LA Fire & Rescue Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Broken Bones & Burning Homes
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
For the penultimate episode, the LACoFD ensures we see some of their most harrowing calls. LA Fire & Rescue Season 1 Episode 7, “Broken Bones & Burning Homes,” drives home that in the span of one shift, these guys can easily see the most mundane of calls to the most devastating.
Nothing is off the table when you are a firefighter for the county of Los Angeles. It all boils down to how much you trust the person standing next to you when the fire is at your face or your back.
I Got Your Back
Whether you’ve been working with the same guys your whole career or you only occasionally work together on a call, you have to be able to trust that the firefighter standing next to you has your safety on their mind.
One of the great things about “Broken Bones & Burning Homes” is the focus given to a major call that brings together two stations that we haven’t seen work together yet. The house fire might have been on the smaller side once things were said and done, but seeing Station 37 go into the home to attack the fire while Station 16 stood by and talked to the crowd/secured the outside structure of the home was invigorating.
The two captains — Olivas and Woods — have been in the game for a few decades each and have worked together on many fires. To see that camaraderie and trust displayed instead of just spoken about changes how we see these firefighters and these emergencies.
It’s one thing to hear the guys talk about knowing each other and trusting each other. It’s another entirely to see Olivas’ guys have Woods’ guys’ backs and both teams knowing the job is getting done properly because the others are there to help.
The pure exhilaration and joy on Scouler’s face when she realizes that not only has she tackled her first fire off probation, but served as the tip for it should be the marketing for recruiting firefighters to the profession. You can’t fake pride and excitement like that, no matter how hard you try.
Scouler has accomplished something big, and her house is there to experience it with her. Not only that, Station 16 gets to see what she is made of and praises her training alongside everyone else.
Paco Lomeli is a Shining Star
The greatest thing LA Fire & Rescue has done is given people insight into the individuals of the LACoFD. While it’s been great to see more about Olivas, Scouler, and Anderson, the person everyone has come to love and respect the most is Paco Lomeli from Station 16.
“Broken Bones & Burning Homes” continues the trend of learning all we can about this complicated but big-hearted man. Lomeli never takes his job lightly and takes every opportunity he can to ensure the people on a call feel they’ve been taken care of and respected all in one go.
This doesn’t stop at his patient. Lomeli takes the time to make sure that his patient’s family is reassured as well. If he comes in contact with children, he takes the time to remind them of their responsibilities — homework, being respectful, etc. — before he hands them a sticker for being brave in a crisis.
This extends what we already know about him, which is that he takes children from their community under his wing and ensures they succeed in school. We already love him watching LA Fire & Rescue Season 1 Episode 3, “The Real Baywatch,” and LA Fire & Rescue Season 1 Episode 6, “Three Alarm,” but the moments during this episode take it all to another level.
We are introduced to his mother during this episode which shows us how he is with his family. We already know he was raised by her alone and that he’s currently handling his own divorce.
However, seeing him directly interact with his mom shows us the level of trust and honesty they have between them. She doesn’t pull any punches or shy away from telling him that he has to own his mistakes and just give his daughters time.
All of this culminates in the belief that Lomeli is the perfect representation of what the LACoFD offers the people of their county.
What did you think of this episode of LA Fire & Rescue? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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LA Fire & Rescue airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.
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Mads Misasi
Mads is a part-time entertainment journalist and full-time marketing content creator. They love any and all TV Dramas with a few sitcoms mixed in. Join in the fun talking about TV by following them on Twitter: @dorothynyc89.