Critic’s Rating: 3.75 / 5.0
3.75
One-time romantic partners Carver and Violet unexpectedly became intertwined on Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 13, while Stellaride moved ahead with their plans to adopt.
This was a very dramatic installment, offering welcome insight into past and present characters.
Let’s dive in!
A DangerZone Emergency
If you looked up the antonym for adventure, I’m pretty sure my picture would be there.
The very last things I would ever do include ziplining, rock climbing, bungee jumping, or sky diving.
In fact, if you even took me to the DangerZone, I’d sit on the sidelines and photograph all the other derring dos. That’s as adventurous as I get.
And if you ever wonder why I’m so risk-averse, you need look no further than the DangerZone rescue. If there’s a chance I could get my neck caught on a zipline, I’d do it. But it would be extraordinarily unlikely I’d get a hottie like Severide coming to my rescue.
Didn’t it seem like they took just a few too many seconds milling about trying to figure out how to rescue her before getting to work? Seriously — her predicament made me sick to my stomach.
For a place that literally puts people in danger, you’d think they would have had some kind of lifeguard on duty for situations like that. It’s just unsafe. No, thank you.
A Stellaride Baby
Have they ever used the term Stellaride on the show before?
Stalla: Did you know they call us Stellaride?
Severide: Who’s “they”?
Did you see the look on Severide’s face when Stella told him she shared their decision with Violet? That grin on his face was pure joy. How has he kept his desire for children quiet for so long?
Their conversation about Girls on Fire went in an entirely different direction than I expected. I thought Stella was turned on by Severide’s DangerZone rescue when it turned out all she wanted was a GoF rescue.
Was I the only one who thought she was getting frisky?
The other thing this decision to have a family has done to me is to expect a baby to appear behind every corner of Chicago.
Isn’t that how it usually works on TV? The mere thought of having a family either brings it on suddenly or turns into a drawn-out attempt to have children unsuccessfully.
They’re calling the adoption agency soon. Should we take bets on how quickly they find a child and whether that child is a) related to one of their cases or b) a child others are reluctant to adopt?
Violet Helping with Flynn’s Medic Case
Well, that didn’t turn out in Violet’s favor. Lennox, the pain in the ass, has returned, and this time, he’s got Flynn involved with his shenanigans.
I loved that Flynn stood up for Violet and told Lennox to get forget about receiving any help from Violet, not just because Violet didn’t want to but because Flynn was embarrassed that Lennox even put him in that position.
After how out of control things were when Lennox was at 51, I can’t believe he had the audacity to ask for help, especially since he was charged with homicide for doing the exact same thing with the Versed.
The worst part is that I can almost feel for medics trying to help someone in a crisis who is overly agitated. It probably seems like sedating someone would be better than allowing them to hurt themselves, but making that call has a razor-slim margin either way.
But then Lennox cried, and I remembered that he was used by Robinson, who was in a power position. That kind of ask can wreck how you react at work, and it’s possible that’s what sent Lennox down that road when he was last at 51.
What I didn’t agree with was how the family was using Lennox’s past mistake at 51 as an indicator of how he behaved later.
Wouldn’t Flynn move to strike that from the case? I watch enough to know that what you’ve done in the past isn’t usually allowed in court unless it directly relates to the case.
But the story ended when Lennox recalled something hadn’t been functioning properly, and that likely meant that Versed wasn’t an indicator in the man’s death.
This wasn’t a necessary story for Chicago Fire, but it was nice to revisit someone who was a total jackass in the past and give them a new future. Maybe the next time someone badmouths 51 in the CFD, there will be another voice in the crowd to put in a good word.
Carver Is an Alcoholic
At the end of Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 12, we saw Carver heading into a meeting. While we could guess it was some time of addiction meeting, I was a little surprised and relieved to learn he’s going to AA.
Sam has been sober for 22 days, and maybe that’s why he’s somewhat standoffish toward Violet.
One of the first things they tell you is to abstain from romance for about a year after you begin recovering.
I don’t know the details behind that, but I think it could be the worry that you might trade one addiction for another, which is anything but healthy.
But after what he went through with Tori, none of this is surprising, and it’s an excellent arc for Carver’s character to take. But it’s also tough since so much of the Chicago Fire action revolves around alcohol.
The title of Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 13 was named after the signature drink Herrmann created for Molly’s, for goodness sake.
So yes, it worried me a little that a girl locked eyes with him while he spoke during the meeting.
Sam also meets Lee, who is on day three of his latest recovery attempt. Sam’s talk moves him, and they exchange numbers. But that actor pops up quite a bit, and my immediate thought is that it was a bad idea. I threw a red flag on Lee.
Aren’t you supposed to trade numbers with someone who has more time in recovery so you can lean on them for support? How much support can two newly sober people be for one another?
We take for granted that everyone hangs out at Molly’s all the time, but it really puts anyone with a substance abuse problem at a disadvantage. I could feel Carver’s pain when he left a message for Lee that he was going through some stuff.
He was torn between putting himself through hell with the desire to drink and appearing standoffish by not hanging out with everyone. The worst part is that he misses the friendships he’s created.
I didn’t even entirely disagree with Lee because what I’ve learned about AA suggests that until Carver has a solid foundation in his recovery process, pursuing romantic relationships is like playing with fire. But friendships are a lifeline, and that’s a significant difference.
Consider me surprised when, after Carver had an agonizing moment with his whiskey while pouring it out in the kitchen sink, Stella got a call that he was in the drunk tank, with Lee emerging from holding instead of Carver. This was another red flag for Lee.
So it turns out that the pain of self-isolation wasn’t as bad as sharing a bit about himself with a fellow AA member. Honestly, the last thing Carver needed was to attach himself to an anchor like Lee, who couldn’t even go four days without getting in trouble.
There were red flags all over his comment to Carver, “That girl is really toxic to your sobriety,” even more than when he oddly focused on her outside of 51. I could feel that anchor dragging Carver under, and Lee’s subsequent assault on Violet was frightening.
The early days of sobriety are so challenging, and the first time out, Carver befriended a lunatic. Thank goodness that the woman who locked eyes with him gave him the scoop on Lee.
When it was all over, Carver returned to Molly’s but I’m not sure that’s a good idea long-term. It made sense he wanted to be with Violet, but Sam’s in a bad place, and being in a booze-filled environment can’t be good.
I’m interested in how Carver handles this as Chicago Fire Season 13 continues. He’s bound to stumble, so he should let more people in so they can help him steer clear of alcohol. Will he do that?
Over to you!
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