Heading into the Chicago Fire season 13 fall finale, we expected that the episode would leave us with a few cliffhangers but we also expected it would bring about at least a few bigger moments and a little closure to some of the storylines that have unfolded within the first few episodes of the season. Unfortunately, the finale left us with more questions than answers, and not in a good kind of way.
In fact, I might go as far as to say the fall finale was an underwhelming filler episode more than an episode that left us on the edge of our seats.
Warning: The following post contains spoilers from the Chicago Fire season 13 fall finale.
Episode 8 put a lot of puzzle pieces on the board, but the problem is the episode didn’t exactly put the pieces together. Instead, it felt as though the show was trying to do a bit too much which resulted in nothing really getting achieved by the episode. Instead, it was an episode that paved the way for more storylines to come in the rest of the season which is great but didn’t exactly give us that same rewarding feeling we’re used to getting from a Chicago Fire finale.
Still, if the fall finale was any indication, there is a lot for the show to unpack when Chicago Fire returns in 2025.
Novak’s tragic past
One major plotline introduced was the hint that Novak lost someone close to her via suicide, a revelation that comes to light after she has a visceral reaction to responding to a hanging victim who attempted to take their life. No details were provided, but as the episode ended we saw Novak visiting her childhood home where she had an interesting interaction with the current homeowner.
When an elderly woman spots Novak outside, Novak tells her she used to live there which is when the woman asks if she was one of the Novak kids. It was a moment that hinted something tragic went down in the house if the new homeowner knows of the family, perhaps indicating Novak’s mother or father might have taken their own life when she was young.
Herrmann and Mouch take their tests, but we don’t find out the results
Leading up to the finale, we knew that Herrmann and Mouch were finally going to take their respective tests in hopes of moving up the ladder within the CFD. It was a moment we had been anxiously waiting for and while Herrmann and Mouch do take their test in the finale, the moment doesn’t come until the final moments of the episode which results in us being left to see if they pass and what comes after.
Honestly, we’re a bit disappointed that this was such a big tease for the episode, only for it to have no payoff. We should find out the results of their test in the winter premiere, and those test results could shake things up at 51 as Herrmann looks to finally take over as Chief. The only problem is that Pascal doesn’t seem interested in leaving.
Chicago Fire refuses to tell us Pascal’s backstory
We know Chief Pascal is holding onto some secret from his past, a secret that led him to leave Florida in order to come to Chicago and start fresh. However, the show refuses to tell us exactly what happened in Florida and just keeps giving more and more teases of something bad happening.
In the fall finale, we see Pascal’s wife looking to get a gun for protection with more hints of a scary and potentially dangerous event happening before they came to Chicago, but no actual context is provided.
Violet finds out about Carver’s breakup
We had a feeling that Carver and Violet’s reconciliation might not come immediately and that proved to be the case, though we made a major leap forward as Violet learned about Tori skipping town and breaking up with Carver.
When Violet found out the news, she was clearly taken aback which hints perhaps the door isn’t closed on her relationship with Carver. However, we’re going to have to wait to see what’s next and it seems Violet might have more pressing things on her mind in helping Novak work through the demons of her past.
Cruz’s past comes back to haunt him
The most unexpected and unnecessary twist of the finale came in the storyline involving Cruz. Throughout the episode, Cruz was looking over his shoulder after finding bullets left in both his locker and on his car.
Well, those bullets were a calling card from a man who could destroy Cruz’s life. That man is the cousin of Flaco, the leader of the Insane Kings gang who Cruz left behind in the building fire back in season 1 resulting in his death. Flaco’s cousin is the only other person who saw what happened in the fire, and the episode ends with him showing up and making it clear he’s going to get justice for his cousin after being released from prison early.
As excited as we are to see what the writers have planned, it’s a storyline that came out of nowhere and wasn’t really needed at this time.
Chicago Fire returns Jan. 8, 2025.