Chicago Fire season 8 finale recap: 51’s Original Bell
Foster’s big decision
“How many regulations you think that place is violating?” Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) asks his colleagues when they get back to the firehouse. Severide declares that he’s going back there after their shift ends; Boden tells Casey to go with him, to make sure that Severide doesn’t do anything more than talk.
Meanwhile, Foster approaches Stella to ask for advice. She has an interview at Northwestern University for admission back into med school. She explains that she’s been thinking about it for a while, but she’s also afraid of looking like she’s abandoning Brett with everything that’s happened recently. Stella replies that Brett’s the person she should be talking to.
Brett is happy to see Scott return with her half-sister. He’s there to tell her that he’s taking Amelia and moving back to Rockford. He still wants Brett in the baby’s life, but can’t afford to stay in Chicago on just one income. Brett understands, but is disappointed anyway.
Severide and Casey find out that this scrapyard has a history of being shady, and learn from Boden that Capp can’t be found at Chicago Med. The duo go to the hospital themselves, where Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) informs them that Capp refused treatment and left. Furthermore, Will has to file a report that would harm Capp’s reputation at the CFD. They convince him to wait 24 hours while they try to find their friend and colleague.
After they break this news to the rest of the firehouse, Stella is surprised to see Kylie, her first Girls on Fire recruit, walk in the door. She wants to borrow Stella’s copy of the CFD firefighter manual. Stella assures her that the program will keep going through the summer, while Severide stares at the bell that Capp didn’t finish cleaning and decides he’s going back to the scrapyard ahead of schedule. “Don’t let him do anything stupid,” Casey tells Cruz.
Severide confronts the scrapyard owner, accusing him of getting paid under the table to dump hazardous materials. Cruz keeps the duo from getting into an argument. Elsewhere, Brett tells Foster what Scott said, which keeps Foster from informing Brett about her med school option. Instead, they’re sent to a call where someone mistook glue for lip gloss. That has to be on the short list of dumb mistakes, but Foster is able to quickly solve the problem by applying nail polish remover to the glue.
They take the victim to Chicago Med, where Will spills the beans about Foster’s interview with Northwestern. Brett is stunned and immediately turns on her partner, accusing her of already having made up her mind, despite the fact that this is just an interview and not acceptance.
Cruz and Tony bring the bell to Molly’s, where they work on getting it finished for Capp. They also try to give advice to Gallo about Violet. Finally, he goes over to speak with her and she tells him that she’s on her way to meet another guy for a date. His suggestion that they keep things casual and continue to see other people has officially blown up in his face.
Gallo returns to his colleagues and explains his problem, only to be laughed at by his older and wiser friends. Mouch (Christian Stolte) informs him that he’s in a war he can’t win. Cruz insists that getting married solved all of his problems. “Says the guy who has been married for a week,” Mouch retorts.
Chicago Fire cuts to Casey and Severide arriving at Capp’s place. Severide tells Casey that he first met Capp when the other man was working on another truck. The two were trying to break open a door, and Capp tried to launch himself into the door, only to get his foot stuck in it. Severide was at least able to get through the hole Capp’s foot created and open the door.
The duo find Capp sitting in the dark, still saying that he’s fine. Casey warns him that he needs to see Will or he’s going to get reported, but the two grab some beers and sit with their friend.