"Purgatory" is another strong, dramatic episode that makes the entire hour feel satisfying, blending intense moments with just the right amount of humor. Splitting the 51 firefighters among other firehouses proved a smart strategic move for the story. Here's a recap and review.
Following last week's bombshell from Chief Anderson, Boden, Casey, Severide, and Dawson are forced to work with new and familiar faces. Some of these firefighters are too slow on the job, and training them doesn’t go well for Casey or Severide; one even stops during a call to get soup.
Meanwhile, Otis keeps embellishing stories he wasn’t actually part of. Herrmann and Mouch see how uninspired their new crews are and try to get them to work together. Herrmann yelling at Boden becomes a tipping point in the episode, showing just how deeply the team’s separation is affecting everyone. Brett and Kidd witness a new candidate being treated harshly by a chief, while Cruz and Capp are stuck working the emergency call lines.
Boden does everything he can to fight Anderson’s decision, but it looks like he’ll have to wait six months to a year before he can try again. Then, a major hotel fire calls in all the firehouses, and everyone from 51 ends up working together to pull off a heroic save.
Boden rushes in when a door won’t open and manages to pull a victim out of the room. As the flames grow, Otis arrives with the hose and helps get everyone out safely.
Later that week, the man Boden rescued—who works for the Mayor’s office—shows up to offer him a medal. Instead, Boden asks for his firefighters to be brought back to 51. The request is granted, which infuriates Anderson. He threatens Boden, claiming he just got lucky. Boden’s response is perfect: he didn’t get lucky, he’s a “damn good firefighter.”
This was a very well-balanced episode of Chicago Fire. I enjoyed watching Casey, Severide, and Dawson struggle to manage their new crews. Otis had me yelling at the television every time he told a story he wasn’t actually involved in. And the way everyone came together during the hotel fire was one of the best heroic sequences so far. It really drove home that, no matter what, the team at 51 will show up for each other—even if an "asshole" temporarily tears them apart.
I’m relieved to know Severide will be staying in Chicago. The writing and directing were both strong. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.
You can catch Chicago Fire on a special night, Wednesday, March 1st, at 8/7c, as part of a four-show crossover event on NBC.
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