There’s a lot we love about One Chicago shows beyond ships but, let’s face it, we can’t live without ships! And couples are important to the emotional development of the characters in Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med, so we’re going to analyze the progress of our beloved ships each week in a roundtable.
All our feels about these ships will be summarized here and we’re only going to dedicate ourselves to them for, you know, reasons … but you can check our full reviews if you want much more. And now, let’s take a look at the love lives of our favorite firefighters, cops and doctors!
Here we go!
We start with Chicago Fire. Stellaride is finally starting to give us the content we deserve! Tell us ALL your feels about that final scene. On the opposite side of the coin we have Brettsey, where it seems like we will have to suffer with them and they look to be miles away … Do you still think there is hope for them or have the last few episodes made you change your mind?
Raquel: I’ll start with the easiest part of these questions. I think there is still hope for Brettsey. I still think they are endgame. There is no doubt in my mind about that. They just … now they’re trying to forget about each other, trying to stop thinking about each other because they both think it’s for the best. But they will end up realizing that they just can’t. The heart has reasons that the mind doesn’t understand and although their heads insist on forgetting each other, their hearts will not agree.
When they realize that this jealousy they feel, this … sadness, this longing, this need to be close is simply pure and true love and that it is not going to disappear with time, then they are going to start fighting as one for the other. Ideally, they would not take so many detours and only now start fighting to be together but then we would have no drama or anguish and what would a show be without a hint of anguish?
They’re going to get where they need to go … but I don’t expect it to happen anytime soon. An endgame is not built in two episodes, they need more time.
And now … Stellaride! I love them. That is the summary. Before I didn’t ship them as hard as I ship Brettsey but now, after this episode, after that last scene, I love them so much. They have my heart forever. I think that scene had everything. Severide finally opens up to Stella, he communicates with her, which was what we had been waiting for so long, he tells her his reasons but she doesn’t forgive him right away, she doesn’t say “ohh, you wanted to protect me, that’s wonderful, I love you.” No.
She makes it clear that she is not some damsel in distress who needs his protection. She makes it clear to him that he has to communicate with her and that she has been through worse. And she makes it clear to him that she is not going to allow him to hide anything else from him. Stella doesn’t take any shit from Severide, including his excuses, and that’s why I love her. Severide was looking at her with this patronizing vision of “she’s not going to be able to take this, I have to protect her.” Severide was underestimating her and Stella makes sure that he never, ever does it again. And I love that.
And that last sentence … Severide is not going to let her escape but it’s not about that with them. They are in a relationship of equals and she is going to fight for their relationship, to keep him by her side, because she wants the same thing. She’s not going to let him go back to being an idiot. Stella is amazing and she is Severide’s pefect partner. I can’t ship them more!
Lizzie: I’m so happy with that final Stellaride scene. So. Damn. Happy. Like, if I’d written it, I wouldn’t have written anything differently, especially in regards to what Stella said, so I am over the moon. And even though Severide was an idiot for a while, he rallied, and he found the right words. But the stand-out was Stella, making it clear to Kelly that she makes her own decisions, she doesn’t need him to play knight in shining armor, she just needs a partner, and if he is going to be that for her, she needs him to really be that. For good. No take backs.
Yes, I got a little emotional watching this scene, which I have rewatched like 64 times already. But it was just what I needed from them. And though I don’t anticipate it will all be happiness and nothing more from now on, I’m ready to just cruise on that fantastic moment in a couple’s relationship where writers figure out that they can, indeed, throw external obstacles at a couple, and have them face everything together, in a way that makes them stronger.
And, also, can I say I’m looking forward to the two of them talking about their dumb friends and being like ok, Casey has feelings for Brett, she has feelings for him, HOW CAN WE HELP? Because friends meddle, good friends meddle even more, and these are good friends we’re talking about here.
Because Brettsey, oh …it’s gonna hurt for a bit. But it’s gonna hurt Casey, and I’m kinda looking forward to that. Sylvie is being, God, she’s been self-sacrificing to the point of sabotaging herself, to be honest, but she just doesn’t know better. It’s on Casey to prove – or at least explain – that there is something for her to hold onto. She has no way of reading his mind, and she’s said many times she just wants him to be happy. So, she literally set him free and doesn’t think he’s going to come back to her.
Except, he never really left. He tried, oh, he tried. He felt he needed to, because he’s never understood that he can ask for what he wants, that he can fight for what makes him happy. But that’s a good lesson for him to learn. If you want something, you can’t just sit there and wait for that thing to just come to you. You gotta put some effort into it, and if he wants Sylvie – and look, dude, even random strangers can see you do – he’s gonna have to work for it.
