Chicago Fire Review: One Crazy Shift (Season 9 Episode 10)
The main purpose of Chicago Fire Season 9 Episode 10, “One Crazy Shift,” seems to be to move the plot forward.
With Gianna Mackey gone, having taken an opportunity at another firehouse, Brett is once again left looking for a new partner. It’s probably more realistic to have this kind of turnover, as Kara Killmer pointed out in a recent interview. Mackey will be missed, but the new dynamic being set up could be interesting.
Brett would prefer to have Violet, who’s filling in at Firehouse 51 for the time being. Violet also has a history with Gallo — and she still has quite the effect on him.
But Brett believes Violet would rather stay at her current spot, so she spends the episode searching for the perfect replacement. Her search is in vain, though, and she might just have to settle with someone she’s not entirely thrilled about.
However, it’s Casey who gives her the advice she needs to hear. It’s advice that’s loaded with subtext, sure. He tells her not to settle and to go for what she wants.
We hear you, Casey.
For the moment, these two are friendly and everything else has been set aside. The connection they have is still obvious, but there’s something really sweet about the fact that they are just allowing themselves to be friends right now, with no real tension or hard feelings.
Back to Brett’s partner situation, she takes Casey’s advice and goes for exactly the partner she wants. That person is Violet, who as it turns out, wants to be at Firehouse 51 just as badly as Brett wants her there.
Of course, Stella is sure throughout the episode that Violet is a jinx. From broken photo frames (I do love her wall of inspiration!) to hitting that pothole and all those laundromat fires, Stells is sure that it must be Violet’s “jinxy energy” causing such a “crazy shift.”
It’s really a bit silly, and largely feels like filler. While I love that Chicago Fire has its light moments like this, it’s not a particularly interesting plot point. And it’s also solved quickly when Stella has something good happen to her.
That scene, actually, winds up being a highlight from the episode.
Thinking she’s in trouble for what happened when she hit that pothole — and nearly ran over two teenagers, Stella is surprised by a visit from Deputy Commissioner Hill. This is one of the women who we see on Stella’s inspiration wall at the beginning of the hour.
It turns out that Hill isn’t there to admonish Stella at all. Quite the contrary, she tells Stella she saw video of the truck and wanted to come down to Firehouse 51 to shake the hand of the man who got control of the truck before anyone got hurt.
She’s delighted to see that the driver isn’t a man at all. It’s Stella Kidd. It’s a woman of color. And it’s a heck of a moment.
This season really is focused on propping Stella up, and I won’t be surprised if she’s promoted soon. It’s really satisfying to watch.
Of course, while all of this is happening, Casey is still struggling with an injury.
It’s not surprising to me that Casey is in a bit of denial here, but what is surprising is that more of his fellow firefighters aren’t taking much notice. The one that does is Gallo, and he basically puts Casey in his place. He reminds Casey of a recent call where Gallo robbed Casey of his own accountability and notes that it should really go both ways.
Casey’s team should be aware of whatever is going on with their captain. It’s a nice mentorship moment between the two of them, and it’s also a reminder that Casey still has plenty to learn about being a leader.
So when Casey spots Chicago Med’s Will Halstead at Molly’s — though it feels like an awkward sort of encounter between the two men — he asks advice on the matter on behalf of a “friend.” Hopefully, he won’t ignore Will’s advice that his “friend” see a doctor right away.
Other thoughts:
- Mouch’s goal to be in the band playing bagpipes is a fun part of this episode. What’s better, I think, is that he’s not saddened by the botched audition. He’s just so filled with joy over that promotional video.
- Speaking of being filled with joy, I love how Boden gets a thrill out of helping out when that truck is about to blow. He really should get out of the office more often.
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.