Talk about one hell of an emotional roller-coaster ride!
Wednesday night was the epic four-show crossover of all four Chicago series. It started with the Chicago Fire in "Deathtrap," which opened up with Firehouse 51 getting the call of a warehouse fire that called for every firehouse and ambulance to get there. It was a hands-on-deck situation.
For the first 30 minutes of the episode, it felt like an hour, and that was because it felt so raw, emotional, and movie-like episode. I mean, I was getting teary eyes at times, and my heart was pumping fast. Severide tries to get everyone out as he tries to bust the locked door, and soon, both Squad and Truck go in there.
They get others out, and even Mouch had an accident as well. But the moment comes when Al, from PD, comes to Bowden and tells him that his daughter lives there. He first searches and sees if Dawson has seen her, but no signs at all. Al begs Bowden to go back in there, which Bowden does. He and Severide find her and another person, and with the fire growing and growing, their hearts race, but they make it out.
Both Fire and Med share the hour, treating patients but also treating Al's daughter, with Will and Natalie on hand. Al's daughter was burned 60 percent of her body, and her lungs also suffered smoke burns. Things looked hopeful for her. The episode captured the realness of emotion and shock as Casey and Bowden look at those who didn't make it and wonder who the hell would have done this.
The warehouse owner shows up and soon gets attacked by grieving families and friends. They took him to Firehouse 51 to talk with Bowden and the Fire Deputy about the situation. He tells them that he didn't know it was going to be that many people and the reason why he let people live there was that other places were so high on rent. After hearing the death count up to 36, the owner asks for the bathroom and seconds later blows his head off with a gun. Severide and Susan inspect the warehouse and spot the origins of the fire and that it was arson.
Soon, Chicago PD jumps on the case in the episode "Emotional Proximity" when Voight tries to see Al and his daughter and gets word from Bowden that it is arson. Quickly, Al's daughter takes a turn for the worst, and Will and Natalie jump. In and cut the burns around her chest so her lungs can expand. Things didn't look so good for her, and it didn't as later her condition worsened to the point that her organs were failing.
Voight and the Intelligence Unit pulled everything they had into searching for the suspect. You can cut the emotional intentions with a knife. It was sometimes overwhelming, even in the scene when Erin takes Al's daughter's photo and places it with the others who have died, making in 38 people.
Like insignificant episodes like PD, they balanced out the drama and humor along with an incredible chase scene with Halstead jumping over the hood of a car, which was a nasty ass and one of my favorites. With suspect after suspect, things picked up when they got a video of the suspect leaving the warehouse party and soon figured that he'd be there at the memorial, which he was.
Erin, Halstead, and Ruzek get him moving the alley and right into Voight's hand, or should I see Voight's gun? If you think that would be intense, it was when he and the suspect wrecked in the cage, and he demanded answers, even with a knife to the neck, which didn't do much. But Al storms in and demands to have a word, for which Voight wouldn't allow it. But soon, Antonio gets word from Al that the suspect told him he did it, which wasn't what had happened.
Now, taking the suspect into custody, we jump to Chicago Justice, the first full episode, and look into the series since its pilot episode last season on CPD. Antonio finds out that the suspect didn't tell Al or Voight anything that he had caused the fire and soon tells Stone about it a day later, which doesn't help.
The suspect's lawyer plays Stone like a game and tries to get the trial dismissed. With the fake news report to even that the suspect was even raped by his uncle, but it all comes down to one victim from the fire that triggered him to do what he did.
This whole thing was all about a girl he liked, and asked her out for coffee, but she declined and told him she was busy with other things. He stalks her on Facebook and sees how much fun she's having with other people; he wonders why not him, and so it was all about if he can't have her, then she can't have anything else.
Stone makes his case one last time, and with the suspect's reaction, he is guilty of all charges, from the fire to even the 38 counts of murder. While we hear about the count of Al's daughter, the last scene shows Al in tears as justice is finally done.
This event was one hell of a #OneChicago crossover. It felt like a feature film. The performances from everyone were terrific. Even Bradley Whitford was great. The writing was so solid. I couldn't find anything wrong with it except that I wish it had limited commercial interruptions; that would have been much better for Fire. But Dick Wolf and the gang know what they are doing, and I leave it up to them to do whatever they want. Overall, I give this TV event a 10/10.
You can catch Chicago Justice tonight at 9/8c on NBC, followed by the premiere of Shades of Blue at 10/9c.
Chicago Fire will return on March 21 at 10/9c, and Chicago will return on March 22 at 10/9c. Chicago Med will be following this week at 9/8c on NBC.
