Chicago Fire Review: What Went Wrong (Season 8 Episode 6)

Gallo may be impulsive, but after getting to know him a bit more, it’s clear he’s going to be a great firefighter one day.

On Chicago Fire Season 8 Episode 6, “What Went Wrong,” Gallo nearly gets himself into trouble because of his impulsive nature, and Casey comes down on him hard, especially since he worked so hard to get Gallo the job at Firehouse 51 in the first place. 

It’s almost hard to watch Casey scold Gallo the way he does, but it’s satisfying at the same time because he takes his leadership role so seriously. Casey had plenty of growing pains as he got used to his role as captain, but my goodness, it’s moments like these that show how much he truly deserved it.

What Casey doesn’t know is the full story behind what makes Gallo who he is. Boden knows a bit of it and reveals that to Casey, but when Gallo finally talks to him himself, we learn the story is even more complex. Gallo is burdened with not knowing if he could have saved his sister and possibly even the rest of his family during that fire when he was a child. 

When Gallo reveals that to Casey, he wonders if it means he shouldn’t be a firefighter at all, but this is where Casey shows his leadership even more. He takes it all in and then offers words of encouragement. What he thinks instead, is that this is why Gallo will be a great firefighter. 

This all works well not only to show Casey’s leadership skills, but to continue introducing Gallo’s character and to make us invested in him. It’s a better approach than how several of the new folks have come in before. 

As for the fire itself, Severide’s detective skills once again come into play when something seems off about the way this house fire was started. He and Cruz do what they can to have it investigated further, and it turns out that it mirrors another arson case. 

Ruzek makes an appearance from Chicago P.D. to make an arrest, but the arsonist isn’t who you think it is. It turns out that the person responsible is the wife, not the husband. 

If you think about this story for any length of time, it’s honestly pretty dark. But as Chicago Fire does so well, that’s balanced with many lighter moments.

For instance, at the beginning of the episode, everyone congratulates Joe on his recent engagement (because Brett can’t keep a secret), and that joyful tone resonates for a while. It is bittersweet because Joe notes that he would have wanted Otis to be his best man. But he asks the next best person, who is more than happy to take on the task — Severide. 

I really love the relationship between those two, and as sad as I am that Otis is gone, this is a nice opportunity to change things up a bit and see that friendship develop more.

Meanwhile, the women of Firehouse 51 want their own lounge, and as nice as that sounds, their plan backfires when women from other firehouses show up and take over. 

The best part of this is seeing the three women bonding, which is something I’ve come to enjoy about the friendship Kidd, Brett, and Foster have all formed. Ultimately, the backfiring of it just reminds them that they don’t need a separate space because everyone there is their family.

That’s only mildly problematic if you consider why the lounge they base theirs off of was created in the first place — as a space for breastfeeding mothers. I’d like to think that should that need arise, the lounge would be created again. At least I hope it would. 

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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Chicago Fire’s Eamonn Walker and Jesse Spencer on the Newest Member of Firehouse 51 and the Possibility of a Casey and Brett Romance [Video]