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!
Chicago Fire made us cry. And it was kind of sad for Brettsey. Have you changed your mind since last week? Are they writing Brettsey off or are they just showing the difficulties of a long-distance relationship? Severide has a drink again, without Stella… and with another woman. Do you like this? Do you think it’s something innocent and are we exaggerating or could there be something here?
Raquel: Brettsey broke my heart but not for the reasons you are probably thinking. Sylvie was so happy, so content, so eager to see Matt, she was smiling every time she remembered that she would see him in a few hours and I cried along with her when that couldn’t be but, still, I didn’t change my mind one iota from last week’s roundtable: Brettsey are endgame and together, just waiting for Jesse to get back on the show.
I think they are showing the difficulties of a long-term relationship. That is, a relationship brings with it many difficulties, ups and downs, it’s just how relationships are. But that’s what it’s all about, the effort, the commitment to be together no matter what. A distance relationship multiplies all of that by two. This wasn’t going to be an easy ride and it wouldn’t have been if Matt was in Chicago. We would probably be seeing other types of difficulties but there would be curves in the way.
This long-distance relationship storyline is a bit forced by circumstances but, in the grand scheme of things, nothing changed. Only some problems were replaced by others. That means that once they decide to tell a long-distance relationship, they must tell it for real. The beautiful moments like letters, calls, feeling the other so close even though they are far away … but also the bad moments like life being a bitch, the way they miss each other, what these changes affect them and what who suffers for them. The high moments… and the low moments.
Brettsey is still a relationship and it’s… it’s just what it’s all about, not just on tv but in real life. What makes Brettsey so special is that they have never stopped telling us all the phases of a relationship. We saw tender moments, but also hard moments, jealousy, doubts … but here we are now. Here they are, together. Because no matter what happens, no matter what doubts they have or how hard it is, they are committed to being together, to strive for it. That is what we are seeing now.
We can only see Brett’s part of this story for obvious reasons but it’s still what we are seeing. Also, honestly, if they wanted to write Brettsey off, they would have already done so. It’s so easy. It was so easy and still is. But Matt Casey, the man who is not very knowledgeable in words, wrote a love letter to Sylvie, he told her that he loved her over the phone and they are going to spend all Christmas together. This is the opposite of writing Brettsey off, it’s the way to put up with them until they can get back together physically.
“Things are different but we’re still us.” I think that phrase says it all. It’s the writers talking to us. Everything is different now, it has to be that way, but they are still them, Brettsey is still a reality … and they will be forever.
I don’t like this Severide business with this woman at all. At all. And much less after seeing how she looks at him, I think she likes Severide and he’s an idiot who doesn’t realize it and that it is not okay to go out for drinks twice with another woman when he is TAKEN. I mean, what the hell are you doing, Severide? Open your eyes and realize.
Lizzie: I’ll start with Severide, because I just don’t think Severide is thinking about it the way we, as women, might be thinking about it. He wasn’t even flirting back — if that’s even what Wendy was doing — he was just being Severide. And since he doesn’t have eyes for anyone but Stella, he is at that point when he isn’t even aware of any other possibility. It’s kinda cute, if a bit frustrating as a viewer. We just need Stella back, okay?
But also, Severide should probably mention the engagement. That’d be good.
As for Brettsey, I’m still on the same train as before, and haven’t wavered one bit. This isn’t being written as a goodbye. We aren’t meant to forget about the relationship. In fact, Matt is sending LOVE LETTERS, and they’ve got a catchphrase now, so we’re definitely meant to still believe in it and keep it alive. That much is obvious. Now, what they can do going forward will depend on many things, like availability, but they’re setting themselves up to continue Brettsey and to make sure, we, as the viewers, still care about the possibility of getting more Brettsey on our screens.
We just have to trust now. Trust that what they’ve built is strong enough to hold.
Lyra: Look, it’s ok to have drinks with friends, even if they’re guys. What’s not ok is flirting with your guy “friend” when you know he’s with someone else. And moves like this are stereotypical bullshit that boil down women’s characters to just objects that men have to decide over which is better. I don’t like it and never will.
As for Brettsey …I’m trying to have hope. I’m trying to see the good in it all. But how long could this logically last without his coming back? How long until writers get bored and shelve this ship because they want to give Sylvie another romance? Personally, I think it would be amazing to explore the complexities of what long-distance relationships are made of. I want them to continue doing it. I think they’re trying. But…this is TV we’re talking about and I’m in a mood where I’m like…will it really last on a show that is a drama? Short term, yes. But come season’s end, if nothing changes, I might start worrying.
That was tough, Chicago PD! What do you think of that Upstead exchange? Are things worse, better, or the same as the last few weeks? Do you still have hope? Why do you think Jay is so mad? Tell us all your Upstead feels after watching the episode.
Raquel: That was hard and heartbreaking and almost cruel… but it was nothing. That is, things have not exploded yet, a much more explosive and emotional discussion between them is missing. I think things are the same as before, only now we saw some of them and we see first-hand how things are.
Jay is very hurt and confused right now. He doesn’t know what to believe, what to think, or even what to feel because he feels so many things at the same time that everything is… overwhelming. He’s not even sure who Hailey is right now. He’s still in this phase of denial, he’s thinking that the Hailey that he fell in love with would never have lied to him like that and that is why she tells him that she is still her. Because the Hailey who kept everything from him and the Hailey he fell in love with, his fiancée, are the same.
