‘Chicago Fire’ 11×07 Review: “Angry Is Easier”

Chicago Fire 11×07 “Angry Is Easier” is a very good episode of TV, one that celebrates and mourns at the same time. And one that keeps moving forward, because in life, there’s often no other path than that. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.

But in life, the good often comes with the bad in a way that, at times, is hard to understand. The wins are sometimes accompanied by loses, or by the possibility of loss. It’s unfair, but whoever said life was fair? If it wasn’t fleeting, then perhaps it wouldn’t be worth as much. If it lasted forever, maybe we wouldn’t appreciate it the way we do.

And yes, as Chicago Fire 11×07 “Angry Is Easier” tells us …anger is indeed easier than pain. It’s easier than love sometimes, too. Rage blinds you. It sustains you. It can even make you feel invincible, at least for a little while — as long as you can make it burn. But it cannot push you forward, it cannot make you grow. If you want to do that, you have to allow other feelings. Even if they’re not all positive. There’s no other way to move forward.

So yes, it’s scary for Stella to see her girls literally going out there, putting themselves in danger, being adults. But isn’t it like that for any parent or mentor? And yes, the thought of getting up every day is unthinkable for Violet, because grief isn’t something that dissapears overnight, even if you have found a way to get up in the mornings, to do your job, to smile at others.

But you do it. Day after day. It’s all …a journey. Life. Love. Letting people in, and then letting those people make their own decisions, live their own life, with all that entails. And the best way to get through the rollercoaster that is just living is to have people by your side. To have a family. Firehouse 51 is that. A broken family at that, one that has seen loss, way too much of it. But a family nonetheless.

Chicago Fire is anything but a perfect show, and it hasn’t always known how to handle character exits, and it has played the drama for the sake of drama way more times than we can be comfortable with. But sometimes, it can still make us feel like this family is worth investing in. Even if it will hurt us sometimes. Because, in the end, I think I’d rather have the memory of characters like Evan Hawkins than a show where those characters never got their moment to shine.

It’s a beautiful show that can create things that you don’t want to lose …and it’s a cruel show that takes them away from you. But to be able to take them away, they have to exist, don’t they? That’s the conundrum. That’s why it hurts.

So no, I don’t forgive you, Chicago Fire. But I’m still here, and that probably means something, doesn’t it? Now, don’t make me regret it.

Things I think I think:

• What’s cuter, Stella’s look of pride at the girls or Kelly’s look of pride at Stella?
• Or the “thanks babe”?
• OR Proud Papa Boden?
• That first call made got me progressively angrier by the second.
• It makes me mad to think there are probably real people who just have a beef with …first responders.
• Trudy cannot know about this means Trudy is gonna know about this in 0.2 seconds, right?
• M’am, placing your daughter’s choices on Stella is …not cool.
• First time I’m on Carver’s side, I ALSO wanted to punch that dude.
• Ritter getting a storyline …and with Stella? HAPPINESS.
• Everyone being rightfully afraid of Trudy is a MOOD.
• Stella’s overthinking is so real to me.
• I was fine until Violet started talking. I WAS fine.
• When she said “you can’t” …
• Angry is, indeed, easier. It just doesn’t really help long-term.
• Look, I’m really happy for Joe, truly …but that was solved pretty fast. Does that mean we don’t get more of Javi?

Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago Fire 11×07 “Angry Is Easier”? Share with us in the comments below!

Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.