Chicago Fire Review: A Real Shot in the Arm (Season 8 Episode 2)
Maybe Firehouse 51 does need someone to shake things up a bit.
On Chicago Fire Season 8 Episode 2, “A Real Shot in the Arm,” a new candidate catches Casey’s eye during a difficult rescue. Casey thinks he’s just the right recruit to bring to their firehouse.
But because he’s a bit of a daredevil, Boden doesn’t exactly agree, especially since they recently lost one of their own.
There’s always a challenge that’s presented when new characters arrive. We’re automatically resistant to change, or at least that’s the case for me. But Blake Gallo’s entrance combined with his positive attitude and overall energy win me over pretty quickly.
Add to that, Casey and Severide’s push to get him into the firehouse makes me that much more invested. As a viewer, I can’t help but want what they want.
And because they’ve indicated a passage of time, it doesn’t feel too sudden to me. It all works perfectly to make us want to root for this new character, and once he does get the job, he assures the team that he understands the cost.
He knows he’s filling Otis’s spot, and he promises to honor him. There’s no better way he could have started his time at 51.
A new character we’re less interested in rooting for, though, is Brett’s replacement paramedic. Look, he has his moments and has also brought something new to the firehouse, and his passion for word scrambles brings me a lot of joy. But to watch him through Foster’s eyes doesn’t exactly do him any favors.
Meanwhile, Brett is having herself a whole miserable time in Fowlerton, where an entire day of work can go by without a single call, and where Hope is being Hope on top of everything else.
I love this arc for Brett because it shows some development on her part. She’s been here a while, but when she first came to Firehouse 51, she was starting this new life in Chicago.
Now we get a chance to see her revisit that in some detail only to realize how much she truly has changed, and to realize how much Chicago really is her home now — and so is Firehouse 51.
It’s also a nice moment when Kyle gives her an out. He gets it. He knows she’s unhappy there and he’s willing to accept that reality rather than make this any more painful. Because her moving there wasn’t an easy decision, and let’s be honest, neither was saying yes to marrying him in the first place.
As she’s planning to head back, her friends are on the road to get her. Foster has fired Chad (which I’m a little worried may come back to haunt her), and she and Stella decide it’s time to go get their friend and convince her to come back home.
When they get there, Brett’s bags are already packed, and it’s a satisfying reunion. The friendship between these strong, incredible women is a beautiful thing.
The most touching moment of the episode, however, centers on Mouch and Herrmann. With Otis gone, Herrmann is struggling to figure out how to keep Molly’s alive — but also how to enjoy doing so.
It’s not just that he needs someone to buy those shares; he needs a partner. And here I am heartbroken all over again that Otis was killed off in the first place.
Mouch wants no part of this initially, but after overhearing Herrmann talk about how it’s not just about the shares, he changes his mind.
It’s such a sweet scene when he presents his check to Herrmann, though of course there’s a little humor there, considering the fact that Trudy is going to have some plans for the bar, and Mouch is already prepared to start taking measurements.
This is a fun turn, really. It’s going to create a new dynamic with these characters and change things up at Molly’s too. We’re looking at change across the board now, and that’s something to look forward too.
Overall, it’s a solid episode and it’s one that even manages to give the audience a bit of a break from the emotion of the Chicago Fire Season 8 premiere, but it does so without moving on from Otis’s death too quickly.
That element is pervasive not just with Herrmann and Molly’s, but with Joe planning to move out of his apartment as well as Boden’s worry over hiring a firefighter who seems reckless. It’s a good balance and it feels like a natural progression.
A few other thoughts:
- It’s really wonderful the way Ritter comes out to Herrmann. It’s news, yes, but it’s not a big deal at all. There’s nothing but love around here, as it should be.
- Stella and Severide have some cute moments with their boating trip gone wrong. They feel even more natural together this season than they have in the past.
- Even in the smallest of moments, Chicago Fire knows how to be shocking. That blood in the water image is going to stick with me for a while.
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.