She just did … she tried to do what she believed best at the time, partly influenced by Voight, partly trying to avoid the fatal outcome. And then she didn’t know how to handle it and she was afraid of losing Jay and that led her to hide it more and more and more until everything became as big as a snowball … and as unmanageable as one. And, as always with secrets, it all came out. But she is still her … she is the same.
And that’s part of the reason for Jay’s anger, not having seen what was happening and having allowed this abusive behavior from Voight for so many years … until it directly affected Hailey, Kim, them, every one.
So Jay opts for silence. Why silence? Because he is not sure of almost anything at this point but he is sure that he wants to continue in Hailey’s life. Jay is sure that no matter how angry or disappointed he is, how he feels about Hailey and the future he wants with her has not changed. He continues to live with her, he continues to sleep in the same bed as her, he continues to be her partner in all aspects. He didn’t break up with her because no matter what happens, the future that he wants to live next to her is something that is not going to change.
So silence seems like the best option partly because he needs time to really talk about everything and partly because he’s afraid to say something that will take Hailey away from his side. So I guess that answers the hope thing (wink, wink.)
I also think that what I said covers everything I think about the scene. There is still much to come but … the important thing is don’t change a bit.
Lizzie: I mean, was it, though? Like, I don’t like to see them argue, but this was exactly the follow-up convo we needed. It shows they did talk, and this is the continuation of that. One talk cannot fix a problem like this one. It shouldn’t.
And yes, Jay is upset. Even from someone who adores Hailey, I think we gotta allow Jay time and space to be upset. The woman he loves lied to him. She hid a big secret from him, something that was tearing her apart inside. Something that could have gotten her hurt. Because Hailey wasn’t really up to being on the field with how little she was sleeping and how much what she did to Roy was weighing on her. And so that weighs on Jay. He doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t know how to fix it. He doesn’t know how to feel better. And of course he doesn’t, the situation is still ongoing. He might know now, but that doesn’t solve anything does it?
But also, anger, frustration, those aren’t inherently bad things. If Jay didn’t let himself feel any negative emotions, then he wouldn’t be the man we want for Hailey, because someone who doesn’t feel the negative emotions can’t feel the positive ones either. Love, a healthy relationship, isn’t about never feeling upset or feeling bad things. It’s about the willingness to work though those feelings, it’s about not taking it out on the person you love, even if they did wrong. And Jay isn’t. He isn’t yelling at her, he isn’t trying to hurt her, he’s just …silent. Processing. And silence hurts, but he also deserves some time to process his feelings. Hailey got her time, even if her silence was hurting him.
As for Hailey, well, of course she wants to fix this. Confronting Jay was the right thing to do. They had to talk about it, because Jay’s silence, as much as it was the only thing he could manage, wasn’t really doing anything. And she doesn’t know what to do anymore than he knows what to do, but they’re there. Trying. Talking. That’s not worse than when he didn’t know. That’s not worse than when she didn’t dare to approach him. That’s infinitely better.
I don’t just have hope. In a way, I don’t even like the question. Hope? Why do I need hope? They’re together. They’re trying. They’ve chosen each other, again and again. As partners, and as more than that. The choice isn’t everything, of course, but the choice is almost as important — if not more important than love. You can love someone, but you still have to choose them. Choose to try, in good times and bad times. And that’s what Upstead did this episode, again. Choose each other. Affirm that they will choose each other, even when things are at their lowest. Even when neither of them knows how to get out of the gutter. And I think that’s beautiful. If they’re still together after this, if they’re still holding on, what can break them apart? I don’t know that anything can, or will.
Lyra: Upstead is going through some shit right now but they’ll be fine. Lies happen and at least they didn’t break up. If anything this is going to make them stronger as a couple and as people. They will learn from their mistakes and will handle similar situations, because you know it’s gonna continue getting complicated, with new eyes at each other’s side.
In this episode of Chicago Med Will and Stevie grow up separately, do you still like how they are developing them individually? Do you miss any scenes between them?
Raquel: Yes, I still like the growth of both characters a lot and I think it is necessary, not only so that we can love them individually and we can see how they fit together but also because it’s just what they both need right now.
But I would be lying if I said that I didn’t miss a conversation between them, a fight, or, at least, that they shared the same living space. I don’t know … SOMETHING. Med, you have to give me something about the two of them in every episode. Deal? Deal.
Lizzie: Will and Stevie? This episode was about Stevie and Dylan and that needs to be brought up. Sure, they seem to be setting up something with Will, but it’s been seven episodes. Nothing is set in stone. And I quite like her dynamics with Dylan in general too, because I also really like Dylan. All in all, I’m not anywhere near to ship Stevie — who I really like — with anyone yet.
But I do love what the show is doing with Will Halstead. It’s making me remember what I loved about the character in the first place, how hard he went at everything, how invested he became. Now, I know the next episode will see him and Stevie working together, so that might be the thing I need to be convinced ship-wise. But right now …I’m just happy to see Will getting to work on himself for a bit.
Lyra: I’m about growth right now. Gimme more of that and we’ll come back to these two and their chemistry later. And I’d like to check out some new people, test the waters. Maybe it is a little too early to be like, “Are they my next forever ship?” Not all the time, but maybe his time.
Agree? Desagree? Don’t hesitate to share it with us in the comments below!
One Chicago airs Wednesdays on NBC.