Chicago Fire Review: A Volatile Mixture (Season 7 Episode 5)
There are a lot of things Chicago Fire does consistently well. The show is always good at balancing suspense and drama with lighter moments and uplifting stories, for example.
Where it falters, and falters often, is with follow through on changes that should deeply affect its characters.
As excited as I am to see more focus on Matt Casey on Chicago Fire Season 7 Episode 5, “A Volatile Mixture,” it’s disconcerting that that focus reveals nothing about how he’s dealing with Gabby’s departure.
I made a similar complaint about Severide following Anna’s death. While we saw him grieve to an extent, and even saw the story brought up later, it felt like things moved on too quickly without fully exploring the loss.
We’re now five episodes into the new season, and again, we have seen Gabby’s departure affect Casey *some* but it feels like we’re moving on from it too fast.
That said, it doesn’t mean I’m not interested in seeing Casey do what Casey does best, which is precisely what happens on this episode. He’s willing to go above and beyond, even against some authority, to do what it takes the save lives.
He has no qualms with working alongside a reporter to figure out the cause of this string of fires, and because of that willingness, he does exactly that — presumably. He’s a skilled firefighter, and it doesn’t take him long to figure out the explosions have to do with the refrigerators installed in these trailers.
An experiment backs that up in a pretty epic way.
The reporter is impressed with him every step of the way, as she should be. But there’s also clearly a little more going on there, which I have to say, I feel conflicted about.
There’s a part of me that feels excited for such a possibility for Casey, while the other part of me is screaming for us to see him deal with losing Gabby more first. Those two things could certainly go hand in hand…
Meanwhile, Gorsch is still causing problems, and it’s officially exhausting. It does present an interesting question, though, and that is whether or not Boden — along with the rest of the firehouse — should bend to make life easier. Attempting to make things right with Grissom could go along way, and Boden tries to seek him out but has no luck.
I’m hoping Severide’s dad will come through and help in some way. It’s nice to see Benny again, and I’m always interested in that relationship.
The conflict does allow Boden the chance to do some interesting work, and that’s been my favorite part of all of this. Watching him hold his tongue at times is powerful for him, but even better are the moments where he stands up for himself and for his firehouse.
The Molly’s bit on this episode is a lot of fun, and it’s nice to see some focus shift to the bar. An angry Yelper is quite a thing to contend with, and Herrmann’s ultimate resolution is so positive.
The level of teamwork in that is great as well. Brett trying to talk to potential men who could have left the review is one of the funniest moments of the episode.
Speaking of Brett, she’s continuing to work on developing a relationship with her new partner, and it’s just a joy to watch. She’s not perfect at it, but she’s making strides and the two seem to get along well.
Another funny moment from this episode? Brett telling off the wrong person on Foster’s behalf.
What we learn is that Foster is bi-sexual, and we learn that just as Brett does. It’s a short conversation but it stands out and adding that diversity to the cast is another reason to like to this new character. I’m excited to continue learning more about her.
Now, I mentioned early on in the review about follow through, and that’s something we do get in a nice way with Stella and Kelly. We learn they’ve kept their distance after the incident with Tyler, in large part because Stella is having no part of Severide’s jealousy.
But it seems, as Brett says, to only be a blip. We end up getting a sweet moment between the two as they exchange I love yous, and Stella is also supportive when it comes to Severide’s father.
All good things. The way these two communicate is something to pay attention to and learn from.
What did you think of this episode of Chicago Fire? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c 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.