Chicago Fire season 8, episode 14 recap: Shut It Down
The mystery deepens
And then Chicago Fire gives us another gas leak, because if there’s one thing this show loves, it’s a good mystery. This series is as much a private investigator show as it is a firefighter show sometimes.
This time the leak is inside a salon, and there are a lot more people inside as a result. The good news is that our team is better prepared now, so they have a plan in mind. The bad news is that Casey stays behind to get that one last person stuck inside, and so naturally almost gets himself killed for the umpteenth time. If there were punch cards for near-death experiences, he would have the free mug by now.
A gas company representative arrives and says he’s just as puzzled about these gas leaks as Firehouse 51 is. “Something’s not right,” Severide says. Thank you, Captain Obvious.
But everyone goes back to the house and researches past calls, not just from their house but other firehouses in the district, and they uncover a pattern. Meanwhile, Stella does some sleuthing of her own, and finds out about Gallo’s tragic past. Plus, Brett continues to tell Casey to throw out her mom’s letter, and now she’s getting mad about it. He’s a bit taken aback but does as he’s been asked.
Ritter whips Mouch into shape, using Mouch’s own words against him, while Gallo informs Lucy’s parents about what Firehouse 51 suspects. “It wasn’t your fault,” he reassures her mother, before pulling out a new blanket for the girl. He really is the nicest human being ever.
You know what’s not nice? 46 “gas-related incidents” in less than a week, as Chicago Fire tells us when Severide, Boden and Casey meet with gas company executives. An argument ensues about how best to solve the problem. If they don’t want to turn off the gas mains and have people freeze, then they’ll have to work fast.
The next morning, Severide wonders what has ticked Cruz off this time (from the sounds of it, it’s his continued dilemma about the wedding cake), while Stella pokes Gallo again. She tells him she heard from Will what he was up to. This really just seems like an excuse for her to pawn the firehouse laundry off on him. Or for Chicago Fire to free her up so she can ask Severide about standing him up when they were supposed to check out a wedding venue. In fairness, he was trying to prevent more deaths.