Chicago Fire Review: Where We End Up (Season 8 Episode 11)
Chicago Fire Season 8 Episode 11, “Where We End Up,” feels like your standard Fire fare… until it doesn’t.
There’s a mishap at the firehouse that offers some comedic relief, there’s some romance, and there’s an out-of-control fire that makes you wonder if everyone will make it out okay.
But two things differentiate this episode to make it special. The first is that the members of Firehouse 51 are displaced. While their own firehouse is being fumigated, they are to work out of Firehouse 20, which they’ve already been feuding with since those new boundary lines have been drawn.
That creates some new dynamics which not only show the kinds of things that make Firehouse 51 unique (Brett mentions how they tend to break the rule of not following up to check on victims, for example), but also serves as a bit of a reality check for Casey and Severide.
Both men are forced to set aside their egos. As guests, they have to swallow their pride a bit, even when they know they’re right. And honestly, it’s nice to see.
Because of course we are partial and we’re conditioned to understand that 51 is the best of the best, and Casey and Severide are the best leaders. But here, sometimes they have to follow someone else’s orders.
Doing this also opens up some understanding of the firehouses in the area and gives a little more insight into Boden’s job as Battalion Chief. For him, too, this is a bit of a reality check. He’s accused of playing favorites, and well… maybe he has been. I don’t like that accusation, but the truth is, we don’t know.
It makes everything feel more complex and offers some new opportunities for most of the characters, which I appreciate. That said, the feud feels quite trivial and forced at times, but it does seem like that’s over, as indicated by Firehouse 20’s captain reaching out his hand to shake Casey’s after that close call.
The second thing that makes this episode special is the cancer storyline. We’re introduced to a friend of Boden’s who only has six more months to live because of cancer — cancer that’s killing him as a result of his career as a firefighter.
This isn’t something that we’ve seen dealt with yet, as far as I can recall, and to be entirely honest, it’s not something I’d thought of when it comes to firefighters. In that regard, I appreciate the fact that the show is helping to spread some awareness.
That awareness isn’t just from hearing Boden’s friend speak. Gallo takes Boden’s words to heart and decides to make a statement in the marathon he’s running.
Rather than run to win, he runs with turnout gear on as a way to spread awareness of the risks firefighters face when it comes to cancer. If you didn’t already like Gallo, he probably won you over with this moment.
And everyone shows up for it, too. It’s meaningful to see the reactions, but it’s even more meaningful that there’s a new policy at the firehouse.
Now, after a fire, there’s a new procedure that we see a glimpse of — with everyone cleaning themselves and their gear. I’m actually interested in learning more about what they’re supposed to be doing and the effects the new procedure should have — which in itself indicates the importance of this story.
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.