Chicago Fire Season 11 Episode 12 Review: How Does It End?

Chicago Fire Season 11 Episode 12, “How Does It End?” is a welcome respite from the explosive mid-season finale and subsequent return.

This feels like a necessary pause after so much chaos in the season so far. That doesn’t mean the episode is without its emotional punches. One can’t expect anything else from this series. 

Chicago Fire lives and dies with Stellaride. This season alone, this couple has been pushed to the brink. Now, they are back to working together, and they have a lot of hard questions that they need to consider together.

It makes sense that Severide is so protective of Stella, particularly in light of recent events. His protective instincts have never been more clear than they are on this episode.

However, Stella is right to push back and remind her husband that she is still a professional. Severide needs to keep his personal feelings in check and recognize that his wife is an absolute professional.

These two have seen each other through immense chaos. They are on track to recover and continue supporting one another in the most heartwarming way. 

Chief Boden really shines when he’s the angry dad of the group. Whenever Chicago Fire lets him unleash his dad energy, everybody wins.

On this episode, he’s able to showcase the best of himself. He can call out shenanigans and remind his crew what ultimately matters. He can put an end to chaos with just one look.

This is both hilarious and also an important reminder of what a strong leader Boden has always been. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Boden-centric story if he doesn’t get a chance to show his heart. 

This is a man who’s in charge for a reason. For all of his bluster and serious exterior, this is a man who has his crew’s back. He knows immediately when something is wrong and makes himself available to support them in whatever way he can. 

The truck and squad conflict doesn’t always come together. All of these characters are so loveable, it’s just hard to believe that they’d be pitted against each other in this way. 

Luckily, this story does contain a reference to Casey and his incredible cooking skills. It’s good to see he’s still remembered, even as he’s off doing bigger and better things. 

The other story that mostly falls flat is the rescue of the doomsday prepper. Sure, rescues happen in the course of an instant. As intense as this story is, it feels like a missed opportunity. 

If Chicago Fire wants to portray real-world issues, it’s essential that additional context is provided. Unfortunately, it’s absent here. 

The romances on this episode also come across as misguided. Of course, such a serious episode coming off of a serious story arc requires levity. In that sense, these romantic subplots partially succeed.

In particular, both of these romantic subplots feel like an attempt to maintain relevance by referencing social media, and how the dating game has changed. While this may be true, the story still doesn’t quite come together. 

Part of the issue is that any romance on Chicago Fire is naturally going to be compared to Stellaride. Even the smaller, more lighthearted romances are going to stand in the shadow of this ship that has carried network TV for at least the last little while. 

Everyone involved in this fun little story is charming and good-looking. They’ll all be fine, and love can’t be too far away. 

Finally, Hermann is the undisputed star of this episode. He was always going to have a difficult time processing Cindy’s health struggles. Though he will always be a phenomenal firefighter, his family comes first every time. 

As much as he’s struggling, he’s able to tap into his inner strength, and reach out for the support he needs. This is another example of real power, being able to identify vulnerabilities and ask for help.

Hermann and Cindy are in for the fight of their lives. They are truly going to need all the love and support of their loved ones to make it to the other side. If anyone is up for the challenge, it’s this family. 

For all of its thrills, Chicago Fire is often at its strongest when it focuses on these quieter, more emotionally resonant stories. Hermann’s heartbreak belongs to everyone.

As Hermann shares this news with his work crew, the crew will have a chance to stand with Hermann and by extension Cindy as their fight gets underway. It will no doubt be incredibly heartwarming to see this support turned into action.

Chicago Fire has had plenty of heat coming back from the mid-season finale. So far, things have hardly returned to normal, whatever that means.

So many characters have to navigate a new reality while continuing their steadfast focus on saving lives. This time of change can be the beginning of something new.

With the second half of the season just getting started, it’s evident that there are many heartwarming and heartbreaking stories yet to come. 

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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