There are many questions about Vasquez, and we have plenty of concerns about Firehouse 51 going into Chicago Fire season 14, episode 3. It doesn’t take long to get some details.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Chicago Fire season 14, episode 3.
The episode opens with Vasquez waiting in line to, presumably, see his father in prison. However, there’s a message over the tanoy to say that visitation is over. Of course, Vasquez kicks off, and we immediately cut to Pascal getting a call. And it doesn’t seem all that surprised, but he is annoyed.
At Stella and Severide’s place, we learn that Severide has been able to connect with Isaiah quickly thanks to the video games. Stella is jealous, struggling to connect to their foster child. Is this going to lead to problems between her and Severide?
There is a chance for her to connect when she finds out that a pen exploded on the bed. Isaiah had tried to tape his shoes together, and Stella thinks she should take him shoe shopping. There’s something about his connection to the shoes that must mean something.
Where is Mouch in Chicago Fire season 14, episode 3?
The call to Pascal had nothing to do with Vasquez, though. It was to say that Engine was being pulled, and Mouch and his team was being called home (with just two hours notice) so that explains why Mouch isn’t around for the episode. However, it will mean stress on the rest of the team.
In fact, the first call is to an accident that involves an ambo. Naturally, Violet worries about the driver in the ambo, and I can’t help but feel like this is something bigger to highlight the dangers of longer shifts.
Violet does as she’s ordered and focuses on everyone involved in the accident, but she can’t help but check on the paramedic who was driving the other ambo. Things aren’t looking great, but she needs to get her patient to Med first.
Herrmann tries to offer Kidd some advice about handling Isaiah, and it turns out that one of his sons quit the soccer team without saying anything. Cruz also shares some of the downsides of having a teenager, but honestly, are these two really the people to take advice from? Sometimes, they have the worst!
Pascal isn’t happy about losing Engine, so he’s decided he’s heading to City Hall to talk to the deputy district chief. He’s not letting this become the norm.
As for Violet, she shares why everything that happened to the other paramedic hit her so hard. They went through the academy together, and she was at the woman’s wedding. Things aren’t looking great for anyone who was involved in the car accident, and the other paramedic that was in the other ambo blames himself for the situation. There’s clearly more to this, but he refuses to talk and then walks out.
Violet searches for answers about Murphy
Violet wants to understand how the guy who was in the back of the ambo could have caused the accident. And yes, since Murphy was in the driving seat, Pierce was definitely in the back. This puts Violet on a mission to get to the bottom of it.
Meanwhile, Pascal’s mission begins to get answers, turning to Annette from the first episode to learn what is going on. She doesn’t give immediate answers, and she wants to speak with him privately in a meeting instead.
Then there’s Vasquez’s mission to find out how long lockdown at the prison will take. He’s angry when he doesn’t get answers, and Novak is there to see the frustration. When he puts his shirt on, she spots the visitor label on it, but she isn’t asking question right now. It’s not like she has a chance when she’s called into the breakroom, though.
Things aren’t looking good for Murphy. Pierce said in his own report that he was thrown around the back of the ambo like a ragdoll, leading to Violet and Novak questioning each other whether Pierce lied to Chief Robinson. It’s possible, but Violet isn’t going to let that happen.
With shift over, Kidd is able to take Isaiah show shopping. It’s not that easy, but a shop assistant works out that he wants a pair of shoes just like the one he’s already wearing. It’s exactly what Isaiah wants, and just what Kidd needs. It’s clear that Isaiah hasn’t had much help in basic necessities for a while, and Kidd just wants to help.
Violet and Novak decide it’s time to visit Pierce, looking to understand why he put the blame on himself. It turns out that Pierce knew Murphy was exhausted, and he blames himself because he shouldn’t have let her drive. She fell asleep at the wheel, and Chicago Fire season 14, episode 3 is going the route exactly as expected considering the budget cuts.
Violet and Novak know they need to bring change in Chicago Fire
The accident went as expected. Murphy drifted off and veered into the oncoming traffic, and then she overcorrected. While Violet doesn’t want to get Murphy in trouble, she also knows that the only way to protect other paramedics is to be honest about the situation. It’s a tricky situation to be in.
At Molly’s, Vasquez is still friends with one of the guys he went through the Police Academy with. It’s a chance to get some help, especially as this guy got through the Academy because of Vasquez. All Vasquez wants is to look at the Biance case file. The guy knows that it’s to do with Vasquez’s dad, but there’s no point looking at the case file. Biance was acquitted.