So, yeah, the last few episodes have only made it clear that Brettsey is going to be a thing, probably by the end of the season. Casey tried to move on, he realized he couldn’t. Now Brett’s gonna try to move on, and probably realize she can’t either, while Casey loses his mind and hopefully comes up with some much-needed big gesture just as Brett’s all like yeah, I didn’t really want to move on, and then we get out big moment, and …two happy couples on Chicago Fire by season’s end? It’s season 9, I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
Samantha: That ending Stellaride scene was everything. I could not have imagined that scene going any more perfectly. I’m glad they both finally laid it all out on the table and talked things out. That conversation was a much needed conversation that should have happened a long time ago. Bless you, Kylie, for finally making Severide see that while he was trying to help Stella, he was actually really hurting her in the long run.
I think, after that scene, Severide finally understands that Stella can handle more than he gives her credit for. He now knows that she has had more experience with people trying to shake her confidence than he realizes. She is not a damsel in distress who needs Severide’s help whenever things get tough. In fact, there have been times when she has needed to save Severide.
Stella Kidd is a badass queen who is capable of far more than people give her credit for. She made it clear that she didn’t need him to be her knight and shining armour, she just needed to know that he had her back and was going to be there for her every step of the way. She simply needed to hear the famous words that we all swoon over. “You’ve got this, Stella Kidd”.
The ending of that scene may be my favorite part. Stella lets Severide know that he is not the only one that gets to make decisions in their relationship. She makes it clear that, just like they are going to be equals in rank soon, they are also equals in this relationship. I truly hope that this will only make Stellaride grow stronger, and that they truly won’t let each other get away again. We almost lost Stellaride, and I don’t want to go through that again.
As for Brettsey, I refuse to give up hope for them. I think this episode showed great potential for them, and I definitely think we’re moving toward a Brettsey endgame. Brett and Casey are finally talking again, which is progress, and progress is good.
Casey is so obviously in love with Brett. He couldn’t make it any more clear. That is, he couldn’t make it more clear to everyone except Sylvie. Here’s the thing. I’ve said this before, and I’m gonna say it again. Matt Casey needs to fight for Brett. It’s not going to be easy and it’s going to take some convincing, but he needs to prove to her that his feelings are real. He needs to tell her exactly what he told Severide and really fight for her. Brett needs to know that she’s not just his backup plan.
Here’s the thing. Brett and Casey are talking again, and that’s great, but they’re not talking about the right things. Casey has told Severide how it’s been rough trying to get past everything that happened with Sylvie and that being with anyone else just makes it worse, and Brett told Mackey that she was kind of upset about how fast Casey moved on from everything even though she told him to. So they’re talking about their feelings to everyone EXCEPT EACH OTHER.
The road for Brettsey is going to be tough. We’ve seen Casey try to move on and fail, and Brett is probably going to be next. We’ll no doubt see Grainger again soon, and Casey will watch painfully form the sideline just like Brett did with Casey and Sydney. While it will be rough for us Brettsey fans to watch, I think this kind if stuff is going to be what it takes for Brettsey to realize their true feelings for each other. It might be a while, but I definitely think we’re heading toward a Brettsey endgame. And I can’t wait.
Logan: Severide finally stepped up and communicated! Okay, here’s what I love about that. He stepped up to communicate (finally) for Stella’s benefit. The minute he realized (truly realized) his actions were negatively impacting Stella he decided enough was enough. His belief in Stella is so great that he refuses to let her merely settle. If that isn’t the sign of someone who truly loves another person then I don’t know what is. (Also, bless you Kylie! You saved us!)
And then we got that roller coaster of a conversation. I genuinely feared for Severide’s life when he said “this attitude of yours..” but thankfully that sentence ended much better than how it began. Phew! Those writers really pulled and pushed us in every direction.
But this argument confirmed everything I thought I knew. Severide was looking at Stella’s situation within the bounds of his own experiences. Stella is not a white man whose family is well respected in the CFD. She started at the very bottom and fought her way, every day of her life, to where she is now.
I’m glad that Severide came to his senses but I’m more relieved that Stella set the expectations for these sort of issues going forward. (And there will be more issues like this going forward. It’s Chicago Fire, after all.) He is not the decider! (Standing ovation!) They are equals and they need to work through their issues together. Hopefully, this is Severide’s final lesson on this and from here on out they give us the full speed ahead version of Team Stellaride.
