Chicago Fire’s Mouch mentoring is One Chicago moment of the week

Chicago Fire letting Mouch mentor a struggling firefighter is One Chicago Center’s Moment of the Week for Oct. 3, from Chicago Fire season 7.

This week’s One Chicago Moment of the Week honors go to Chicago Fire, for watching Mouch (Christian Stolte) get through to a young firefighter in a difficult spot in the Chicago Fire season 7 episode “Going To War.”

That probably seems like an odd scene to pick, considering how much happened in this week’s three-hour crossover event. There were a lot of moments that were much bigger, but that’s also what makes this one stand out.

In three episodes’ worth of huge moments, this was one of the little ones that wound up making all the difference.

Mouch was working with Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) inside a burning apartment building as the two came across a rookie firefighter from another team. The young man, Ritter, was clearly shell-shocked.

More from One Chicago Center

• Chicago Med star on 2024 cast changes: ‘Nice to have new faces’
• Here’s the perfect Chicago Fire episode to watch on Thanksgiving
• Ranking the 8 NCIS Thanksgiving episodes from worst to best
• Mark Harmon does NOT have plans to reprise Gibbs on NCIS
• One Chicago stars tease new seasons on IG: ‘Here we come’

Casey ordered Mouch to get Ritter out of the building before he hurt himself or someone else. And though he was at first angry at Ritter for having to abandon Casey to deal with the other man, Mouch’s big heart shone through once again.

Instead of berating him, Mouch tried to get to know Ritter, and wound up encouraging him to the point where they both helped save a life.

Watch One Chicago on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

This moment was so perfectly Mouch—someone who struggled with his own self-doubt two seasons ago, when he contemplated retirement (and then wound up having that heart attack). Someone who has one of the biggest hearts not only at Firehouse 51, but in the whole One Chicago universe.

So much of what Christian Stolte is given is comedic material, that we sometimes forget how good he is as a dramatic actor, and this was one of those moments that showcased the latter.

Not only that, but the Chicago Fire writers did a great job of making it a three-dimensional scene. It wasn’t just “look at Mouch doing this good deed.” They let Ritter tell his story, of not wanting to let down the firefighter in his family, but how honestly scared he was and how he doubted himself too. It made the audience get to know this man, and care about him the same way Mouch did.

By the time this subplot wound down, we found ourselves rooting for Ritter and wanting to see what he did next. Maybe Chicago Fire season 7 will give us an update on him later on, because we think he learned from Mouch and could go on to be a great firefighter.

Our heroes aren’t just heroes themselves; they make other people better, too. And this moment exemplified that idea.

Congratulations to Chicago Fire for having our Moment of the Week! Which moment was the most memorable to you this week? Let us know in the comments!