Chicago Fire 10×15 “The Missing Piece” is about exactly that, about finding the right fit. In life, and in work. The people at 51 are a family, and though they haven’t always gotten along, they still fit together in a way that just works. And if Casey is going to be replaced — Pelham is going to be replaced — then it has to feel right.
But this episode is also about more than that. It’s about how, sometimes, in life, you find that missing piece, that partner. That person you want to have next to you, at every step of the way. For Stella, that’s Kelly. For Sylvie, it’s Matt. And for Violet, it’s Evan.
Calling him Chief in bed aside, there’s something about Violet and Evan’s relationship that just feels …calm. That might sound boring, but there’s nothing quite like feeling confident enough in a relationship to just take things as they come. Especially for a person like Violet, who we’ve mostly seen in this weird possible relationship with Gallo that has always felt like adding fuel to the fire. Perhaps they could have fit together, but they would have needed to change. Violet and Evan fit without needing to try.
Stella, on the other hand, has a true partner in Kelly Severide. One she trusts with the small things and one she trusts with the big things. He’s there to be a sounding board, to more or less read her mind when she needs it to; he’s there to work side by side with her, and even when he isn’t there physically, he’s still always there. Because that’s love — it doesn’t need to be proven at every second.
In that sense, bringing Wendy Seager back around without doing anything more with her than, well, fire investigations, or reinforcing her platonic relationship with Severide, feels like a waste of time. We know Stellaride is solid, and Andy Allo deserves more than to continue to come back to smile at Severide. And though the vibe was way toned down this episode, she still didn’t get much more to do. So, what’s the point of her character?
Finally, there’s Sylvie and Matt, whose relationship feels a lot more fragile than the other two, by virtue of distance. They didn’t have a long time together to figure out who they were as a couple before Casey had to leave, and sustaining a long-distance relationship is hard. Love is the big moments, yes, but also the little ones. And missing all the tiny ones with the people you love, that sucks.
This makes Sylvie’s decision understandable. Yes, they probably could have survived long-distance for longer — they’ve done it for a while. But they weren’t thriving, and sometimes, you need that. To be with the person you love and thrive.
Just as Firehouse 51 needs to thrive, and Mason is their best shot at it. You know it, when you find the missing piece. You feel it. And Stella realized what the team, the Firehouse, was missing, was heart. Kindness. Generosity. It was Casey. And if Matt Casey can’t come back in person, then what they needed was not the best firefighter, but the person who was most like him.
Can’t say I see anything wrong with her reasoning.
Things I think I think:
- I’m so proud of Stella. So, so proud.
- But, like, the fade to black only works if we care about the character. It’s Seager.
- She referred to him as Chief IN BED. *screams*
- Yeah, this new girl is indeed a Gallo.
- The scenes with the women need to be a recurring thing.
- Don’t you just love how Kelly basically read Stella’s mind?
- THE WAY SYLVIE CALLED VIOLET OUT.
- And Stella’s face.
- It’s not even a nice try, Herrmman. That was way too obvious.
- Someone tell Severide he’s not a cop and he shouldn’t really be running after “suspects.”
- Violet having Sylvie’s back is very personal to me.
- Every time there’s a fire investigation, I’m like oh, I can go get snacks now.
- I feel like we got so many scenes with the women of CF because the three of them won’t be together for a while. But let’s keep this up, please.
- Herrmann is going to be insufferable, right?
- “I’m exactly where I want to be.”
- Damn right he is.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago Fire 10×15 “The Missing Place”? Share with us in the comments below!
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays on NBC.
