The promo for Chicago Fire season 14 episode 5 gives us a look at a strange emergency, with people passing out while outside. What’s going on? Let’s dive into the episode.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Chicago Fire season 14 episode 5.
We pick up with Vasquez trying to talk his dad into his idea, but his dad isn’t interested in listening. To be fair, as low as it is, his dad has a point in that Vasquez needs to learn how to follow orders. It’s not easy to hear, though.
At the same time, we get caught up with how Herrmann is doing. Mouch just wants to be able to help, but Herrmann needs people to stop asking what he needs. He and Cindy need to figure it out, but we know Mouch won’t give up with this.
Of course, the topic of Halloween comes up for a few people. Isaiah is head to a Halloween dance at school, while Novak is planning on a Halloween party of her own.
Severide continues to take charge at the firehouse in Chicago Fire
With Pascal still dotted between firehouses, Severide is still in charge. With a quick update about the current situation, there’s the first call of the episode, which takes everyone to an apartment fire with the smoke coming from the basement. It looks like the oil furnace is the source, leading to Kidd and Vasquez heading in to find the shut-off valve.
Cruz walks around the hallways to find people, where a man on oxygen telling Cruz about an injured woman in an apartment. Of course, when Cruz turns around to tell him to get outside, he’s gone, but Cruz continues his search for the woman he was told about. Cruz worries about the old guy he saw, and he can’t help but want to get back in. Yet, Capp and Tony say that the building is clear.
It must mean that the old guy got out, and Cruz can just hope that he got out of the building. So, where is he? This is a Halloween episode, so is it possible that Cruz saw a ghost?
The Herrmanns struggle with what's to come next
Back at the firehouse, the calls from the prison for Vasquez continue, but he still refuses to answer. Novak does help to take his mind off things a little by asking him if he has plans for Halloween.
At the same time, there’s a conversation about the building situation and the missing guy. Nobody came in with his description, which continues to leave Cruz wondering what happened to him. This is going to be something he continues to search for throughout Chicago Fire season 14 episode 5.
The conversation is cut with Mouch asking for everyone to come to the briefing room. All he wants to do is help Herrmann, and he may have figured it out. What about a Pass the Boot event at Molly’s? While there are financial problems for everyone, this is something that everyone wants to do. Herrmann is an important part of the family.
As for Herrmann, he has a brochure for a place for sale a couple of blocks away from the old place. It’s a fixer-upper, but Herrmann thinks it’s a possibility. Cindy isn’t in on the idea just yet, as she’s still struggling to wrap her head around things. They haven’t even had a conversation about what to do with the land the old house was one. Will they rebuild?
All Herrmann wants to do is go back to being normal, but he’s not thinking of Cindy and the rest of the family. The fire taking the house isn’t something you just move on from, and it’s like Herrmann is trying to just bury the feelings rather than focusing on what’s best for everyone. At the same time, Cindy does need to think about moving forward.
Vasquez’s problems are about to become the firehouse’s, as Ray ends up calling the firehouse since he can’t get through to him. Kidd is the one to answer the call initially, and she’s going to want answers. Vasquez is angry that his dad called him at the job, and there’s almost a hint that Ray is the reason previous jobs have been ruined for him. We know that it was likely his dad that cost him a position at the Police Academy, but what about the positions at other firehouses?
Kidd passes out on a call
Kidd has decided not to ask Vasquez about it. Instead, she’s turned to Severide to figure things out, not sure how to handle the situation, but she does know who Ray Vasquez is and why he’s in prison. Personally, she needs to take time to consider just how Vasquez may not be the one instigating all of these phone calls.
Meanwhile, Cruz continues to search for the man he saw in the hallway. He doesn’t get anything, but Violet has some hope. The woman Cruz saved reached out to thank the firefighter who saved her, and this could be the way to find out who the man is.
As all that goes on, Mouch has the flyer for the Pass the Boot fundraiser, but there’s a problem. He wants to do it on Halloween night, which means Novak has to change all of her plans. Well, she wants to turn it into a costume party if they’re going to get everyone in, and she will take charge of it all. This is a cute duo.
