Chicago Fire Review: Until the Weather Breaks (Season 7 Episode 19)
A mysterious child, a man with a gun, and a power outage make for a solid hour with Chicago Fire Season 7 Episode 19, “Until the Weather Breaks.”
Keeping everything so focused gives this episode an edge. Following a fire that happened to be near a shooting incident, Casey finds a young child hiding out in the firehouse.
The poor kid is traumatized by something and won’t say a word. Soon after, the most suspicious man and the worst liar ever shows up to the firehouse to “seek shelter from the storm” but his story is full of holes.
It feels strange at first that Otis and the others are so welcoming and trusting of the outsider, but there’s an open-door policy at the firehouse for a reason. If you know me by now, you know I love the found-family element of this show. I love the camaraderie and the way everyone sticks together.
Outside of that, there’s another message — and it’s the importance of firefighters in the community. Yes, that means fighting fires and saving lives as first responders, but the firehouse is shown as a pillar of the community often. Of course it’s supposed to be a place that’s available as shelter from a storm, and of course, the firefighters have to have some level of trust there.
It’s not without caution. Otis is suspicious pretty quickly, and he makes the poor decision to go after the outsider without having anyone with him. It’s one of those screaming at the TV moments because we all know better.
Luckily, it’s handled without too much harm done. Once everyone knows this guy isn’t who he says he is, they band together. The way the close in on him reminds me a little of a pack of wolves, actually. It’s pretty great, except for a few clumsy moments, and there’s nothing quite like seeing Kelly tackle a villain.
The moodiness and suspense of this episode work fairly well. Knowing that a shooting took place nearby adds foreshadowing, there’s something fun and different about the energy with two strangers in the firehouse and the power going out in the midst of a storm.
Despite the imposter’s attempts to get to the child, he stays safe. It’s sweet to see how everyone tends to him throughout the episode — Brett in particular. And this is the other side of that open doors policy.
The kid stowed himself away in the firetruck because he understood on whatever level that it would mean safety. He was right about that. He’s well taken care of at the firehouse and is eventually brought back to his parents. In one of the most heartwarming moments of the episode, he finally says his name out loud to Brett.
Speaking of Brett… there’s clearly something brewing here for her and Casey. There have been a few small moments this season, but on this episode, we get a clearer connection between the two of them.
I have to say, I might just be on board with a romance between those two. Their personalities certainly seem to match up, so it could be a fun thing to explore. We’ll see how it goes. I could easily change my mind.
Meanwhile, Stella doesn’t understand why Severide has suddenly turned a bit “cold” and even stopped coming around Molly’s while she’s working. Emily finally confesses that she had intervened, and honestly, it’s something I wish more time could have been spent on, because there are a lot of layers.
Stella’s upset because she doesn’t want someone speaking for her. Emily has a different perspective since she hasn’t known Kelly as long. Emily is also just trying to have her new friend’s back, which Kelly winds up pointing out to Stella — in a moment that’s really endearing.
I’m glad Stella knows she has a blind spot for Kelly, too. I’m still holding out hope for them, but the best thing about their split has been seeing the way Stella has handled it. She’s not rushing back to him too fast, and that’s a good thing.
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.