Chicago Fire Review: What Happened at Whiskey Point (Season 10 Episode 8)
Well, Jason Pelham, you’ve won me over.
On Chicago Fire Season 10 Episode 8, “What Happened at Whiskey Point,” Boden learns the real reason why Jason Pelham has been a floater lieutenant for such a long time. It turns out because he’s an even better guy than everyone thought.
He’s been covering up for a former captain whose life was falling apart and taking a hit to his career in the process.
Between that reveal, which also meant he refused to break a promise even when Boden pressed him on the issue, and the way he ultimately relates to Gallo, it feels like Pelham really does belong at Firehouse 51.
Pelham is already a well-rounded character who is just flawed enough while being extremely likable. Brett Dalton plays the character in a nuanced way, and in just a matter of episodes, we’ve already witnessed some character growth.
The Pelham/Gallo scenes on this episode are among the best and the most heartfelt. Gallo admits when he needs to that he struggles when there are children involved in house fires, but when it comes down to it, it’s also a strength. We all know why he wanted to check under the bed, but Pelham remains unaware of that for now.
Still, the incident gives them a space to bond, which is strengthened later when Gallo realizes he’s been doing to Pelham what everyone did to him when he first arrived — as the replacement for Otis.
With Pelham fitting in so nicely, though, Stella’s absence is that much more loaded. Because Stella Kidd should have been the obvious choice to replace Casey, and it should have been able to happen without much fuss.
I’m still not sure I buy that she’d have taken off for so long and wouldn’t at least be having conversations about becoming the next truck Leituenant at Firehouse 51 — no matter how dedicated to Girls on Fire she is.
I noted this as a flaw in my review of Chicago Fire Season 10 Episode 7, and even though Severide’s feelings about the issue are now coming out, I don’t feel that it’s any less of a stretch.
It seems now that something more is going on, and that it’s also going to affect her relationship with Severide. It’s conflict for the sake of conflict, and it rings false to me.
That said, I enjoy seeing Severide finally focusing inward, and I’m glad we get to see how Stella’s absence combined with Casey’s departure is affecting him.
It’s too bad it means he treats Herrmann badly there for a bit, but seeing his character react to all of this is great to watch. His emotions are so perfectly fitting for his character, all told in his eyes and that one, painful outburst.
What’s unexpected is the bond he develops with Herrmann. The two wind up having the same kind of “cigar chat” that Severide used to have with Casey, and it strikes me what a good mentor Herrmann could be to him now that he’s apparently going to be in the office next door (which he definitely does deserve).
Meanwhile on the episode, Violet reveals her feelings for Gallo, but the pain in her side? That’s actually been her appendix.
I can’t decide if it’s comedic that no one in the firehouse, including her fellow paramedic, thought maybe there was a medical explanation, or if it’s just flat-out silly.
Either way, it does at least give Violet’s character a chance to shine in a new way while creating a whole new kind of conflict. Because it is extremely obvious from the way that Chief Hawkins dotes on her that he’s interested in her.
Other thoughts:
- Speaking of fitting in at Firehouse 51, Kylie really has found her place there. I especially enjoy the relationship she’s developed with Boden.
- You really do have to hand it to Herrmann on taking over that office. He knows what he deserves, and it’s gratifying to see him claim that space.
- Cruz bonds with an expectant mother on this episode, also, and when he learns she’s in need, he and the others do what they do best. This time, that means a special delivery of baby things that Cruz and Chloe didn’t need. It’s a simple, sweet storyline that just reminds us of what kind of character Cruz is.
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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.