Chicago Fire season 8, episode 3 takeaways: Badlands

What can Chicago Fire fans learn from Badlands? Look closer at this week’s episode with our Chicago Fire season 8, episode 3 takeaways.

What did One Chicago fans learn from the latest Chicago Fire episode? Here’s what we took away from this week’s installment, “Badlands.”

“Badlands” featured Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) returning to the firehouse and immediately getting into a fracas with a corrupt correctional officer. The episode also featured new technology, a ferris wheel and a scuba diving subplot, so it was kind of all over the place.

If you missed any of this week’s episode or just want a refresher on the events that we’re about to discuss, you can catch up with our Chicago Fire recap.

Below are our takeaways from this week’s episode:

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1) Brett is the new Dawson

And not just because she now has Dawson’s role as Paramedic in Charge. This episode proved Sylvie has learned well from her old partner.

Remember how Dawson was always ready to get into a fight when someone was in the wrong, and didn’t care who it was? We saw that same attitude from Brett as she dealt with the Isaac storyline.

Yes, Foster was part of it too, but it was Brett who was the primary protagonist and had the huge moment encouraging Isaac to finally tell the truth. Gabby would have been so proud of her.

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2) Casey should be banned from dating

Speaking of Dawson, her ex-husband has shown some really poor judgment in women since their divorce. Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) had a fling last season with a reporter who was throwing herself at him, but at least it was a few episodes before they slept together. In “Badlands,” he was faced with another woman who was not subtle at all—and he was getting her into bed before the end of the episode!

Casey seems to be going for women who are aggressively going after him, and what does that say about him? Is he feeling insecure and getting a self-esteem boost by being pursued? Whatever it is he should give this a rest. Whether or not you ship Brett and Casey, it might be best for them to get together just so he’s in a stable relationship rather than getting into another awkward short-lived situation.

3) Stella’s big promotion

So Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) is headed to a leadership conference—and that could be great for Chicago Fire. If the writers want to go that route, developing Stella as a leader might lay some groundwork for any future seasons.

All of the officers at Firehouse 51 right now are men. If this works out and Stella gets promoted, it would give the “white shirts” a female voice, and one of the things that the entire One Chicago franchise has done very well is representation amongst its main casts.

Of course, Stella would have a bit to go before she could get bumped up in rank; there’s not really a place for another Lieutenant at the moment, at least based on what we know about the current structure of 51. And this isn’t an idea that should be just thrown together this season, like she goes to this conference and is magically fast-tracked. But it has potential for the future, and that makes it worth keeping an eye on.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 8 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.