Chicago Fire Review: Don’t Hang Up (Season 9 Episode 14)
In case we needed another reminder, Stella Kidd proves once again that she’s meant to be an amazing leader on an episode that’s filled with suspense. And I’m not just talking about how she climbs that tree like a boss.
On Chicago Fire Season 9 Episode 14, “Don’t Hang Up,” someone calls the firehouse asking for Stella directly. It’s all very mysterious at first, but there’s clearly a girl in danger. And she has the instinct to call Stella because of her brief interaction with her for Girls on Fire.
What it means is that Stella made an impression. When she said she was there to help people, she meant it. And when Aaliyah Ward calls her at the firehouse for help, Stella steps up to the challenge.
It’s above and beyond what she’s called to do as a firefighter, but that’s never stopped anyone at Firehouse 51. These are characters whose roles as heroes hit at the very core of who they are, and Stella’s dedication here is just another example of that.
Kelly is by her side helping as well, of course, and they bring in Kylie to see what she can remember about the girls who were part of the Girls on Fire program near the beginning.
Maybe it’s a bit of a stretch that they’re able to figure out the name of this girl so quickly, but I’ll give it to them. It’s also not totally clear why Aaliyah won’t tell Stella her name at first. It feels a little like a way to add suspense unnecessarily, when there’s plenty of suspense to be had with this as it is.
The phone calls always suggest imminent danger, and finding Aaliyah before things escalate is only one part of the challenge.
Once Boden and Severide find the location of the girl and her brother, figuring out how to save them is a whole other story. Because as we know, Aaliyah feels it’s more dangerous to get the cops involved.
Boden thinks quickly on his feet, and his authoritative tone does the trick as he insists the house is going to blow up because of a gas leak, so everyone must evacuate. Kelly improvs this with him a bit as well, and that leads to everyone — including the two victims — evacuating that house.
It’s satisfying to see Boden’s success, and even more so to see him open his arms as our two victims come rushing out of the house last. It’s a really emotional moment, and it’s all a great payoff.
But the payoff that’s even better is when Kylie and Aaliyah show up at Stella’s door. Stella is on her way to take the lieutenant’s test when they arrive so Aaliyah can thank her in person.
Stella turns it right back around on her, telling her she saved her own life. Cue the tears.
Bringing some levity to this episode is Joe, and his focus on learning to properly swaddle a baby and impress everyone in his parenting class. He gets help from Violet, who is just as befuddled over the process as he is.
Herrmann, though, he can apparently swaddle a baby with his eyes closed. It’s a lot of fun to watch how easily he does this as Cruz looks on in amazement.
Whey Cruz would bet is skills against a man with five kids is beyond me, but it sure is fun to watch the whole thing go down.
An appearance from Donna, who desperately needs to use the firehouse to teach her class via Zoom. With internet at her house out, she’s got limited options.
It’s a really simple idea, but it’s a nice way to bring Donna in and also show the realities of education over the past year. She’s obviously great at what she does, and she’s adapted well, but yet we still see the chaos of the circumstances — and how teachers have had to go above and beyond over the past year.
What’s fun about this is how Ritter and Gallo jump in to help, making the class that much more engaged in such a unique lesson.
Meanwhile, Casey is just fine — better than fine — after learning he’s in the clear when it comes to his health. Capp is particularly excited about Casey’s cooking, but Brett is unenthused.
Listen, I just don’t know how much longer they can keep dragging this one out. This is one heck of an agonizingly slow burn. And while I love that Casey and Brett’s friendship has stayed the course enough for Brett to be able to tell him why she and Greg have broken up, his naivete about it all doesn’t quite ring true.
Matt is so puzzled over it all, even his own feelings. And it takes a conversation with Grainger about it for him to realize Brett is in love with him.
But how many realizations is it going to take between these two? We’re going around in circles, and it’s exhausting.
Still, that doesn’t take away from what is ultimately a stellar, captivating episode with a perfect balance of suspense and humor. This one certainly ranks as one of the best ones of the season.
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.