Chicago Fire Review: Thirty Percent Sleight of Hand (Season 7 Episode 3)
After a suspenseful crossover episode, there’s something particularly refreshing about the joy that comes out of Chicago Fire Season 7 Episode 3, “Thirty Percent Sleight of Hand.”
Not that this episode doesn’t have its suspenseful moments — this is Chicago Fire, after all — but this one is more about relationships, the firehouse family, and heroes that go above and beyond.
Severide is put in the middle of a sticky custody fight after saving a little boy (he’s got a record of saving kids lately, doesn’t he?) and he feels invested in it because of his own childhood experiences.
The mother is convinced the father wrecked the car with her son inside on purpose. Severide cooperates with lawyers and such to an extent, but it doesn’t sit right with him. Having been on the seen, he doesn’t think it seems intentional, and he doesn’t want to see a family torn apart over something that simply isn’t true — especially something that horrifying.
Stella is nothing but supportive. It’s nice to see their relationship continue to grow, and the way it’s developing is really positive.
She sees how important this is to him and is willing to go along back to the accident scene to check things out. They work really well together as a team, which feels promising.
The best part of this storyline is that it gets a happy ending. The mother doesn’t keep fighting once she sees the photo Severide took of the deer, and we see a glimpse of their family at the end.
Meanwhile, Cruz has a shot at romance when a victim he saved on Chicago Fire Season 7 Episode 2 brings cake pops to the firehouse, and she’s clearly enamored with him. He’s even “the guy with the small” according to her co-worker.
It’s not only sweet because it seems like it could go somewhere, but also because it gives Cruz and Emily a chance to bond.
Emily gives him the exact right advice, and she’s glad to do it — anything to make her mark as something other than “the new girl.” It’s refreshing, too, that while she is seen as the “new girl,” everyone is open to her.
There’s no drama around her presence, even from Brett, who already seems to be enjoying working with her new partner.
Emily isn’t the only one dishing out good advice, though. Herrmann is honest with Chief Boden about how he thinks he should be handling Gorsch’s recommendation for a new lieutenant, pointing out that he’s letting his pride get in the way with what’s best for the firehouse.
In doing so, what Herrmann really reveals, is his own potential for being lieutenant.
Say it with me kids — it’s about freaking time!
The surprise announcement at the picnic may cause some problems with Gorsch, but no one deserves that lieutenant spot quite like Herrmann does. It’s really satisfying to finally see him get him after all this time.
Overall, it’s a positive episode that really reminds us why we love these characters. They work together, they’re there for one another, and it feels good to see them have a few wins.
The romance element is really important, too. Chicago Fire does well at balancing the suspense and the action with more character-focused stories, and this episode highlights that.
I do have a few things I hope we’ll see soon, though:
- More on Otis and his potential PTSD. We saw this on the crossover episode of Chicago Med, and I hope we see how that affects him in future episodes of Chicago Fire. And soon.
- More talk of Gabby’s absence, especially related to Matt, but for others at the firehouse too.
- More of Mouch giving out advice. He has a really nice moment with the new candidate, and I think it’d be great to see him as a mentor.
- More on Foster’s backstory. We’ve learned what her secret was and why she’s now a paramedic, but I look forward to hopefully digging into that more soon too.
- More moments like this one:
Stella: How do I look?
Kelly: Breathtaking.
Stella: Is that a lung joke?
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.