I definitely believe we’re being set up for a big gesture of commitment in the near future and, honestly, it’s about time! They’re never letting each other go again so let’s start moving them toward a ring and an altar, okay? They deserve it.
Ah, Brettsey. My ship of ships! We are still very much on track for Brettsey endgame! There was lots of movement this episode for Casey! That is a good sign!
I find immensely funny (in a cruel irony sort of way) that all Brett wants is for Casey to be happy and he looked miserable for about half of this episode. The problem is that Casey is not the type to bleed on others so Sylvie never sees any indication of that misery. From her point of view, he’s moving on and enjoying it. How is she to know that he’s struggling with letting her go when he won’t tell her? Twice now, he’s told Severide something he should have told Brett and it makes me want to smack him — lovingly, of course.
But half of Casey’s journey back to Brett is complete in my opinion. He’s figured out he can’t move on and now he needs to realize he can’t let go. He needs to find the motivation to fight for her and realize that he can ask for what he wants! That lesson is still to come for him.
And as for Brett, Casey had his turn to try and fail to move on. Now it’s her turn. No doubt next week will see the return of Grainger and we’ll get Matt watching it all go down from the sidelines. He’s going to be in pain for the next little while, but maybe that’s what he needs. He needs high stakes. When push comes to shove, is he going to let her get away?
Sylvie, for her part, wants Matt to choose his own happiness and she doesn’t think she’s a part of that. Remember what I said earlier about Severide? He refuses to let her settle. Well, that’s what Sylvie thinks she’s doing for Matt. She’s not letting him settle for her when she thinks he’s still in love with Gabby. In her mind, she’s giving him the opportunity to figure himself out and ultimately saving their friendship. She’s wrong, but she doesn’t know that.
Which is why Matt will have to be the one step up this time. Sylvie took the leap last time and got her heartbroken. Sylvie’s journey will be about opening herself up to Matt again. She needs to be in a place where she can listen and trust and that’s where her inability to move on will hopefully take her. I am so ready to watch this angsty journey moving forward! Bring it on! We’re headed for Brettsey endgame and it’s all going to be worth it!
It’s Chicago PD’s turn. We didn’t see anything from Upstead or Burzek. Did you miss them? Do you think this show urgently needs a balance? Would you have liked Jay to talk to Hailey about his decision, or do you think Voight was the right person to talk to? What direction do you think couples will take from now on?
Raquel: Oh yeah, I missed my favorite couples so much. It’s not fair that they didn’t give us anything from them and, of course, I think this show needs balance ASAP. Despite what I said in our previous roundtable, this show has to work on its balance between plots. I understand that sometimes you need to develop one couple more than another but I’m not in for that to be the norm. And less so that in an episode they simply does nothing until the following week. I think the show has to be more complete.
It’s true that Jay’s character development is interesting for future repercussions with Upstead because, as Voight say it, Jay is going to have to live with his decision. But … they need a lot more balance in this show because we don’t even have a conversation between the couple about what has happened.
That said, I think a Voight was the one for Jay to talk about his decision. That decision involved breaking the rules, going beyond the line … and no one knows about that more than Voight. Furthermore, he is a kind of father figure and protector for everyone. He told everyone at the beginning, “Don’t lie to me … so I can lie for you.” And Jay needed someone who had this experience, who had already broken the rules before, someone who didn’t judge him and understood his motives and that, it could only be Voight.
Hailey also broke the rules more than once and would never have judged him but Jay doesn’t know. I mean, for him, Hayley always followed the rules … and he’s scared that she will judge him, he’s terrified of what she might think of him after he raises the possibility of releasing someone who has killed someone else in cold blood. It’s kind of screwed up and Jay knew Voight wouldn’t judge him.
The problem is, in addition to talking to Voight, we should have seen a scene in between Upstead where Jay will just … open up to her or just hold her hand, to feel like she’s there, right next to him, no matter what.
As for the future of couples, I think they are both endgame and just … it’s going to take a while to get there. The two couples have things to talk about, problems to solve … they both have to communicate and that will be difficult to achieve … but we will achieve it.
Lizzie: I greatly enjoyed this episode, and though I always like ship content, I’m happy with crumbs and a good character-centric episode. Not every week, but for one week, I can deal.
As for Jay, I think the reason he talked to Voight is obvious, in that I think the show is setting him up to take Voight’s place at some point. This is a needed setup, and that’s why they didn’t make it a ship moment. I also think Hailey and Jay are very similar in this regard, and what the show wanted to establish was the contrast between Jay/Voight.