Back with Kidd and Severide, Kidd explains that when the assistant assumed she was Isaiah’s mom, she froze. She’s not his mom, and she didn’t know what to say. Severide is right in that Kidd is putting way too much pressure on herself with the situation. It’s only been a week since Isaiah has been with them. Connection will come with time.
Isaiah decides to come to the firehouse the next day, where he shares that he wants to see his mom. Terry had set it up for the following week, but Isaiah wants to do it right away. Kidd agrees to this, and I can’t feel like there’s more to this. Herrmann steps in to help Isaiah feel welcome at the firehouse. As much as he can offer some bad advice, he does know the cooler parts of the firehouse.
Meanwhile, Violet is off to Med to check in on Murphy. It turns out that Murphy has memory of everything that happened, but Murphy decides not to say anything once she sees Novak in the room. The lawyer from the union told her not to talk about it at all, so Violet decides to break it that she already knows what happened. It’s time for them all to team up to bring change, but Murphy won’t do that. She isn’t willing to risk her own career for a broken system.
Violet and Novak are called away from the argument to a boat accident on the river. It’s the scene from the promo, which turns out to be a runaway boat. Where exactly is the driver? Well, he’s passed ou tin the boat.
Pascal gets an proposition
There is only one way to tackle the runaway boat. Someone from Squad needs to jump onto the boat, and who better than Severide? Of course, it’s tense for Kidd to watch, but she knows her husband will do what he can to save people. Once the driver is back on land, Violet and Novak are able to get to the bottom of the medical emergency. He was hypoglycemic.
Well, there’s a bigger twist to the story. There’s a young girl hiding under some tarp, and it looks like she has a dislocated elbow. Herrmann is able to pop it back in for her, so that the others can get her off the boat and back to her dad. It actually turns out that she had Nursemaid’s Elbow.
Back at the firehouse, Novak checks in on Vasquez to see if he got his “billing issue” sorted out. All Novak wants to know is what the food is that he’s cooked. He’s cooking from his Puerto Rican culture, and I’d guess that is from his dad’s side.
Meanwhile, Pascal gives Severide praise for his actions, which is certainly odd for him, before driving off for his meeting. Kidd comes to see Severide to say that she wants to take Isaiah to see his mom on her own to see if they can bond that way. Of course, Severide will support that.
At the hospital, Violet tries again to see if she can get Murphy to work with her, while at the meeting, Pacal shows Davis information about how to the budget cuts are affecting the firefighters. There’s some more bad news, with some battalions being consolidated, which means six battalion chiefs are going to be let go. Pascal isn’t on the list because of his dedication to the job, but it seems there may be another reason. Davis wants to go for a drink with Pascal, but he’s not ready to move on just yet. Will this rejection change things by putting Pascal on the list of being let go? Let’s hope she understands.
We finally get information about Vasquez's dad in Chicago Fire
Violet manages to get Murphy to come forward, because they have an idea on how to handle the situation. That idea is to get firefighters to be give some paramedic shifts, and while it’s a win-win situation for most people, it’s not going to help Murphy. Robinson points out that while she’ll fight it for Murphy to keep her job, there’s a good chance that she’ll be fired, but she’s willing to take the risk
Pascal decides to confide in Severide about the next move. One question Severide asks is why Davis leaked it to Pascal, and that’s when he also admits that Davis asked him out. While Pascal was confused by that, he wants to know what Davis’s angle is in it all. There has to be another reason to ask him out rather than the fact that she just likes him. I do feel like Pascal will eventually consider moving on, but he doesn’t want to right now.
One thing he needs is to find a lieutenant to step up in his firehouse when Pascal is off working at other firehouses for a while. Severide is that guy for him, and we all know that Severide has done an excellent job in that regard for Boden. It makes sense for Pascal to turn to him now.
Elsewhere, Vasquez’s friend came through with the case file. He also offers some news that Vasquez’s dad is coming up for parole. We finally get some information in that Vasquez’s dad was an ex-cop who planted evidence, and all he wants is something to help get his dad out of prison. There’s not going to be anything in the file, though. At least, that’s what the friend thinks.
We end Chicago Fire season 14, episode 3 with Kidd and Isaiah waiting to see his mom. There is a moment for some bonding with some terrible dad jokes, but that’s cut short when a doctor calls Kidd over. It turns out his mom suffered a big setback just hours earlier, and while the doctor tries to get Isaiah to sit down, Kidd make sit clear that he needs to know the truth.
Things aren’t looking great for Isaiah’s mom as there’s fluid that’s built up in the brain and has been through surgery to help. Isaiah rushes off to find her, where she’s intubated and in a medically induced coma. All this boy wants is his mom back, and Kidd likely feels even more helpless and disconnected from him.
Chicago Fire airs on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.