Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 3 Review: In the Blood
Budget cuts become life-threatening on Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 3, “In the Blood.” I love a Violet/Novak solving problems type of storyline these days, and that’s the part of this episode that I most enjoy.
Even better, Violet doesn’t experience even more trauma and loss like it first appears she might. Instead, her old friend makes it out okay, at least when it comes to her health.
Her friend, Murphy, had been driving an ambulance that turned over, leaving her and the patient they were taking to the hospital with injuries. Violet climbs up on top of the truck without thinking twice — a moment that says a lot about her character and as well as the team that she’s a part of at 51.
There’s no explanation for how the ambulance turned over until Murphy’s partner slips and says it’s all his fault. Violet and Novak press the issue and discover it’s just that Murphy’s partner feels responsible. They’d both been overworked, thanks to the budget cuts, and Murphy fell asleep at the wheel.
Admitting what happened could cost Murphy her job, which doesn’t seem worth it until Violet has an idea that could alleviate stress for paramedics and firefighters who are losing shifts. The catch is that Murphy will still have to reveal what really caused that accident.
Notably, Chief Robinson is sympathetic and open to suggestions — less of a one-note villain than we’ve known her to be in the past. While that’s great to see, it’s almost disconcerting.
Meanwhile, Stella tries to bond with the teen that she and Kelly are fostering, and she’s finding it to be a struggle. Kelly has already found a way to connect, but for Stella, it’s more difficult. He’s going through a hard transition, worried about his mother, and he’s at a difficult age. Stella has plenty of experience with teen girls, but this is new territory.
Her attempts are sweet, and this new challenge does open up some possibilities for her character. The same is true for Severide and for the relationship between them. All of that’s positive, but it’s still a shame the pregnancy storyline was handled the way it was.
This episode also offers more backstory on Vasquez, and it’s intriguing to learn why his father is behind bars — and knowing now that his father is up for parole soon as well.
There’s a connection to CPD that could have a lot of potential for his character. I’ll be curious to see how that plays out.
What did you think of this episode of Chicago Fire? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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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.