It's hard to believe that this series debuted nine years ago, and ever since, it has become a big community. I have a lot to say about that.
If you are wondering, today (October 10) marks the ninth anniversary of the series Chicago Fire's debut on NBC. During premiere week, Law & Order SVU had its two-hour season 14 premiere (which was very understandable).
In the pilot, the men and women of Firehouse 51 went on a call, but one of the firefighters got killed while trying to rescue someone trapped in a housefire. A month has passed, and the death is still taking a toll, even putting friction between Truck 81, led by Matt Casey, and Squad 3, led by Kelly Severide, about how each blames the other for losing one of their lives.
Soon, the new candidate, Peter Mills, comes to 51. He's like us, meeting everyone and getting the lay of the land. While his first call went pretty well, seeing the recuse later in the episode excited him to be a part of the team and know that his father was also a firefighter.
Then there's Gabby Dawson and Leslie Shay, two paramedics on Ambulance 61. Dawson makes bold and daring efforts to save her patients, even saving a child from cardiac arrest. And saving Herrmann's life. Shay helps Severide, who's been dealing with severe pain in his right shoulder after that bad call earlier in the pilot, by giving him a bottle of morphine.
On the night that Chief Boden fights a cop sleeping with his wife, the 51 team gets a call of an apartment fire that had Casey and Herrmann's lives in jeopardy. But Severide and the rest rescue them, and just as everyone is out of the building and watering down the fire, the mayor of Chicago finally gets a chance to meet with Firehouse 51.
The episode ends with everyone from 51 waiting for news about Herrmann. Casey helps Dawson with information about the little girl she saved earlier in the attack. He then calls his girlfriend, who returned the engagement ring earlier, hoping that she can come over.
The pilot was good, and as nine years go by, it ages slowly, mainly because four of the cast members in that pilot have gone. I still love to watch the pilot once in a while. I'll admit that while it does have some soapy moments, it blossomed into a real character-driven series that focuses on the heroism of these characters and what they do above and beyond their work shifts.
I can't go against that. This pilot started the Dawsey fanbase with Casey checking up on Dawson after that incident, saving that little girl. And not to mention her asking if he wanted to do something later that night. Who can argue that they should be together after that? I'm not!
The rest of the season was a solid first season. The one episode that defined the series was "A Coffin That Small." In the episode, that family, who had lost someone, was driven for a funeral, and as they went by the firehouse, the entire firehouse team suited up and saluted to them as they drove by. It had me in tears and still gave me chills, rethinking that scene.
Not to mention that the first season introduced Antiono Dawson and Hank Voight. Voight vs. Casey. Who knew that down the road, these two would be working together after what went down with Voight's son being arrested and catching Voight for being a dirty cop?
We've also got Chicago Med, the one show I've been waiting to get made since Dylan Baker's performance in the first two seasons of Chicago Fire. And not to mention the crossovers! Oh, the crossovers have been the second-best thing with these shows.
Nine years, three shows, and this show has grown into one big fan community. It's just amazing how those nine years have gone by. We've been through a lot with these characters, and I can't wait to see what comes next. Here's to nine more years with all three shows!
Can you believe that it's been nine years since the pilot aired? Have you gone back to rewatch it? How has the series changed for you? Leave a comment below and tell us your thoughts!
On NBC, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD will return with a new season on Wednesday, November 11.
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