From the promo for Chicago Fire season 14, episode 4, we knew that Herrmann would face a firefighter’s worst nightmare. Just how does it all play out? What happens to Annabel?
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS from Chicago Fire season 14, episode 4.
It’s a morning as normal for Herrmann and his family, and that means another check on how tall some of the kids are. Annabel isn’t ready for school, saying that she doesn’t feel good, and Cindy is quick to say she can stay home. You see, it’s an exciting day for Cindy, as she gets to go to work for the first day. It’s heartbreaking knowing what’s to come.
Meanwhile, Kidd tries to get Isaiah ready for his day at school, but it’s coming off the back of everything at the hospital. There is some good news about his mom, but she needs time to recover. Kidd is understandably concerned about whether Isaiah can handle this entire situation. It’s hard to say, as the boy is hurting, and he doesn’t really know who to trust right now.
Violet and Novak discuss the new firefighter initiative in Chicago Fire
As Vasquez grabs files from his car about his dad, we get Novak and Violet discussing the new medic initiative to get firefighters to come in. Violet wants to train up Herrmann, but needs Severide to sign off on it, since he is acting as Chief for now.
It’s a moot point, though. The call for Herrmann’s house comes in. This isn’t even one for Firehouse 51, but they’re all moving in anyway. Squad 3 even gets told to go back to base, but he isn’t taking no for an answer. Along the way, Herrmann gets through to Cindy but he can’t get through to Annabel. It’s a firefighter’s worst nightmare, and all we can do is sit and watch.
While there are other firefighters there, Severide takes over as soon as he turns up. Meanwhile, Herrmann suits up to rush into the house with his team behind him. It’s a frantic search for Annabel.
Cindy has good news about Annabel
The firefighters already doing the search in the house say that the second floor is clear, but Herrmann isn’t going to believe them. He rushes up the stairs, along with a few others, as Firehouse 51 does a full swept of the house.
Outside, a Chief of the other firehouse turns up and takes control of the scene, but he does understand when Severide says that it’s one of his firefighter’s houses. It’s a good thing that Severide is outside, as Cindy rushes up. It turns out Annabel decided she did go to school after all, and she definitely isn’t in the house.
There’s a moment from the outside that Severide has no idea if Herrmann is okay, but then he comes through with the relief that Annabel isn’t there. Of course, there’s the fear of losing memories, and Vasquez has to pull Herrmann out of the house. He did the right thing, but Herrmann isn’t going to see that. He’s even angrier when none of the firefighters help to save the house. The sound of a floor collapsing make sit clear that everyone did the right thing, as much as Herrmann now has to mourn the loss of memories.
“It’s all gone,” is that thought so many have had before him when looking at what’s left after a housefire. The people important to him are safe, but it’s still a lot lost.
So, what will happen for Herrmann and his family? Mouch shares that they’re staying in a hotel for the night, but it’s not clear after that. This is time for Firehouse 51 to come together to find somewhere. It’s not going to be easy going back to work after that call.
Herrmann and Cindy want to know why
Kidd offers some praise to Vasquez for going in after Herrmann and pulling him out. He can’t take Herrmann’s attitude to him too personal, and he doesn’t. It was the right thing to do, and I’m glad that Kidd gave him that praise.
Of course, this puts a dampener on the firefighter trainee program, and Severide only has Capp as an option. What’s funny is Capp is viewed as an idiot, but Severide points out that he’s part of the most elite team in the city. Capp and Tony are often used as the comedic relief, but can we finally see that they are smart?
Mouch manages to find Herrmann and Cindy a place to land. It’s not that large, but it’s something. Of course, the conversation moves onto how it all happened. What caused that fire? Firefighters are conscious about that possibility, and Herrmann is likely expecting that Severide will be willing to get to the bottom of it.
Isaiah gets to see what it means to be part of the firehouse family, as he witnesses Kidd and Severide put everything together things for Herrmann. As Isaiah questions about Herrmann’s kid who is his age, Kidd and Severide shares that he’ll be okay. This is where Isaiah’s feelings come out, because what if he’s not? It’s a cry for help, and neither Kidd nor Severide see it.
The conversation for Severide comes to an end, because, sure enough, Herrmann wants him to look into the source of the fire. It started in the kitchen, which is where Herrmann got the new outlets put in. It turns out that he did all the rewiring back there, and this could lead to him being the cause of the fire. That’s not something he’s going to live with easily.
While all that goes on, Vasquez takes a look at the box of stuff from the Biance case. Is it really everything?
