Chicago Fire Season 8 Episode 6 Review: What Went Wrong
Jessica Lerner
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This episode was quite literally “The Gallo Show.”
That’s not to say that spending a sizable amount of time focusing on a new character is a bad thing, especially when that character is as likable, charismatic, and charming as Gallo.
If anything, Chicago Fire Season 8 Episode 6 just gave viewers a hundred more reasons to route for the guy and hope he sticks around for the long haul.
It's actually been a while since the series introduced a new recurring firefighter.
During the series' first few seasons, there was a revolving door of new firefighters who stopped by Firehouse 51 briefly before going their separate ways and never being seen again.
Casey: I stuck my neck out to get you into 51 when everyone else was telling me you were too impulsive.
Gallo: I know. It was a major screw up. I’m really sorry.
Casey: You won’t know what sorry is until you scrub all the toilets, wash the truck, mop the floors, and about a hundred other dirty jobs I haven’t thought of yet.
Besides Ritter, Gallo is the first recent addition in quite some time.
And since Ritter seems to be sticking around -- which I'm happy about -- it leads me to wonder if Gallo will be a permanent fixture at 51 or leave for some reason by the end of the season.
As magnetic as Gallo is, he's also a bit of a loose cannon. This episode wasn't the first time he decided to play superhero, and it probably won't be the last.
However, after everything he's been through, it's understandable why the guy couldn't just sit back and wait for Squad to rescue the people trapped inside the house.
Related: Chicago Fire Season 8 Episode 5 Review: Buckle Up
Not knowing any of this, Casey, rightfully so, chewed Gallo out for his disobedience.
However, if Casey had known beforehand would things have gone differently?
Boden definitely had a change of heart after he learned the truth from the other fire chief, and he was the one who was adamantly against Gallo joining 51 in the first place.
Maybe, this is the sort of thing Gallo should have disclosed before transferring to 51, but what exactly was he supposed to say?
Was he just supposed to be vulnerable and tell complete strangers his entire life story before even getting to know them?
I lost my entire family in that fire, but the thing is I heard my little sister call my name from across the hall, and I was so scared that I ran for the closet. To this day, I'll never know if I could have saved her. Maybe, I could have saved them all.
Gallo
The way Gallo went about opening up to Casey felt organic and earned, especially after Gallo's conversation with Ritter, and the final scene between Gallo and Casey was the highlight of the episode.
It seems as though Gallo has finally found his place within the firehouse, and that's something we should all want to celebrate.
Elsewhere, Severide was just further proved that he should be made an honorary mention of Intelligence, as he made yet another incredible solve when it came to an arson investigation.
As the series has drilled into its viewers over the past eight seasons, arson is very hard to prove, and it's even harder to arrest someone for the crime.
Yet, Severide always seems to manage to connect the dots and figure out the true cause of the blaze.
Related: Get HBO via Prime Video Channels for Addictive Dramas, Hilarious Comedies & Hit Movies!
Viewers have seen the lieutenant do some truly amazing work when it comes to investigating fire-related incidents.
However, this time may just take the cake, as Severide discovered that the set up of the cooking fire was identical to a previous fire described in detail by a local newspaper.
Who besides him could make that sort of catch? Literally no one.
The investigation was pretty standard from there, including the highly inaccurate but oft portrayed ease of getting a confession.
Phyllis: I always wanted my daughter to marry a fireman.
Severide: Yeah?
Phyllis: She married a plumber instead.
What should be the takeaway from this is that Severide has a real knack for arson and putting all the pieces together, and I have to wonder if OFI will try to recruit him in the future?
This is the second time this season that he has come through and made a considerable contribution to the case, in a way that no other firefighter could.
It wouldn't be surprising if he was offered a top position at OFI, and it'd be interesting to see if he would take it.
In the eight seasons, the series has been on the air, he hasn't been promoted except when his rank was restored after a demotion in season 4.
Kidd: So, we noticed that the blue office is just sitting there unused like a big old storage closet. So, we were thinking maybe we could turn it into a women’s lounge.
Boden: I’m sorry?
Kidd: You know, a designated place for the women of 51 to come together, to bond and form community, like the one in Montecito, California.
Boden: California’s women’s lounge?
Kidd: Yes.
Boden: In Chicago?
Kidd: Yes, sir.
Boden: I don’t think so.
Kidd: So, you have a problem with women needing personal space, chief?
Boden: You know what? The blue office is all yours.
It's about high time he gets what he deserves, and heading up OFI would certainly be a step up.
However, it's unclear if that would even interest Severide, for as much as he loves solving these puzzles, he loves his job as a firefighter more.
Meanwhile, the women's only lounge didn't go exactly as Brett, Kidd, and Foster planned.
As someone who usually isn't a fan of these pointless subplots, I did enjoy parts of this one.
Related: Chicago Fire Season 8 Episode 4 Review: Infection, Part 1
Part of it was just the women of 51 being complete badasses in getting their lounge in the first place, while also being super girly when it came to discussing how they decorate their sacred space.
And it was hilarious when their sacred space was co-opted by other female first responders and failed to be everything they were looking for.
Of course, the women couldn't have all of the fun, as the men of 51 had to get involved.
Hermann: Do you guys have any idea what kind of an uproar it would cause if we decided to make a men’s only area at the firehouse? The HR complaints, the lawsuits.
Capp: We should do it.
Mouch: Yeah, I’m not so sure.
Ritter: That could really backfire.
Hermann: Yeah, we wouldn’t get away without, and you know why? The world is going to hell in a handbasket.
The guys' jealousy was supposed to come off as playful, and it did for the most part.
Yet, Hermann's quip about lawsuits and complaints to human resources if the guys tried to make a men's only area at the firehouse fell flat.
Additionally, Boden's remark about hoping Brett, Kidd, and Foster would find that community within the firehouse instead of in their women's only lounge also missed the mark.
Both Hermann and Boden were well-meaning, but they just didn't seem to get why women may need their own space, and why it's important to support that.
If they could have gotten more on board with the idea and championed it, I feel the plot would have worked better, as it would have been a more accurate representation of what women in today's society need.
So what did you think Chicago Fire Fanatics?
Is Gallo staying at 51 for the long haul?
Will Severide be making the move to OFI sometime soon? Or better yet Intelligence?
When will Cruz and Chloe tie the knot?
Don't forget to hit the comments below to let me know your thoughts. If you happened to miss the latest episode, don't worry. You can watch Chicago Fire online right here at TV Fanatic.
Jessica Lerner was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in October 2021.
