Chicago Fire Review: An Officer with Grit (Season 10 Episode 14)
It may have been a long, frustrating road to getting here, but the payoff is well worth it. Stella Kidd will finally be taking her place as lieutenant of Firehouse 51 after the events of Chicago Fire Season 10 Episode 14, “An Officer with Grit.”
And getting here has been a journey. Stella wasn’t able to take over for Casey in a seamless way when we left, and instead, the season has had some forced storylines and convoluted conflict.
Yet despite all of that, this particular episode opens up a predictable, yet very satisfying way for Stella to claim her rightful spot.
As soon as it’s revealed that the lieutenant from another firehouse is transferring, it’s clear what’s coming. It won’t actually be Stella that takes over that spot. Of course, it’s going to be Pelham instead.
It’s perfect timing and it all works out very easily. Pelham is kindhearted and respectful enough of Stella and all of Firehouse 51 to see this as a no-brainer, and his conversation with Stella at the end makes the frustrating nature of this entire storyline just about worth it.
Not to mention Miranda Rae Mayo’s performance here, which is both subtle and wildly emotional. It all comes back to how much of a family Firehouse 51 one really is.
I do have to admit that I’ll miss Pelham. He managed to fit in nicely and turned out to be a really likable, sweet character. Hopefully, we’ll have a chance to see him pop up again some time.
Elsewhere on the episode, Hawkins goes a step too far in showing favoritism of Violet. It seems innocent enough that he’d pull some strings so that their truck could get its heating fixed quickly, but in reality, it means putting bigger needs further down the line.
Brett is outwardly upset over the whole thing, almost in a way that seems out of character for her. Though those feelings could certainly be justified by the fact that she remains in a long-distance relationship with Casey, which would likely be wearing on her by now.
That conflict is resolved easily enough, and the chemistry between Hawkins and Violet? Good grief, ya’ll. More of this, please and thank you.
Other thoughts:
- It looks like we’re going to see more of a mentorship dynamic now between Severide and Gallo, which seems like a great thing.
- I enjoy any interaction that brings back history from earlier seasons, and in this case, the former owner of Molly’s showing up allows for some great opportunities for that. Luckily, what seems a bit shady at first instead means a large influx of cash for the bar.
- I don’t think I’ll ever forget seeing Pelham’s Elvis impression.
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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.