Chicago Fire Review: You Choose (Season 7 Episode 11)
Everything feels like it’s in a transition period on Chicago Fire Season 7 Episode 11, “You Choose.” It’s a perfectly fine episode, but it’s not necessarily one to write home about.
What I want to see more of, and if you’ve read any of my reviews of this show you already know what I’m going to say — is Casey processing what’s happened to him.
What we get feels surface-level with the apartment search and the ultimate decision to stay with Severide, which is absolutely about more than wanting to be there for his friend.
That’s a huge part of it, of course, and while the trajectory for these two and their relationships is frustrating, the idea that they’ll be roommates for a while is really satisfying, and it feels like a way to return the show to a sort of core.
Casey’s need for an apartment turns into a story of Brett and the chaplain, where we see glimmers of their relationship moving forward at a fast pace.
They’re sweet together and it’s nice to watch, and I like learning those extra little details about Brett and her love of house flipping shows.
As for Severide, he’s thrown himself into a new project, which makes perfect sense. The whole thing with the man he’s working for and his son, Riley, does escalate pretty quickly, but it’s nice to see Kelly in that role. He’s always good with kids, and this particular situation gives him a different way to show it.
Riley goes to Kelly and tells him he’s responsible, who replies simply, and with compassion, “I know.”
He was never going to suggest it, though, even though he understood quickly what had actually happened.
Thankfully, the boy is taking responsibility and Kelly doesn’t have to deal with it any longer. His level of patience throughout all parts of it, even just at the point when he gets fired, it admirable.
The tension between Stella and Severide is another really significant part of the episode, and it’s an off-putting one. Their problems felt forced to begin with, and this all feels over the top. As does Stella’s distraction with Tuesday, which is cute, but ultimately uninteresting.
For me, the highlight of the episode is actually Foster, who has easily fit into the group of characters while also bringing her own new energy. She’s a lot like Gabby in the way she goes around the rules to do what she thinks is right, which Brett recognizes, but she does it with a different sort of focus.
In this instance, even when the entire job is threatened, she still takes steps to protect the patient. It works in her favor — it turns out the prescription was wrong all along, and the doctor she blames initially is ultimately understanding.
Foster is a badass, but a badass with grace, and that’s a lot of fun to watch.
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.