This week’s Chicago Fire throws Cruz into a moral pressure cooker, while Mouch contemplates mortality in a surprisingly poignant storyline. Let’s just say, not everyone makes it out of this one unscathed.
The main thrust of the episode revolves around Cruz and a ghost from his past. Specifically, the vengeful cousin of a criminal Cruz let die in a previous fire. This cousin, Junior, blackmails Cruz into helping him with some illegal activity, putting Cruz in a terrible position. While Severide’s off playing teacher at the OFI academy, blissfully unaware of the serious threat to his friend, Cruz is spiraling. He’s forced into participating in a robbery, which predictably goes south. The episode culminates in a shootout that leaves Junior dead and Cruz injured and emotionally wrecked.
On a quieter but no less impactful note, Mouch is dealing with his own demons after a fire reveals a lonely death. The victim, a man with no family, leads Mouch on a quest to find any living relatives. He comes up empty but finds a different kind of peace in accepting the simple fact that some people die alone. It’s a melancholic but ultimately life-affirming thread in an otherwise tense episode.
Oh, and amid the chaos, Herrmann and Mouch pass their lieutenant and captain exams respectively. They celebrate with a much-needed party at Molly’s, a brief respite from the darkness surrounding Cruz.
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.
