy from the pool to his father — who he’s told later supposedly didn’t have custody.
That whole thing feels fishy from the beginning, and Otis’s kindhearted and honest nature leads him to find out that actually, those people were scamming them all along.
He certainly does prove himself useful by getting that proof.
It’s a shame that story doesn’t go a completely different way, because Otis getting the boy to open up so naturally when no one else is able is really endearing.
Sidenote: it’s hard to see Connie on this episode, working there as usual and knowing that the actress who plays her, DuShon Monique Brown, recently passed away.
This episode manages to do a LOT in a short amount of time because aside from those stories, it also shines a light on issues with medical insurance and private ambulance services.
Chicago Med has also touched on this a bit, interestingly, and when Gabby and Brett run into a medic Gabby used to know who now works for a private company, she’s tempted by the idea.
Of course she is — not only does she hear about how much better the schedule and the pay are, but they’re also generally (according to her old friend, anyway) treated better.
There’s a catch, though. When Gabby and Brett are on the scene of a shooting trying to help two patients and waiting for another ambulance to come along, one does — but they turn away.
It’s the same paramedics, who awkwardly note that they can’t take “high risk” patients. In other words, they can’t take patients who might not have medical insurance.
It’s… gross.
Even worse — the situation turns dangerous when more shooters show up and Gabby and Brett are caught in the crossfire.
This episode has a lot of high stakes moments, as Chicago Fire often does, and they’re pretty incredible. I love seeing the team work together they way they do in the pool and then again to actually stop shooters.
Cordova, by the way, is already growing on me because of his willingness to jump in, even though that willingness does seem to be a bit theatrical. Let’s face it — he has a motivation to impress here. And now there’s going to be even more pressure to do so.
What did you think of this episode of Chicago Fire? How do you feel about Cordova? Do you think Otis will fully recover? 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.