Chicago Fire teased lots of plot lines heading into its season 13 fall finale, but the one involving Lyla Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) was a complete surprise. The episode opened with Novak gazing upon a pic of her family as she gets ready for work, but the dramatic weight of this brief moment wouldn't be fully realized until the end of the episode.
At the tail end of the episode, Novak has an interaction with an elderly woman who used to be her neighbor. The woman asks if she was one of the Novak kids, and the tone of the questions suggests that something tragic happened to the family. The implication is that a member of the family took their own life.
Chicago Fire tackled sensitive material in "Quicksand"
Chicago Fire doesn't put too fine a point on which family member may have taken their own lives, but they do make it clear that Novak is still reeling from the psychological effects of what happened. This led to some polarizing reactions to the episode on social media. Many fans were shocked by Novak's story line, and felt that a trigger warning should have been given at the end of the episode.
The shock regarding the subject matter of the episode, titled "Quicksand," was so prevalent that Twitter even collected these various fan takes and compiled them into a trending topic. The topic stated:
"The episode includes scenes involving Novak, seemingly triggered by a traumatic event reminiscent of her sister's suicide. "
Fans believe a trigger warning should've been included
The traumatic event in question comes earlier in the episode, when Novak and Violet (Hanako Greensmith) are tasked with resuscitating a man who seemingly tried to take his own life. They succeed, but as soon as the man is awake, Novak begins yelling at the man and asking why he did what he did.
It's an admittedly intense scene, even by Chicago Fire standards. We can only assume that the show will delve further into Novak's past, and the ways in which her trauma has affected her as an adult. It's fair to point out that Chicago Fire did not include a trigger warning at the beginning of the episode, which also includes a scene in which Cruz (Joe Minoso) is threatened with a bullet.
The show did, however, include the information for the suicide prevention hotline during the credits. This was recognized, and appreciated, by some fans, who noted the importance of making sure those in need get the necessary assistance.