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Chicago Fire season 1, episode 9 rewatch: It Ain’t Easy

By Brittany Frederick

CHICAGO FIRE -- Season: Pilot -- Pictured: (l-r) Teri Reeves as Hallie, David Eigenberg as Christopher Hermann, Charlie Barnett as Peter Mills, Lauren German as Leslie Shay, Monica Raymund as Gabriella Dawson, Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide, Jesse Spencer as Matthew Casey, Eamonn Walker as Battalion Chief Wallace Boden -- (Photo by: Sandro/NBC)
CHICAGO FIRE -- Season: Pilot -- Pictured: (l-r) Teri Reeves as Hallie, David Eigenberg as Christopher Hermann, Charlie Barnett as Peter Mills, Lauren German as Leslie Shay, Monica Raymund as Gabriella Dawson, Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide, Jesse Spencer as Matthew Casey, Eamonn Walker as Battalion Chief Wallace Boden -- (Photo by: Sandro/NBC) /
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Look back at where Chicago Fire began this summer. Read our retrospective on the ninth episode as we rewatch Chicago Fire season 1, episode 9.

Over the One Chicago summer break, we’re looking back at where it all began by rewatching the first seasons of our shows—and today we’re revisiting Chicago Fire season 1, episode 9.

If you want to rewatch this episode along with us, you can find Chicago Fire season 1 on iTunes and DVD.

“It Ain’t Easy” is the title of episode nine and that proves to be a bit of an understatement. This is the episode where recurring character Jose Vargas (played by Mo Gallini) finds out that his career is over, and can’t adjust to that at all.

This is a theme that Chicago Fire has addressed with other characters at other times—most recently with Jimmy Borrelli (Steven R. McQueen) when he was maimed—but this is the first time it’s broached.

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It’s interesting, too, because this is really Vargas’s episode. The main characters are all involved, but the main story centers on him and they’re all part of what he’s going through. Looking at it now, it’s a lot of screen time for a character who hadn’t been that well developed leading up to this episode.

It’d be great if Chicago Fire did an episode like this now, telling a story for someone like Capp (Randy Flagler) or Tony (Tony Ferraris), who have had those now-seasons of character development. Vargas’s story is heartbreaking, but this kind of structure would be even more effective with a recurring player the One Chicago fans already love.

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In terms of the big picture, “It Ain’t Easy” is more memorable because it tells the story of Leon Cruz (recurring guest star Jeff Lima) and his gang involvement. This is the episode where Leon is beaten and tossed out of a car, and these are the events that would lead to him leaving Chicago until he returned in “An Even Bigger Surprise.”

Last but not least, there’s another Chicago Fire season 1 moment for Dawsey in this episode, as they almost kiss after Casey installs a window for Dawson. We’re well into the first season by now and the show has laid plenty of pipe for the characters’ eventual hookup. It’s fun to look back and see just how many close calls happened this season—more than you’d see on most shows, which made it all the more rewarding when they did finally become a couple.

“It Ain’t Easy” is more of a standalone episode, given its focus on Vargas, and it’s not as tough as the previous episode “Leaving The Station” but does still tug at the heartstrings. If anything, it’d be interesting to take the concept of this episode and reapply it to the show today. Rewatch this one now on iTunes and DVD.

Next. What Chicago Fire fans can watch this summer. dark

Join us every Thursday this summer for our Chicago Fire season 1 review. For more Chicago Fire related news, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.

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