Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 16 Review: Grief Lessons and a New Romance

On Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 16, “In the Rubble,” Dom Pascal struggles to deal with the sudden death of his wife. He throws himself into his work and, worse, into finding someone to blame. 

The gruff exterior we’ve come to know is in full force as he insists to other firefighters that it’s “business as usual” and they shouldn’t treat him differently than they normally would. That’s easier said than done when Pascal rides with them on a call, then goes rogue to save someone instead of following protocol. 

He’s their boss, which makes matters even more complicated and sets up an awkward dynamic that I don’t think we’ve seen on the show before. It’s an entirely unique storyline, and one that tests all of the characters in some new ways.

That’s especially the case when Pascal brings them all out on a special assignment. They return to the scene and he has them go over what happened the night of the car crash that killed Monica. 

That’s already crossing a line, but in a desperate attempt to find someone to blame, he forcefully questions Herrmann, Severide, and Kidd about what happened that night. He’s looking for errors in the way they handled the call and hoping to prove the other driver was truly at fault.

The driver, meanwhile, is being cleared of any charges. He wasn’t drunk or otherwise impaired, and it seems like the problem truly fell to an issue with the traffic lights.

He does this with an unsettling amount of melancholic rage, leaving everyone else concerned and stunned. Dermott Mulroney’s performance in all of this is absolutely stellar. It’s visceral and deeply emotional. 

On top of that, Severide worries Pascal might do something he’d regret. Pascal wants so badly for there to be justice, and he refuses to believe the driver wasn’t at fault. When he slips up and tells Severide where the driver lives, it’s clear he might be willing to cross a line there, too.

We’ve seen that side of Pascal once before, and Severide is alarmed enough to call Pascal out on it and urge him not to hurt anyone.

As for Pascal’s work at the firehouse, the three leaders put their heads together to determine a way to help him. Herrmann asks “what do we do” if Pascal keeps coming to work like that, and it seems they’d be right to try to force him out — or at least to take some sort of leave. This could, after all, be a way to get Herrmann into that position. 

Instead, though, they focus on compassion. The firehouse comes together to find out when the funeral is and at least send flowers. This is all while poor Joe processes his own issues with not knowing how to respond to someone’s grief. He arranges for meals to be sent, but that’s been overdone.

Joe’s difficulty there is really relatable. Even as he listens to advice from Violet and everyone else, he’s still not entirely sure what it means. 

When the group all comes together at the end, though, that seems to be the answer. Even though they find out that Pascal wants the funeral to be “family only,” they all show up anyway. Pascal reiterates that point to Mouch when he sees them all there, to which Mouch responds, “I know, Chief. That’s why we’re here.”

At its core, Chicago Fire is about found family, and that’s always been the way Firehouse 51 has operated. Pascal has a chance to feel that now, even though he hasn’t worked with that group for very long. It’s a profoundly emotional moment, beautifully highlighting how they rally around him.

Meanwhile, the episode strikes a lighter tone with a budding romance between Jack Damon and Lizzy Novak. Damon has returned to the floater pool after the fallout with Firehouse 20, and Severide and Kidd hope to get him a permanent spot at 51.

This is something they discussed on Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 15, noting how much he’s grown and that he’s learned from past mistakes. Plus, he’d be working under Herrmann in this scenario instead of Severide or Kidd, which means there’s less conflict of interest. 

Pascal isn’t open to that at first, but eventually, he softens. Not only does he admit that Severide, Kidd, and Herrmann’s reports are all accurate and that the driver must have, in fact, not been at fault, he says Damon can have a spot on truck (to work there when Kylie isn’t available). 

This news comes after Damon and Lizzy have had some flirtatious encounters and, ultimately, a kiss that Lizzy initiates when Damon thanks her for talking so well of him at another firehouse.

A romance between these two would certainly be fun to watch. However, now it’s likely to be more complicated since they’ll be working at the same firehouse. 

Thankfully, Damon wouldn’t be taking up a spot that should be held by Carver, which hopefully means Carver won’t be away at rehab for too long. Speaking of Carver, Violet is working on a heartfelt letter to him throughout the episode, which creates an opportunity for her to offer a voiceover.

It’s an interesting choice, and it’s one that ultimately feels out of place. Yes, it connects her own experiences with grief, which I appreciate because it shows how much that’s shaped her character. That’s done just as well with her actions, though — and even with details like her explaining why the flowers the firehouse sends for Monica’s funeral shouldn’t be lilies. 

Ultimately, though, this is a strong, emotional episode that keeps with Chicago Fire’s theme of found family in a heartfelt way. 

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

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