But in general, I hope we get to ship stuff soon as we still need to deal with the fallout of Kim’s decision and how Adam is going to behave regarding that, as well as the fallout of Hailey lying to Jay. I think we’re going to see both couples dealing with this as we go forward, probably not at the same time cause yeah, this show doesn’t do that well, but I do feel like the obvious storyline is, as we talked before, for Adam to decide he wants it all with Kim, the things we already knew he wanted, her, a family, everything, while Hailey and Jay just gotta get to the point where they understand they have each other, they can count on each other, they’re each other’s support system, as more than partners, as more than what the job entails. If we get those things from Burzek and Upstead as the season progresses, I will be more than happy.
Samantha: I missed my ships. I loved the little scene and Upsted crumbs that we got this episode, but I would have liked more. Especially since this episode seemed to be really hard for Jay, I would have liked to have seen him open up and talk to Hailey a little bit more.I don’t like how Jay and Hailey seem to be leaving each other out of important conversations. While I like to have just crumbs and character-centric episodes sometimes, I also think it’s important to build on key aspects of a relationship and for us to see characters have these important conversations.
While I would have liked to have seen Jay talk to Hailey about his decision, I also think Voight was the right person to talk to. Not only is he the head of the unit, but he also has experience when it comes to this kind of thing. Never forget that Voight killed his son Justin Voight’s killer. I also think it was important for him to have this conversation with Voight because Voight has said that Jay will take over the unit at some point. I think it was important for us to see Jay go to Voight for advise and then have Voight say it’s his call, and that it doesn’t matter what he would do because they’re different people.
As much as I love my ships, I think we’re going to experience some fallout soon. We still have to deal with the fallout of Kim’s decision and Adam’s reaction/behavior regarding that, as well as Hailey lying to Jay. In terms of Burzek, I think Adam will eventually come around and Kim will realize that Adam wants everything that she said she wanted last episode.
The proposal, marriage, kids, all of it. I think Adam has really changed since the first time they were in a relationship and is really ready to commit to her, and Kim needs to realize that. As for Upstead, I think they need to realize that they are a team, on and off duty. Ever more so than before, they need to realize that they can count on each other. They are each other’s support system in every sense of the word and they have each other’s back, as more than just partners. Their sense of partnership goes beyond what the job entails. If we get these things from Burzek and Upstead going forward, I’ll be more than happy.
Logan: Consistency is key. We need forward movement on some level, every episode. If not for our couples then for Atwater or Voight (as much as I don’t like him). This episode felt like a loss of momentum.
I do think it’s nice to show the unit consulting Voight. He is their sergeant after all. But I think this episode would have been better served with balancing Upton and Voight. Both are important people to Jay. Wouldn’t he ask both of them for an opinion? I think so.
In the future, I’d like to see Jay and Hailey’s partnership being actively extended into their personal life. I’d like to see Burzek really digging into Kim’s decision to foster and how it impacts them. Basically, I want communication and honesty for all.
In Chicago Med it seems that Natalie and Will are pulling further and further away, do you think they are making good decisions regarding their lives, especially Will? Were you disappointed that Crockett didn’t open up to Natalie about his past? In that sense, did they miss an opportunity to emotionally connect this couple? Do you think Chexton still has a chance?
Raquel: I don’t think Will is making the best decisions for his life, he’s been doing this for a while now, so I’m not surprised. Getting so easily wrapped up in not analyzing what he really feels and just taking time for himself is not going to turn out well. It didn’t turn out well the other times. And running away from the hospital doesn’t seem like the right decision either because running away is never the solution. Problems and the past, as well as your heart, follows you wherever you go.
As for Natalie, I think she’s not being entirely honest with her feelings because she cares about Crockett more than she wants to accept – and those feelings are reciprocal. This situation is always dangerous for the heart. In that sense, I think it makes sense that Crockett hasn’t opened up with her about his past yet. After all, they haven’t been together very long and he still has this no-compromise rule.
However, I think it would have been nice for him to tell Natalie about his past and they missed this opportunity to bond emotionally. At the end of the day, if they are going to be endgame or are going to be together in the long term, sex scenes, kisses and pampering interspersed with fights are not enough, we need to see, we need to feel, that they are connected beyond the physical. That they have this emotional connection … and this patient, this case … was a golden opportunity to do just that. I hope the next opportunity is not wasted like this.
