Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 18 Brings Boden Home to Investigate When One of Their Own Is Left Behind

Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 18 is an edge-of-your seat affair that withholds the victim of a brutal fire until the last minute.

The post Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 18 Brings Boden Home to Investigate When One of Their Own Is Left Behind appeared first on TV Fanatic.

That was an excessively cruel opening and a tense hour that left us on the edge of our seats.

Boden returned to Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 18 because someone at 51 was severely injured during a house fire. 

But five minutes in, there was no word about who was in peril. All we knew for sure was that it wasn’t Pascal, Severide, Stella, or Herrmann.

We also learned right out of the gate that one of the four would be held accountable for what happened during the fire.

The odds were stacked against Pascal. He’s not only the new guy, but Herrmann has been preparing to assume the role of Chief, and the old chief was investigating.

As an aside, in the opening scenes, every time Boden said “firehouse,” I thought he was saying “files.” That confused the hell out of me. Has Eamonn Walker been gone so long he’s forgotten how to express the lingo?

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The best way to cover this one is to do a play-by-play of the story as it unfolds. It’s a doozy. 

The episode was structured so that Boden interviewed everyone about the incident, step by step, from the beginning, so it’s a fitting tribute.

I have always been attracted to episodes that offer many different viewpoints. If you watched The Affair, you know how effective it is as a storytelling device. We all see and remember things differently.

But the story unfolded with Boden piecing together what happened based on what each person said to provide a full picture, not a he-said-she-said account.

Cruz was exhausted, and Herrmann admitted he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since his first child was born. But Severide believed Cruz was in good shape and fit for duty. 

It was Carver’s first shift back, and Stella looked forward to it. She wanted her company back. Upon his return, Carver shared his progress with Stella, and they were in a good place. Carver was disappointed that Violet and Novak weren’t there, which was to be expected.

By this point, I was panicking that Carver was the victim, and I bet I’m not the only one. Boden doubled down on Carver’s fitness for duty when he questioned Pascal, and Pascal backed up Stella and Carver. Carver was ready to return.

But Pascal has also been suffering. Before the call, he was reminiscing about Monica. He’s been avoiding going home and taking up more space in the office. It annoyed Pascal that a third shift guy was butting into his business.

They got the call and arrived on the scene to a house almost fully engulfed in flames. Pascal said it went to hell almost immediately, and he wasn’t kidding. The fire was so intense that someone crawled out of a window and fell two stories right before our eyes.

That was confirmation enough for Pascal that the family didn’t make it out. They were a family of four, and he believed three more remained inside. What could he do but send in his crew to facilitate a rescue?

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Stella learns from the jumper that there was a baby inside, in the back bedroom. The father was beside himself. But Pascal, in his usual demeanor, was making demands that were hard to keep, nonetheless.

Stella thought he was making the right call, but Herrmann revealed that traffic hadn’t yet been curtailed, and cars were rolling over hoses, hindering their efforts. 

Damon was on Engine, but his experience was primarily on Truck. Pascal trusted him to do the job and had no problem bringing him back, despite his relationship with Severide. Boden wonders if the family effect had an impact on the call. 

Was Severide worried about his kid brother and his wife? Severide says that’s not the case. Things started going south immediately, and didn’t get any better when they hit the second floor. After telling Cruz he was with him, Severide lost sight of him, calling Cruz’s name with no answer.

Was Cruz the victim? Who ordered those damn commercials, am I right?

Boden thought that 81’s ladders and Squad 33’s participation might have helped, but that’s when they lost Cruz. He made it out the front door, struggling to breathe. His tank regulator was frozen, and replacing it cost them precious time.

They found two victims, but not the baby. At this point, Stella lost contact with Carver, but he appeared at the window with the baby, alive but lethargic with labored breathing. She took him to the medics as soon as she hit the ground.

Carver was climbing out the window when they got a call for more help. Severide and Cruz had just made it back inside. They pulled an adult female from the second bedroom, and Damon and Clarence went up to the next floor, where it subsequently collapsed.

Pascal called for an emergency evacuation, Severide called for Damon and Clarence to get the hell out, and that was that. There were six men, including Tony, Capp, Severide, and Cruz. Six went in, and six came out. 

But we saw Carver reconsider his descent at the window. My stomach was getting queasy. 

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Herrmann confirmed there was some confusion over where Damon was during all of this, but he also confirmed Damon got out. Herrmann thought they had more time, so the call wasn’t his to make. Pascal called it, and they left a man behind.

