Chicago Fire season 13 episode 8 recap: Is Herrmann leaving Firehouse 51?

Chicago Fire season 13 has been building up to this. Well, at least, partially. We have reached the fall finale of the firefighting drama, which features a subplot in which Carver (Jake Lockett) befriends a dog and Cruz (Joe Minoso) receives a chilling omen.

The most consequential subplot of season 13, episode 8, however, revolves around Herrmann (David Eigenberg). The veteran firefighter plans to take the chief exam alongside fellow 51 veteran and best friend, Mouch (Christian Stolte). Here's a recap of what went down during the fall finale, and what lies in store for Herrmann in particular:

Joe Cruz's past rears its ugly head in "Quicksand"

The episode started off on an unexpected foot. Instead of focusing on any of the aforementioned and established characters, "Quicksand" decided to open with Lyla Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) getting ready for the day. The episode delves further into her character and her tragic family backstory than ever before, so the decision to start with her actually makes quite a bit of sense by the end of the episode. For more on Novak's arc, click here.

Things take an even darker turn for poor Cruz. The firefighter discovers a single bullet in his locker, and is understandably taken aback by its presence. He questions what it means, and in the classic Cruz fashion, begins to stress about his safety on the job (though, to be fair, so would we).

Tensions appear to be higher than usual, and not just for Cruz. Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) gets into a head exchange with his estranged wife, Monica (KaDee Strickland), in front of pretty much everyone in 51. The embarrassing exchange may have led to Pascal lashing out against Carver when he found a dog on the job and immediately took a liking to him.

Carver is forced to give up his new canine friend

The Chief made it clear that he didn't feel there was a place for the dog in his firehouse. Carver eventually falls in line, and sends the dog to live with another family. As it stands, Firehouse 51 is still on the hunt for another dog after the passing of Pouch.

As the episode unfolds, Cruz discovers that the bullet tied back to his brother, Leon Cruz, and his former affiliation with the gang known as the Insane Kings. This is a storyline that harkens back to early seasons of Chicago Fire, so you'd be forgiven for not recalling what went down.

Cruz's familial ties to the lead to another ominous delivery being made to him in the episode: a container of Flaco's ashes, aka the gang leader who Cruz left to burn alive in order to protect his brother. It turns out that Flaco's cousin has come back for revenge, and the episode ends off with Cruz is a very precarious (read: dangerous) situation.

You may be wondering what became of Herrmann and Mouch-- the two who drummed up the most intrigue about the fall finale heading in. And the truth is, we don't know. The episode comes to an end without telling us whether either of them passed their chief exam. It's a bit frustrating, but in classic Chicago Fire fashion, it will ensure that we tune in come January.

That's a wrap for 2024!