We get to the call from the Chicago Fire season 14 episode 5 promo, which takes Firehouse 51 to a place Severide and others don’t even know. They all have to spread out to find anyone there and figure out why they were called in, which gets Kidd alone with the victim passed out on the ground. This is what we see from the promo, with Kidd passing out while with him.
It looks like they’re with some freight trains, and Severide and Cruz find a bunch of dead birds. That’s when they see the sign. There’s phosphene gas, and Severide sends out the order to mask up. It’s too late for Kidd, though.
Vasquez shows his concern for Kidd after followning orders
With knowing where Kidd was, Firehouse 51 gets to her and the victim quickly enough for Novak and Violet to work on her, but it could have been much worse. Then it’s onto Vasquez to close the hatch that is allowing the toxic gas to leak out. The problem is the latch is stuck, and he has to improvise to get the door to close, which almost leads to him being locked in.
Due to the gas, the entire team has to be hosed down due to hazmat protocols. Severide wants Kidd to head to Med for observation, and he’s not taking no for an answer. Truck is being taken out of service for the rest of the shift. This does give Vasquez a chance to apologize for being so far away from Kidd, although it’s not like she didn’t order this of him. For once, he followed orders, and it’s clear this has shaken him.
Sadly, it doesn’t sound like the victim is going to make it, which puts a dampener on the call.
As for Herrmann, he finds out about the Pass the Boot fundraiser, and he’s angry about it. I get that Herrmann doesn’t want to be a burden, but it’s time to allow people to do something good. It’s not like anybody has said no, and he’d do it for everyone else. I get it, though; Herrmann feels embarrassed by the situation. The fundraiser is happening, though.
Leanne, the victims Cruz saved, comes to say thank you. This is finally a chance to find out about the old man, but Leanne has never seen him. It turns out the building is full of people her own age since the renovation. I’m going with a ghost.
Kidd decides to ask Vasquez about the call, opening the door for him to talk about it if she needs it. Of course, he doesn’t want to, and he rushes out of the firehouse after that.
Ray Vasquez takes the praise for his son getting into Firehouse 51
Vasquez turns back to the friend from the Police Academy, because he needs to get back onto the next day’s visitor’s list at the prison. Ray wants Vasquez to talk to the victim’s widower in the hope that it will help at his parole board hearing, but Vasquez does and doesn’t want to do this. What he does want to do is to see Ray and get him to stop calling the firehouse.
We do learn that Vasquez went off the walls while at the Police Academy. That’s what got him kicked out, but there’s clearly much more to the story.
Back at the firehouse, Cruz learns that John Doe never lived in the building. The landlord has never rented to someone over the age of 40. On top of that, this guy wasn’t visiting anyone. Violet suddenly gets an idea as she thinks about how it was renovated. It felt familiar to her, and she may be able to find John Doe.
As for Herrmann, he goes back to the site the house stood after Cindy texted him to meet her there. She doesn’t really know what she wants, but she does know that she doesn’t want to rush into buying a fixer-upper in the hope of moving on. It’s not really what Herrmann wants, either, but can they rebuild the house that they once had? That means at least two years of headaches, and he’s not sure he can go through that.
Chicago Fire has done a great job in showcasing the aftermath of a fire already through this storyline. There are a lot of questions and uncertainties when it comes to moving on afterward.
Vasquez manages to get in to see his dad, which is where Ray tells his son that he’s the only reason his son still has a job at the CFD. It turns out that Ray has a friend in CPD who could help get Sal into the best firehouse in the city. Ray has constantly pulled the strings for his son’s career. This guy is a piece of work.
We end the episode with the Halloween party at Molly's. We finally get an update about John Doe. Sure enough, Violet manages to get the ID of the man, but there is a twist. The guy died three years ago, but that was definitely the guy Cruz saw. Is it possible that he was a ghost after all? The apartment Leanne was in was the apartment John Doe lived in, and it look slike it's the one call Cruz can't explain.
Herrmann goes to Molly's to get the glasses that he kept promising to get for Cindy jus tin time to hear the speech by Mouch. It's a touching speech, and Mouch even sees that Herrmann is there but doesn't tell anyone else. There's just the realization that everyone is there for Herrmann.
Vasquez decides not to go to the party. Instead, he goes back through everything about the case that got his father sent down. It looks like he may go in search for the widower to help potentially sway the parole board.
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Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.