Isaiah and Severide continue to bond in Chicago Fire
Vasquez decides to pick Novak’s brain for a second, asking about the medic reports. Novak can see through the need to ask the question, but Vasquez points out that he knew she wouldn’t press him on why he was asking his questions. How long will Novak ignore the red flags?
Elsewhere, Severide and Kidd discuss Isaiah a little, before getting into the reason behind the fire. OFI will look into the house fire, and Severide doesn’t want Herrmann to blame himself. We all know that Herrmann will blame himself, even if he isn’t legally liable for it.
There’s a lot of heartbreak within the family, as Cindy asks the children to make a list of all the valuables that were in the house. Financially, they can get things back, but there’s a lot of loss surrounding journals, Cindy’s mother’s ring, and even the doorframe with all the heights on it. It’s rare that Chicago Fire touches on the loss after a fire, but we’re going to get to see it all.
Yes, there are the common statements of how everything is just “stuff,” but it’s not the case at all. What do you tell family? Mouch says everything that everyone else says, and Herrmann can’t help but lash out in anger. He’s mourning this loss hard, and I can’t blame him.
As Isaiah comes to the firehouse to pick up keys to the apartment, because he forgot his, he gets to see the photos from Herrmann’s house fire. He immediately has a good eye on where the fire started, and he ends up with a lot of questions. This opens the door for the two of them to bond a little more, with Severide offering to bring Isaiah on a ride to the house to show him a few things and talk theories.
Violet and Novak run through where everything belongs in the ambulance, and it looks like Capp isn’t taking anything on board. Before he can prove anything, there’s a call, and Capp has to go out with Violet and Novak to watch it all and help where he can. Naturally, the first call involves needles, which Capp doesn’t like, since they’re helping someone going through acupuncture treatments. Poor Capp.
Severide rules out Herrmann's wiring as the cause of the fire
It turns out that one of the acupuncture needles may have punctured a lung, and that’s why the patient is struggling to breathe. Capp works calmly and confidently to help Violet and Novak, while also keeping his own fear of needles in control, and it just shows that maybe he needs to be given a chance after all. I’m glad, so far, this storyline hasn’t been used for comedic relief during a difficult episode.
There is some comedic relief once it’s all said and done. Capp ended up with needle in his neck, which is definitely not going in the report. That could happen to anyone, right? How did that happen?
Back at the firehouse, Herrmann thanks Vasquez after helping him find an item from the truck, but we all know that the thank you was for getting him out of the fire.
It turns out Isaiah isn’t being taken to the house, which makes a bit more sense as the house would be unstable. Instead, he’s taking Isaiah to the OFI workspace, allowing them to test the appliances, as that’s what Severide thinks caused the fire at the house. They need to test the theory in a safe way before they can confirm anything.
Severide is determined to prove that it’s one of the appliances. He’s sure that it was the oven, but the stove wasn’t on when the firefighters got there. As Severide wonders if there was a leak, he tests out the theory and a fire breaks out in the oven. Yes, there was a leak, and no, it definitely wasn’t Herrmann’s faulty wiring.
But where is Herrmann? He’s not at the firehouse and he’s not with Cindy. So, where would he go? It’s not that hard to figure out, is it? Where would they all go? Mouch seems to get an idea.
A glimmer of hope in all the loss
I don’t think anyone is surprised to find out that Herrmann went back to his home. He needed to go back for the valuables. Mouch shares that the oven was the reason for the fire, and that Severide proved it, but it’s not quite enough for Herrmann. Everything from his life is gone. In this case, Mouch isn’t there to pull him out of the rubble, though. It’s time to help Herrmann with moving on.
Violet shares that she feels the pilot program went well, so hopefully, this will help the paramedics moving forward. There’s a comment about training Capp, but I really wish they’d show that Capp isn’t as dumb as he often seems.
Meanwhile, Vasquez heads to speak with his dad. There’s some tension there, as Vasquez’s dad has clearly always been hard on him. However, the conversation moves onto the missing medic report from the files, and it could help to show that the murder weapon was always there, but that his dad was putting it back. However, Vasquez’s dad points out that the only thing that will get him out is mercy, and that’s not exactly flying his way.
Back at Severide and Kidd’s house, Isaiah decides that it’s time to part with his Chicago Bulls cap. Kenny doesn’t have anything, but now he has something.
How will the Herrmanns be? It’s going to be tough for a while, but Herrmann and Cindy have each other. That’s what counts. Sure, they’ve lost all their valuables, but they have each other. There is something, though. Cindy’s mother’s ring was in the rubble, and Mouch was able to find it. It’s just something small, but it offers a chance to rebuild.
Okay, Chicago Fire, you achieved the best episode in what feels like the last few years.
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Chicago Fire airs on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.