Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 12 Review: Coming in Hot
Raise your hand if the moment Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 12, “Coming in Hot,” starts with Herrmann’s daughter dealing with the aftermath of the fire and it jumps to Stella working on Girls on Fire, you know where it is going.
If we are honest, this is the best resolution the show could have given to Annabelle’s storyline. Even though Herrmann says it’s terrifying, viewers must agree with Stella that this is actually really cool.
Combining something Stella has been passionate about for several seasons with a storyline that affects Herrmann directly is a great way for the show to keep everything in-house and continue to showcase that Firehouse 51 is a family more than a group of people who work together.
While we have seen Herrmann’s struggle with the aftermath of his home fire, the show lacked a look into how his family was feeling. This was quite surprising, given that the Herrmanns have been an essential part of Chicago Fire.
Introducing Annabelle’s anxiety and fear is a great way to connect his blood family to his work family, which has always been a main focal point. That connection becomes even clearer when Stella says that Firehouse 51 is also Annabelle’s house. There is a symbolic meaning in that Annabelle has lost her house and her things in a fire but finds comfort in the firehouse that has watched her grow.
There is a bit of comedy in Annabelle’s interaction with Violet after Herrmann mentions that she is running everything by ChatGPT. While this is a sad reality many teenagers live through, the show gives it a funny tone to distract from the sadness of her PTSD.
In the end, we are happy to see that what helped her father overcome his own fears will now help Annabelle. Watching her step into Herrmann’s world isn’t terrifying; it’s admirable. And hopefully, the show doesn’t drop this storyline into nothing.
When we met Novak, we could immediately pinpoint her issues with commitment. She didn’t want to commit to 51 and preferred to jump around. It wasn’t until Violet worked her magic that Novak decided to stay.
That same commitment issue is now presenting itself in her relationship (even though she doesn’t like to call it that) with Frost. While we can see he is open to sharing his thoughts and feelings with her, Novak is always putting up a wall and keeping him far away from her feelings and her story.
Novak’s behavior is what we would call “silly goose.” She makes jokes, turns to sarcasm, and is an expert at changing the subject when things get real. The moment Frost starts seeing a future with her, she diverts everything back to sex. But unlike with Violet, who fought until the very end to keep her at 51, Frost tells her that if she sees no future, then it’s over.
There is undeniable chemistry between Frost and Novak, and it’s been fun to watch them together. But it would be even more entertaining to see the show dig into Novak’s past and help us figure out why she’s so afraid to commit.
However, this back-and-forth between crushes and relationships might cause tension between her and Violet. For Violet, Vasquez is more than just a crush, and she needs to be honest with her partner about it. Otherwise, things might go south between them.
We can’t talk about Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 12, “Coming in Hot,” without talking about Pascal. The truth is, the show has created a Pascal that we could absolutely not talk about, but that’s what’s intriguing right now.
Even though we have this huge storyline about the deputy chief looking into him because of Tony’s accident, there is still no attraction or interest in what Pascal does. His character has fallen flat and is giving nothing to the storyline.
If we are honest, Pascal’s presence doesn’t come near to the presence Boden used to have. Boden’s character is still very much missed because he was the glue that kept Firehouse 51 together. Pascal comes and goes and is truly not missed when he is gone.
Now that we know Dermot Mulroney will be on leave for a few episodes, we wonder if the show will even miss Pascal or if it will move on as if nothing had changed.
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.