Chicago Fire Season 11 Episode 7 Review: Angry is Easier

Oftentimes, some of the best episodes of Chicago Fire are the ones that offer levity, and Chicago Fire Season 11 Episode 7, “Angry is Easier,” does just that. It’s not a perfect episode, but it is one that reminds us how well the show does when it leans into being a feel-good type of series. 

This one also centers more on Herrmann, which hasn’t happened in a while.

In this case, at the scene of an accident, a man who seems like he isn’t going to make it asks Herrman for a pretty big favor: to reach out to a woman he used to love and tell her how he felt. It’s essentially his dying wish.

Herrmann, of course, wants to do the right thing here, but he struggles with it. There’s some humor involved, but it ultimately ends up being a really endearing story.

As luck would have it, the woman is now divorced, and couldn’t be happier to reunite with her old friend — who does wind up pulling through. And Herrmann gets to witness it all.

Meanwhile, Stella gets to see her very first recruit graduate and spends some time reflecting on the Girls on Fire program. But it isn’t all positive. The recruit’s mother has some unpleasant words for Stella that makes her rethink what she’s been doing — recruiting young women for a dangerous line of work. 

I’m glad to see the show bring the Girls on Fire program back into focus, especially considering that was the reason behind Stella’s bizarre absence for so long last season.

It’s also worthwhile to see her evaluating the program in this way. It’s also something different for Stella, and her connection to these girls should be more central to her character after the time she’s put into this.

It’s Ritter who ultimately helps Stella realize that she shouldn’t pull back in her mentorship, and he does so by offering up details about his own history. It provides a nice moment between the two, and it’s nice to get that kind of insight from RItter.

Of course, the big story on this episode is the heckler, who comes out of nowhere to cause the Firehouse 51 crew all kinds of drama. It’s amazing how brazen this guy is, and it makes you wonder about this kind of thing happening in real life. It’s unsettling how close he gets and how he interferes with things.

If anything, it does show that Carver is a good guy to have around — and I think we can finally start to trust that Carver will be a good member of the firehouse after all. 

Even this story winds up being an endearing one though. The heckler is motivated by his own grief. He’s looking for someone to blame for the loss of his dad, and in this case, he blames the first responders who he thinks failed to save him. 

What happens in the last confrontation is pretty much in line with what you’d expect from Firehouse 51. Boden begins to diffuse, and then it’s a heartfelt connection that winds up making the chance. In this case, that comes from Violet, who empathizes with this man’s loss in a deep way.

Kudos, once again, to Hanako Greensmith for an incredible, emotional performance. As much as I remain bitter over the death of Chief Hawkins, I’m really enjoying the chance to see Greensmith shine like this.

Mouch also gets a nice moment on this episode. Sure, it comes at first from annoying Severide with his purchase of a broken motorcycle, to the point where Severide folds and fixes it up for him — a cute storyline that plays into some different dynamics of the firehouse.

But the best part is that Mouch isn’t actually afraid of Trudy finding out about his purchase. He actually can’t wait to show her. It’s one of the most joyful moments on the entire episode to see Trudy climb on the back of the bike and ride off with her husband. 

I do love a good Trudy appearance on Chicago Fire, don’t you?

The final heartwarming moment comes, thankfully, from Joe Cruz. Though this is also a bit of a disappointment in the way it’s carried out. After Chicago Fire Season 11 Episode 6, “All-Out Mystery,” you’d think there would be more attention given to this adoption storyline.

Instead, Cruz spends the episode fretting over receiving a phone call, and that’s really all we get until the anti-climactic end where he finally gets that call.

It’s happy news, to be sure, and it’s especially sweet to see everyone cheer and crowd around him at the news that the adoption is going through. But this deserved more attention than it got, and that part is disappointing. 

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Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

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