Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 8 Review: A Man Possessed
Taylor Kinney delivers what may be one of his best performances on Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 8, “A Man Possessed.”
The episode picks up where we left off on the Fall finale, with Severide and Van Meter visiting the targeted principal at his home just before someone intentionally sets it on fire.
This leaves them trapped at the top of the building, and the principal should thank his lucky stars that Van Meter and Severide are there when this happens.
They problem solve quickly, ripping up sheets to create a rope for escape. It’s a suspenseful scene — the kind that you hold your breath during, and the kind that makes for a strong episode overall.
Severide and Van Meter are able to get the principal to safety first, with a little help from a civilian on the ground who happens to be in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, Van Meter is badly burned in the process, and then smoke inhalation becomes an even bigger issue.
The principal and Severide make it out without much injury (Severide has a little), but Van Meter is taken to Chicago Med, where Dean Archer is pretty frank with Severide that the situation is grim. Van Meter has to be put into a medically induced coma, and Severide’s reaction is heartbreaking.
Taylor Kinney plays it perfectly, with a subtle look across his face, holding back tears and registering the shock of seeing a mentor in that condition. It really is some of his best work.
Of course, he uses those feelings to spring into action and becomes even more focused on finding the arsonist. It makes for an intriguing mystery, and the fact that it still isn’t resolved by the end of the episode is smart storytelling — this has the potential to create an even bigger impact for Severide.
Meanwhile, Severide being caught in that fire also reveals how much Isaiah has come to care for his new guardians. He wants to be there for Severide, and he’s also really mature with every step. We see that in the way he handles taking a Zoom call with his mother’s care team as well.
Elsewhere in the firehouse, Mouch gets the news that Engine 51 is being removed, which could mean he loses his job as well. He’s determined to plan an appeal, and Pascal is still in his corner. Unfortunately, the truth about who it was that actually made that decision comes out — and it was never CFD.
Annette was a part of that decision, and when Pascal confronts her, she suggests he allow it to happen and focus on what he could do with his career.
He says he won’t do something that would hurt his people, but as viewers, it’s hard to know if that’s true. We haven’t known Pascal that long, in the grand scheme of things.
This could also open up a door for Pascal’s current position to become available, and maybe revisit Herrmann taking on the role that was once Chief Boden’s. Just a thought.
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.