Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 10 Review: Carry a Torch
If Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 9, “Crime of Passion,” left you wondering what would happen between Stella and Severide, do not worry because Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 10, “Carry a Torch,” gives us an immediate answer. The tension between the couple is palpable and high at the beginning, but it eventually eases.
The moment the woman trapped in the car mentions she is pregnant, viewers can tell this has hit very close to home for Stella. After losing their baby and watching Isaiah leave, there are feelings in Stella that she hasn’t discussed with anyone, but that are clear in her eyes as she watches this situation unfold.
This becomes even clearer when she arrives at the hospital to meet the baby girl, but cannot make it into the room after watching both parents happily enjoy their time with their baby. Of course, it has nothing to do with their happiness, but with the fact that she feels something is missing and there is a pain she hasn’t faced.
The emotions connected to this case go hand in hand with her conversation with Violet. As she explains what’s happening between her and Severide, Stella mentions she has no fight left in her. She has no energy to try to bring down Severide’s walls because she is putting all that energy into holding herself together.
What neither she nor Severide realizes is that they are both trying to do the same thing without asking for the help that comes with being in a marriage.
The stories that Van Meter’s daughter shares with Severide open his eyes to what could potentially happen in his own marriage if he doesn’t act now. He sees a reflection of himself in those stories and the way he pulls away or shuts down when there is something going on. It all resonates with him because he knows the way Van Meter behaved in his marriage is how he is behaving in his now.
But there comes a change the minute Van Meter wakes up. Severide feels the need to be with his family, and that is Stella. A need that is replicated by her as well, running out of Molly’s to find him the minute she hears the news.
As they stand on an empty street, they are both able to voice their feelings. It is quite symbolic that they are alone in the dark, cold night, talking about what they are experiencing and all the emotions they bottled up. They are supposed to find the time to talk to each other, but the time has appeared in front of them when they needed it most.
Hopefully, this will be a turning point in their relationship. A turning point that allows them to fully process the loss of their baby and Isaiah’s departure in order to be stronger as individuals and as a couple.
Stella and Severide aren’t the only ones experiencing emotions they can’t quite put into words. Herrmann seems to be on a similar journey with Mouch’s departure.
Instead of talking to the team about his feelings and fears, he takes his frustration out on a shelf that seems impossible to hang in the office. But this is only a representation of what’s going on inside of him, unable to quite understand why he feels the way he does about Mouch being gone.
As viewers, there are two things we can understand from Herrmann’s behavior. The first one is the fact that his best friend is gone, and he must learn to navigate an environment without him. Working without Mouch is a different kind of game that Herrmann doesn’t entirely want to accept.
But the other thing we notice is that there could be a fear that what happened to Mouch happens to him next. Mouch was being pushed out for his age, so who is to say they won’t come for Herrmann next? Once again, the department’s disrespect of the older firefighters is at the forefront of the storyline.
What also stands out is Cruz’s big heart. On Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 9, “Crime of Passion,” he showed up to help Severide, and now he does the same for Herrmann. He is a family man who takes care of his people.
While Novak and Frost’s relationship is fun and entertaining, the chemistry brewing between Violet and Vasquez is just as captivating. There seems to be a more tender side to this relationship that is not there between Novak and Frost because of who these characters are.
However, it is clear that until the issues with his father were resolved, Vasquez wouldn’t be able to move into a new relationship or even begin to explore one. Luckily, the Ray Vasquez issues seem to be behind…at least for now.
Violet’s advice not to be like his father and trust the cops actually pays off. Vasquez figures out what his father is hiding from him and helps him resolve it by trusting the police could help them in that situation. Now, he is free to have a good relationship with his father while maybe choosing to explore the connection with Violet.
The only thing we could “complain” about is that we don’t get to see anyone from Chicago P.D. helping Vasquez; instead, we are met with a different cop taking the lead. It would have been interesting to see someone from Voight’s unit handle this.
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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Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Eulalie Magazine, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.