Chicago Fire Review: 51’s Original Bell (Season 8 Episode 20)

A firefighter is injured in a shocking way, and one member of Firehouse 51 might be getting ready to leave on Chicago Fire Season 8 Episode 20, “51’s Original Bell.” The episode serves as this season’s finale since, as with many TV shows this season, production was forced to a halt.

That means we don’t necessarily get the kind of cliffhanger we’re used to from Chicago Fire, but honestly? That’s okay. We’re still left with some questions and we’re left wanting more in a way that’s going to have us waiting eagerly for the next season. 

This episode also offers a bit of nostalgia and lets us focus on a character who isn’t often in the spotlight: Capp. At the beginning of the episode, Capp is excited to polish up 51’s original bell, which hearkens back to some old history in the firehouse. That project may be making a mess of the squad table, but Capp won’t let anyone steal his joy from that project. 

It’s Capp who winds up being injured on a call later. He’s exposed to chlorine gas, and while thankfully, it seems early on that he’ll be okay, it’s unclear if he’ll be able to continue his career as a firefighter. 

He also puts that in jeopardy by leaving the hospital before he should. 

Severide begs Will to give him and Casey the time to figure out why he left before reporting it — such a report could end Capp’s career even more quickly. 

All of this is the chance to get to know Capp a little better, though I wish there was more to it. As is often the case with Chicago Fire, it all moves a little too quickly, and I’m left wanting to know more about Capp’s motives. 

Fortunately, he winds up okay. His “joke” to Severide and Casey that he won’t be able to be a firefighter anymore hits oddly, but it doesn’t feel out of character either. The best part is knowing that everyone comes out of this episode unscathed. 

That doesn’t mean there may not be change on the horizon. We got a clue on Chicago Fire Season 8 Episode 19, “Light Things Up,” that made me wonder if we can expect Emily Foster to move from Chicago Fire to Chicago Med, and this season finale suggests that even further. Foster is reapplying to medical school, and we already know that she has what it takes. 

It’s interesting storytelling because of the way the One Chicago universe works together already. It would be a seamless move to transition Foster over to Chicago Med, and a unique way to use the shared universe.

What I’m not sold on is Brett’s attitude about it. I can see her being a little hurt by the secret-keeping, but her reaction is childish and unrealistic. It feels like forced conflict for the sake of having conflict, which isn’t the first time such a thing has happened this season. 

She gets over it quickly, at least, and is there to be supportive after Foster’s interview. 

Granted, yes, Brett has experienced an awful lot of change and loss over the course of the season. To think about her being engaged and having left Chicago just at the beginning of this season — it feels like a lifetime ago. 

Meanwhile, Stella has been having success with her Girls on Fire program, and she’s proving what an excellent leader she can be. In fact, it’s her speech to the girls that seems to speak to Foster on a really personal level. Kidd was built for this kind of thing.

But something isn’t right when one of her first recruits stops showing up — after asking for a reference book. It could be nothing, but that’s not what Stella’s gut is telling her. I’m inclined to trust a gut feeling from Stella Kidd, and it feels like something is off to me too. 

For that answer, though, we’ll have to wait.

What did you think of this episode of Chicago Fire? Do you expect Foster to move over to Chicago Med? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Chicago Fire will return next season to NBC.

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