Chicago Fire’s best episodes from season 7

Chicago Fire season 7 was a season of change, but which episodes were the most memorable? Here are the best Chicago Fire episodes from this season.

The most recent Chicago Fire season wasn’t like any of the ones before. With changes all over the place, at times the seventh season felt like a brand new show.

Most notably, this was the first season without Gabriela Dawson (Monica Raymund), which meant that Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) became the show’s female lead. The season also introduced a new paramedic, Emily Foster (Annie Ilonzeh).

While the show dealt with the absence of Dawson—although she continued to have a presence in certain episodes—there was also a promotion, an engagement, and yet another death, too. What stood out most?

Here are our picks for the three best episodes from Chicago Fire season 7; let us know which episodes would be on your short list in the comments at the end of the article.

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3) Going To War

This episode was part of the One Chicago crossover, and kicked that three-show event off with one of the giant fires that Chicago Fire is known for. Burning an entire apartment building was jaw-dropping to see and kept the audience worried for most of the hour.

There were other things going on here, too, like this was the episode where fans first met Darren Ritter (recurring guest star Daniel Kyri) at what might have been his lowest point.

Plus, Otis (Yuri Sardarov) made a horrifying discovery in an elevator, and Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) met his future girlfriend. So in retrospect, this wound up as one of the most important episodes of the season.

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2) Fault In Him

This episode aired after another crossover, and finally addressed a few things while also offering up a surprise or two. While Cruz dealt with the aftereffects of his undercover stint, Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) almost got shot in the face—and not only had to deal with that, but also the fact he couldn’t turn to Dawson for support.

The installment also had a surprising plotline involving Fire Commissioner Carl Grissom (recurring guest star Gary Cole). After being kind of a menace in the previous episode, Grissom showed off a previously unseen vulnerable side here, while trying to keep his job. It was a weird about-face for his character, but it was good to see something different from him.

And even if you still dislike Grissom, fans can’t deny that Cole and Taylor Kinney make an excellent team on-screen. Their performances and Spencer’s made this episode worth it.

1) What Will Define You

The biggest shock in the season was Chicago Fire killing off Benny Severide (Treat Williams), and doing it off-screen, no less. That’s still a controversial choice, but it did lay the groundwork for this episode, where there wasn’t a dry eye in the whole audience.

The episode followed Severide as he struggled to deal with his dad’s passing, and re-evaluated his opinion of his father (a plot that Chicago Med would also use, though less so, in its season finale). Kinney’s performance was one of his best ever, and it was marvelous to see Brittany Curran finally return as Severide’s half-sister Katie Nolan, answering fans’ questions about how Katie was doing.

But this episode was driven by emotion, and everyone delivered. From the poignant acting, to the way it was written and directed by Olivia Newman, everything about this episode came together.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 7 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.