Honesty is the best policy, right? Well, I’m officially hate-watching Chicago Fire now.
There’s no point in dancing around the truth. Even looking at the photos where every other one is of newbie Sal Vasquez (Brandon Larracuente is NOT the issue) sets me on edge.
The good news is that you seem to be on the same page with me on this one. A whopping 50% of you graded the season premiere a 1 out of 5. Is NBC listening? Probably not. But we’re going to keep the hate watch alive — for now.
I gotta be honest. The photo above is exactly how I feel about this season so far.
Chicago Fire Season 13 was firing on all cylinders after a rough couple of years where we said final farewells to Brett and Casey. It felt like we were on solid ground. And then the bombs began dropping.
We can handle losing cast members now and again, but what’s hard to accept is losing storylines that were driving the narrative.
I wasn’t shy about my love of Sam Carver’s storyline. They did so much work last season to make him someone worthy of our attention, only to rip him away from us without much fanfare.
So sue me if I find it difficult to give a hoot about Sal. Like Mouch said during Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 1, maybe if I don’t get to know him, he’ll stick around.
But that doesn’t exactly bode well for a new character now, does it?
Making matters worse is the behind-the-scenes budgetary strain that has manifested on screen. I’m depressed about the season, but that didn’t mean I wanted the characters to carry the burden.
When I was gathering photos, I was worried because the only character with a smile on his face was Sal. Was he just oblivious to the pains the rest of 51 was feeling?
I don’t know who in the writers’ room decided that every new firefighter needs a secret past, but it’s getting downright exhausting.
Sal Vasquez is following the Sam Carver blueprint to the letter — a mysterious family connection, defensive temper, flashes of brilliance, and a brooding intensity that’s supposed to make him interesting but mostly makes him feel recycled.
His tension with Stella over the incident report and her “teaching moment” could’ve been lifted straight from last season. Even the reveal that he’s fielding calls from a family member in prison practically screams plot device.
It’s not that Larracuente isn’t good — he’s doing fine work — it’s that we’ve seen this exact framework too many times.
Carver, before him, had secrets that finally boiled over into something worth watching, and then he was gone before it paid off. Rinsing and repeating that setup so soon feels like creative déjà vu.
Stella deserves more than another rogue rookie project, and so do we.
But speaking of Stella, I’m not sure I’m a fan of the Isaiah storyline, either. I think it’s irresponsible and unrealistic for two firefighters with overtime mandates to bring in a kid who is genuinely struggling, not because he’s troubled, but because his family is going through hard times.
Is suggesting to Kelly and Stella that they’re the kid’s last hope a responsible way for Terry to get Isaiah placed?
I don’t think it even dawned on Stella or Kelly that they were thinking about keeping Isaiah busy with a gaming console, babysitters, and after-school programs before they even got to know him. Why bother being placed if he’s going to be on his own anyway?
When Isaiah gets to their home, he’s sweet but standoffish. I’m sure they’ll find a way to get close to him if that’s what he wants, but it’s a good sign that his priority is homework.
At first, I thought that short chat in the locker room might be Ritter’s goodbye. Thankfully, he wasn’t gone for multiple episodes like Carver was last season, only to return to say he’s leaving. I don’t expect much from Chicago Fire these days, but Ritter’s goodbye wasn’t off-screen.
Still, the days of characters moving off canvas and returning multiple times over many seasons seem to be over. I guess we can blame the budget cuts. Now we’re lucky to see the active characters throughout the season.
So I do wonder if Ritter’s furlough will be permanent. It was an awkward end since Violet both pushed him to embrace his relationship with Dwayne and made him feel guilty for going before coming around and giving him a proper sendoff.
For the record, I’ll always choose the relationship. Of course, I have a work-from-home job, so I have an advantage!
At least someone’s keeping things light, even if it’s unintentionally. Mouch and Herrmann’s latest misadventure over at Molly’s hit that perfect blend of old-school humor and weary resignation.
Their back-and-forth about the “sticking lever” and Herrmann’s new bright idea to fight inflation with smaller pint glasses was peak Firehouse 51 banter — until it wasn’t.
Watching Mouch piece together that Herrmann’s finances, not the bar’s, might be in trouble was a subtle heartbreaker wrapped in humor. It’s classic Chicago Fire — they give you a laugh, then slip in something that makes you go, “Oh, no.”
The eventual standoff, where Mouch basically barters away his ownership for a lifetime of undersized free drinks, was the kind of absurdly grounded subplot that reminds us why we still care about these characters, even when the bigger arcs are running on fumes.
This story does give weight to the possibility that Herrmann could retire and run Molly’s full-time though.
We could keep David Eigenberg and make room for a new member of fire, if we’re ever going to see another with all the cuts on and off screen.
What really gets me is how this episode suddenly remembers these people have lives outside the firehouse.
We saw more home scenes this week than we’ve had in ages — Kelly and Stella with Isaiah, Violet and Novak puzzling over their patients, Ritter packing for New York, and even Sal fielding late-night calls. It’s almost cozy.
But it’s also a little weird, right? Just last week, we were told 51 would be stretched thin, covering more territory with fewer bodies. Now everyone’s got time for dinner, drinks, and gaming nights? The tonal whiplash is real.
It’s nice to see them all breathing again, but the disconnect between the looming budget cuts and these relaxed after-hours moments feels like another symptom of the show losing its grip on continuity.
Either they’re exhausted and overworked or they’re not — pick a lane, Chicago Fire.
I didn’t even mention how weird it is that Violet and Novak are playing cop to Laura’s capsaicin stabbing. Or that Sal seems to want to be a cop more than a firefighter. It’s all just weird.
What did you think about Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 2?
Are you feeling more frustrated, or are you easing into the new normal? Is it a little too boring?
Have your say in the comments below and be sure to vote in our poll, too. We pay attention!
And if you’re looking for something else to spin your wires, The Rainmaker is a such good time.
And The Last Frontier is coming to Apple TV+ on Friday. From The Blacklist‘s Jon Bokencamp, it’s one hell of a ride.
Be sure to check them both out!
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