The Chicago franchise’s flagship series returned tonight in explosive fashion (no pun intended). After last season’s brutal cliffhanger that left the lives of Squad 3 in jeopardy, answers were given, with plenty of doors opening for the what’s to come in its tenth season.
The rescue of Squad 3 from underneath the capsized boat felt a little rushed, but at the same time kept the same heart-racing action that this show has always given us. An explosive device was rigged to the boat, freeing most of Squad 3, but as the debris moved, Severide saw Cruz doing the dead man’s float, and Severide risked his life to push Cruz to the surface. Thankfully, Casey was there in a rescue boat, and performed CPR on Cruz, reviving him! After taking him to Chicago Med (with a cameo from Dr. Marcel), Cruz was cleared to go home with his pregnant wife Chloe.
The fallout of Cruz’s near-death experience extended through the rest of the episode, and may very well move into the rest of the season, like Casey’s injury all last season. Cruz could barely clean his oxygen mask without mentally flashing back to the boat accident. With this event, as well as a baby on the way, I think we’re in for a big season of Cruz.
The other crucial ‘A’ plot of the premiere centered around Chief Boden’s promotion to Deputy District Chief, meaning while he will oversee Firehouse 51, he will be overseeing several fire stations in the area. He also will be moving offices, much to the dismay of Stella Kidd, who pleaded to Boden to try and work his promotion from Firehouse 51.
Stella later said she did this because Firehouse 51 is the only family she has ever known, and doesn’t want it split up. Her intentions are strong, and I hope they show a little more of Stella’s backstory and what she has been through. The show has teased it for years, but we’ve never gotten the full Stella Kidd story that the fans need.
In other news, Casey and Sylvie are finally together! The relationship that has been teased for years has finally come to fruition, with the two finally on the right page for once to give the relationship a try. They tried to keep their relationship status a secret throughout most of the episode, but if they know their colleagues, it was never a secret to begin with.
In last season’s finale, Severide finally proposed to Stella, deciding to finally settle down and leave the bachelor life behind. The one complication was Severide’s unwillingness to call his mother and tell her that he’s engaged. He says he did at the end of the episode, but knowing him, he’s probably lying about it.
With a new season comes new storylines about some of our favorite firefighters. The newest additions to the squad, Gallo, Ritter, and Violet are most likely going to serve as the comedic side of Fire‘s tenth season, as they began a quest to start a side business so that they can make money to pay off their bar tab. The hilarious banter from these three, as well as their reasoning for starting a business is frankly the most hilarious element of it that can only be properly executed by the youngest people in Firehouse 51. They settled on starting a mini-brewery, because Gallo started making his own beer. Knowing how these plots go, it’ll probably resort in a standoff with Herrmann at Molly’s to see if he will supply the beer to his patrons.
The episode culminated with all hands on deck situation, with a fire at an apartment building. Trying to rescue a kid on the roof, Gallo and Stella fell through the roof, leading to an epic rescue of the kid from Casey, who tied a rope to a ladder from one end of the roof, and after grabbing the kid, swung like Tarzan over the side of the building and back up to safety. The show has done a great job of one-upping itself when it comes to the rescues and tactics that these men and women go to to save people.
Even after all these years, the episodes will still end at a gathering at Molly’s Pub, but it was for different reasons. They set up a baby shower for Cruz and Chloe, since Cruz was in the hospital on the original date of the shower. The feeling of family and camaraderie within the group, even as Boden says that family lasts forever, and even with change, they will still be together. Moving speech, I’m sure Vin Diesel would be proud.
This season is gearing up to be a great one, with the Severide and Stella’s wedding plans, Cruz going through a lot of emotional trauma from nearly dying, the growth of Casey and Sylvie’s relationship, and all the changes coming to 51, it’s sure to be a jam-packed season!
What did you think of tonight’s premiere? Leave a comment below!