Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 17 Review: Sway
Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 17, “Sway,” gives us a look at what Hopkins is like working at the firehouse without Severide. While Severide is away at the captain training, Hopkins praises everyone.
It feels weird, creepy, and exaggerated for Hopkins to tell the team multiple times that they are doing solid work. He continues to mention their reputation and how they compare to it, as if, in reality, he meant the opposite of what he was saying.
With his character, it feels like everything is calculated, placed, and said in a specific manner that it will eventually come back to bite Severide. As if Hopkins’ sole purpose in life was to bring Severide down to get revenge on his father.
Stella, Hopkins, Fire, Lucy, and an Internal Affairs Investigation
The episode proves once again why Stella has gotten so far in her career. She has learned a lot from Severide when it comes to investigating a fire, but she also brings her own perspective and experience to the case.
After Hopkins’s comment to Severide on Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 16, “Firehouse 66,” about his concerns regarding him and his wife working the same shift, no one is surprised when we see Hopkins watching Stella closely. It feels like he is waiting for the precise moment when she will make a mistake, so he can use it to bring her husband down.
What he clearly doesn’t expect is to be met by a woman who holds her own and knows how to do her job. The way Stella handles the investigation is almost perfect. The only thing we would highlight that she shouldn’t have done is out the woman who made the call about the arson in front of a suspect. Beyond that, she does everything incredibly.
While Hopkins congratulates her on solid work done, it doesn’t feel like a positive remark. The way he looks at her and the rest of the team makes it seem like he’s not sincere about his comments. Something that is remarked twice throughout the episode.
At first, when his old partner comes to visit him, he mentions once again how stuck he is about what Benny did and why he wants to bring Severide down. This thirst for revenge is blinding him.
This is remarked again when he hands Lucy an envelope for Internal Affairs. As Lucy looks inside, it’s revealed that he is filing a complaint against Severide for dereliction of duty.
Unlike Lucy, we’re not surprised to see what’s coming. We’ve been expecting him to act in some sort of way against Severide to bring him down. However, we know that everything he says isn’t true.
Every accusation stems from misdirected anger that Severide does not deserve.
But what this scene really gets us thinking about is Lucy’s character. Will she truly work for Hopkins and help him harm Firehouse 51? Or will she see through his actions for exactly what they are?
Her addition is definitely exciting, and hopefully her character will continue to grow.
Violet, Novak, and Vasquez
It is completely understandable that Violet took some time to tell Novak about the night she slept with Vasquez. Up until then, there were no indications that Novak’s comments about Vasquez were anything more than a silly work crush. After all, she had been going out with Frost the moment Violet and Vasquez got together.
While it is uncomfortable to see the awkwardness between Violet and Novak, we’re rewarded at the end of the episode with the knowledge that their friendship will survive this test. Novak makes it very clear to Vasquez that nothing will ever happen between them because he slept with her best friend. She is respecting the girl code.
However, what does catch viewers’ attention is the way Vasquez is so openly flirting with Novak. Why would he want to come between two friends? What does he gain from playing with both of them? It truthfully makes him look bad, and makes some of us like him a little less.
It is particularly disappointing because it is obvious that Violet has genuine feelings for him. But after the way he behaved, we can say she deserves better.
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.