As for Chexton, what happened last week seemed like too definitive an ending, but this episode gave us hope again. I think the door is open, maybe not completely, it is barely ajar, but we only need a small hole for the light to enter, right? And this is just what I think has happened to them. There is still hope … and I think that sooner or later they will meet again.
Lizzie: I’ve stopped thinking about Will and Natalie as a unit, sadly, so …I’m not surprised that they’re further and further apart. I don’t even think they’ve shared a scene in ages, which now that I think about it, is a little unrealistic, but whatever. Balance is not in thy nature, Chicago Med.
As for Will, I don’t think he’s gonna leave the ED, but I actually like that he’s, you know …thinking about the future, being serious, exploring other options, and you know, doing so in an actual legal and smart way. It’s silly, but it feels like growth, and he needs a lot of it. Maybe this possibility is just what he needs to rediscover why he loves the ED. Maybe we can get the Will I loved back? I really hope so.
Then there’s Crockett who …just can’t open up yet, and I don’t blame him. I wasn’t disappointed, I got it. I really did. You can’t force something like this, and I believe it won’t even take him that long, he just needs to do this on his own terms. If they still haven’t by the end of the season, maybe I’ll call it a missed opportunity, but for now, we’re good.
Chexton …I’m the most shocked to be saying this, but yes. April’s reaction to what transpired last week wasn’t what I expected, and I even saw a glimpse of what she and Ethan had in their interactions in this episode, if just for a moment. There’s still hope for Chexton indeed, who would have thought?
Samantha: As a Manstead shipper it pains me to say this, but I don’t even see Manstead as being connected to each other anymore. They haven’t shared a scene together in ages. It’s like they’re in two different universes and unfortunately I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
I don’t think Will is going to leave the ED. At least I hope not. I just think he’s thinking about the future and exploring possible options. Will likes to save people. We saw that in his relationship with Hannah. He likes to feel like he’s making a difference in people’s lives beyond just treating them. I think that’s why he got involved with the clinical trial in the first place and why being involved in something like that permanently is somewhat appealing to him. However, like Will Said, he’s an ED doc. Treating patients is what he loves. I think he wants to keep his options open, but I don’t see him going anywhere anytime soon.
While I would have liked to have seen Crockett open up to Natalie about his past, I can see why he didn’t. Their relationship hasn’t gone past flirting and a one-night stand, and this is some heavy stuff. Nobody would open up about this kind of thing to just anyone, nonetheless someone who you haven’t been with for very long and hardly know.
However, I think they missed a golden opportunity to have Natalie and Crockett bond emotionally. We’ve obviously seen a physical connection between them, but if Mancel is going to last or have any kind of a real relationship, we need to see them connect emotionally. We need to see their relationship go beyond just kissing, flirting, and a one-night stand. This case would have been the perfect opportunity to show them bond emotionally, and I hope we get that chance again.
As for Chexton, they really surprised me this week. I didn’t think they would survive Ethan firing Noah, but it seems like they might. I think there’s hope for them yet. We got a tiny glimpse of what they used to have, and I hope we get that back again.
Logan: I don’t even think about Manstead as connected to each other anymore. The show has been steadily pulling them apart and I don’t see that changing anytime soon, unfortunately.
I think Will is trying to make good decisions but not quite seeing everything clearly. And I think Natalie is making decisions in an effort to protect herself.
As for Crockett, he’s revealed a lot to Natalie already and I think he’s hesitant to reveal anymore at the moment. I can hardly blame him. Being vulnerable isn’t easy and I think he’ll have to learn how to let Natalie in. Natalie was right not to push. Crockett should be allowed his privacy. So actually I think this episode benefitted them more than it hurt. It’s clear Natalie cares deeply about Crockett’s comfort and I think that’s going to go a long way with him. Growth can be painful and happen slowly, I think that’s what Crockett is going to be going through for the next few episodes. (And gosh did he ever make me cry.)
I was very surprised by Chexton this week! I felt for sure that April would be a bit resentful about Noah so I was very proud of her when she let him know she understood. The question is, can Ethan get past lying to the cops for her? He’s so straight laced that I’m worried about him letting that compromise get in his own way. But I do think, surprisingly, that Chexton still has a chance! Though, I wish the show would decide to get them together and keep them together! No more on again, off again ships! They’re not as exciting as television writers think they are.
Agree? Desagree? Don’t hesitate to share it with us in the comments below!
One Chicago airs Wednesdays on NBC.
