We walked into the Chicago Fire Season 13 finale bracing for heartbreak. Rumors swirled. Departures felt imminent. And yet, Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 22 didn’t play out at all the way I expected.
Sure, we got resolution in a few places — but most of it was tangled up in contradictions, mixed signals, and emotional sleight-of-hand.
One character leaves but doesn’t feel gone. Another sticks around but barely registers. And one long-gestating storyline resolved itself with a whisper, not a bang.
Pascal’s Quasi-Arrest
Let’s start with Dom Pascal. We last saw him being all but perp-walked on Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 21. So was he arrested? Not exactly.
The detective on the case (who, frankly, I don’t remember ever seeing before) treated Pascal like a guy he was just trying to appease — until, of course, he flipped into full cop mode and started fishing for a confession.
There was a lot of circumstantial mess, and Severide’s back-channel deal-making with Bishop definitely bent more than a few rules.
And then there was that moment — so TV it hurt — when Pascal looked up “arson with center punch” just before the detective knocked on his door. Could they have made that timing more obvious?
Van Meter Turns Villain
What was that?
Van Meter showing up at Severide’s house like some mid-level mob enforcer, warning him to back off or else? Give me a break.
This is the same guy who has worked side-by-side with Severide for years. Trusted him. Backed him. And now suddenly he’s accusing him of hiding evidence and protecting Pascal?
Even if Pascal was dirty — and he wasn’t clean, let’s be honest — you’d think Van Meter would give Kelly the benefit of the doubt. Instead, he flipped on him like a dime-store detective.
It painted Van Meter in a terrible light and chipped away at one of the show’s more grounded relationships. I don’t know if I trust him anymore, and that’s a problem.
Pascal’s Story Comes Full Circle — Sort Of
As it turns out, Hendrix wasn’t the guy behind Monica’s death. The twist? It was Vale, the friend Pascal never suspected.
The guy was obsessed with Monica and couldn’t let go. After Monica was killed in the car crash, Vale killed the driver — Robert Franklin — using the arson method everyone suspected Pascal of employing.
It’s a satisfying twist in theory, but after all the buildup, it felt a little undercooked. Vale appeared out of nowhere to fill the “actually, it was me all along” role.
Pascal’s reaction was gutting, and Severide got the satisfaction of being right — but it lacked the emotional weight it should have had. Maybe that’s because we were too busy bracing for the other shoes to drop.
Please Come to Denver
The first real sign that Carver wasn’t sticking around came when Violet said she was happy to see him back after rehab. But the look on his face said otherwise. Whether rehab didn’t stick or firefighting no longer fits, something shifted.
And yet… what was that ending?
Violet finally gives Carver the letter she wrote him. He says he’s moving to Denver. They both say “I love you.” And then they make out. If this is a sendoff, it’s one of the most confusing ones the show has ever done.
If Jake Lockett was always leaving, why give us this now? Why not let Carver quietly exit after rehab?
Instead, they brought him back, made us care all over again, and then told us to let go. Honestly, if the writers changed course late in the game or were scrambling to catch up after news leaked, it shows.
What About Ritter?
We also expected to lose Ritter. Daniel Kyri was reportedly out, and the season made it seem like that might be true. But the finale? Business as usual. No goodbyes. No story closure. Just… Ritter, still doing his thing.
Why leak that kind of news months before the season’s over? Do they want to deflate viewer investment?
It feels like the show — or the network — is playing chess with invisible pieces.
They’re betting the farm on basketball deals and syndication shifts while the core cast, and the fans, are left in the dark. Have they reconsidered? Was the decision reversed? Did someone leak something they weren’t supposed to?
I don’t know. But it’s frustrating.
Stellaride’s Life Just Flipped
When the episode started, I figured Natalie might as well start calling Stella “Mom.” After everything that happened at her mother’s place, and Kelly saying she could stay with them, the writing was on the wall.
And sure enough, things escalated quickly. Natalie told her school that Stella was her legal guardian — without telling anyone.
That little surprise landed all three women in the principal’s office, which was pure procedural drama awkwardness. But by the end of it, Stella helped Natalie’s sister Julia step up. She did what Stella always does: brings out the best in people when they’ve all but given up.
But the real surprise? Stella’s pregnant.
Now, I’m thrilled for them — truly — but also confused. Wasn’t the whole point of the adoption journey that Stella didn’t want to be pregnant? Or couldn’t be? Or just didn’t see that life for herself?
If that’s changed, fine, but it deserved more than a surprise reveal at the eleventh hour. Either way, it’s a new chapter for Stellaride, and one I genuinely hope we get to explore — if this cast reshuffle doesn’t leave them stranded in limbo.
Herrmann’s Big Decision
Herrmann’s been hesitant about advancement all season, and here, at the finish line, he lays down his bugles so Mouch can have his shot.
It’s classic Herrmann — selfless, thoughtful, and deeply tied to the fabric of 51.
He doesn’t want a desk. He doesn’t want titles. He wants the firehouse and the team. And he wants Mouch, who’s chased this dream for years, to have his moment.
It’s a beautiful, quiet gesture, and honestly? One of the best arcs of the night.
What’s the Emergency?
With everything else going on, the actual emergency this week — the one with the dramatic bone drill save — felt like background noise.
Violet and Carver handled it together, which felt more like a “what could have been” moment than an essential part of the hour.
It was good TV, but it also rubbed salt in a fresh wound.
So, Where Does That Leave Us?
No deaths. No major goodbyes. Just a swirl of maybes and a few thrown-together payoffs.
As of now, we’re supposed to believe Pascal and Ritter are staying. Carver is gone… but not emotionally. Violet is single… but not really. Stella’s a mom-in-waiting… but now also pregnant?
Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about this finale. It felt like it was hedging its bets, keeping its options open, and refusing to commit — just in case. If they plan to undo everything in the Chicago Fire Season 14 premiere, why not just say that?
Or have we been had? Was that the point of the title, “It Had to End This Way”? Like what, exactly?
But What About You?
Do you think Carver’s really gone? Are you excited about Stellaride’s pregnancy — or scratching your head like I am? And what the heck is going on with Ritter?
Drop your thoughts in the comments. We’ve got a long hiatus ahead of us, and your theories are always better than whatever press release NBC sends out three months too late.
Thanks for reading — and sticking with Firehouse 51. From one emotional wreck to another, I appreciate you.
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