Had Herrmann been chief, maybe the results would have been different, a sentiment that wasn’t lost on Pascal. Was this their way of pushing him out so that he could step into his shoes when Herrmann made rank?

Pascal has no doubts that he made the right call. The structure was falling, and they were on borrowed time. Just as the last of his crew (or so he thought) were out and accounted for, a fireman’s alert began sounding from inside. Someone was still in there.

Stella remembers hearing that mayday, which sent Severide and Squad in first. That’s the danger of working with people you love, whether you’re married to them or not. Your heart must fall from your chest whenever you see them disappear into a raging inferno.

They found their fallen teammate inside, bleeding internally from the collapse. His mask was knocked loose, allowing smoke into his lungs. They didn’t know how bad things were, but they knew they had to move fast. 

Kelly couldn’t help wondering, how the hell did this happen? Herrmann kept saying six went up and six went down. Throughout this, they never mention a name, which is a purposeful decision to keep us all in suspense as those we do see deliver details and fight for their jobs.

Herrmann visits with Pascal, admitting he was second-guessing everything. They’ll never know whether they had more time, and he seems happy that he didn’t make the call. Pascal knows that making it places the blame squarely on his back.

Boden was finishing his report when Stella interrupted. She had told him that things between her and Pascal were tricky, but she shouldn’t have said that. It doesn’t matter. 

What matters is that Pascal is a very capable chief, showing up for everyone at 51. She knows he has her back, and she hopes he knows she has his, too.

But Boden is ready to share his determination with the group. He reiterates what he learned from each of them and how those recollections piece together to form the full story. 

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The problem is that Herrmann was tracking entrances and exits from the front entrance, and Carver didn’t enter that way. As we witnessed, he reentered through the window to help Clarence.

Clarence and Damon had become separated. When Clarence fell through the floor, he didn’t think anyone had made it to the attic, but Damon had. Damon is the victim.

When Damon returned on Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 15, I was certain he had returned only to be killed, but he was spared for Monica’s death. This time, he wasn’t as lucky, but he wasn’t dead, either.

Just as the details were drilled down, Severide got the call. Damon was awake after surgery. He looked no worse for wear, either, retaining his handsome face.

His firefighting career may be over, though, as his CT scan showed evidence of lung breakdown. Damon’s first thought is returning to work, but Kelly is there to help shoulder the burden of whatever is ahead for his brother.

As for Pascal, he wanted to be there for the results of the investigation. If they were going to place blame on someone, he wanted to be the face of that decision. 

They wanted actual answers about what went wrong and who was responsible. Boden has been in Pascal’s shoes before, making calls during terrible situations, and he wasn’t going to lay that blame at any one person’s foot, or any person’s foot at all.

The fire and the conditions around it were to blame. They did nothing wrong, and the proof is in the four lives saved. It’s a successful rescue on borrowed time, which can only happen with a strong leader at the helm. 

Boden has only respect for Pascal and his officers, who made all the right calls. It’s not an unexpected ending. Boden has always been fair, and we wouldn’t expect him to change. 

Herrmann was in awe of how Boden put it all together, something Boden assures him comes with the duties of being chief. When he asks Herrmann if that’s still what he wants, Herrmann skirts the issue.

Pascal is appreciative, too, and Boden playfully assures him that he’ll make sure he keeps up the good work. But have things changed between Pascal and Herrmann?

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What was that look between them at the end? Was it an understanding that Herrmann has a lot to learn? A nod to indicate he’s not ready? A passing of the baton? I honestly have no idea, but what I do know is I like the crew as it is now.

In recent years, we’ve experienced more change than we can handle. Some truly significant characters have left for good, and I hope we get more time with those who remain. We need more time for them to gel, and there are plenty of stories to tell with them all.

And my beloved Carver is safe. But he reportedly won’t get a happy ending if the show is renewed.

On Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 19, he’ll be standing by Violet as she investigates a poor medic who is putting people in danger. She’s our version of a caped crusader, always stepping in for those who need her.

But the word is that he won’t return for a 14th season if it’s renewed. Sorry, but this is when I riot.

But what about you? What’s Herrmann’s next move? Is Pascal around for another season? Will you keep watching if Carver is written out?

We’ve got three episodes left and no renewal. Should we be fearful of the future, or is a renewal inevitable with this great group of characters? Will those we love be part of the show?

You know what to do now!

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The post Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 18 Brings Boden Home to Investigate When One of Their Own Is Left Behind appeared first on TV Fanatic.