Chicago Fire 12×01 “Barely Gone” brings back Firehouse 51 and Kelly Severide, says goodbye to Blake Gallo, and prepares to say goodbye to Sylvie Brett in a way that makes sense for what this show has always been. Change is the one constant in life, and though this might be a TV show, in many ways, it’s also like a family. And like Boden says at the end “anyone who is a part of 51 will always be a part of 51.”
This includes Gallo, who leaves in the most painless way possible, to take care of his aunt, while hugging his two best friends close. It includes Brett, who will be leaving to be with Casey, Julia, and the boys because when you have a family, you give up things to be with them.
And it even includes Stellaride – the tension between them notwithstanding – because Kelly and Stella are here, together, putting their marriage first. And sometimes that takes time and work, but that doesn’t mean they don’t love each other.
So let us talk about who’s leaving, who’s staying, and what these changes mean as we discuss Chicago Fire 12×01 “Barely Gone”:
WE’RE IN IT TOGETHER
There’s a different vibe to the Stellaride dynamics this season, but that isn’t exactly a bad thing, all things considered. Sure, we would have rather the storyline where Kelly leaves and then ghosts his wife (how many times has One Chicago used the exact same storyline?) had never happened, but since it did, Chicago Fire is dealing with it in the best way possible.
First, with Kelly back where he belongs, with his wife. Second, with open communication about wants and fears. Severide clearly enjoys OFI and the work they do. Stella is clearly afraid that he could get swept up in it to the point where he will ignore everything else, including their marriage. These aren’t things we’re inferring; the show makes the characters state them to each other and makes it clear this isn’t the first time they’re having these conversations.
Severide is making a point to put his marriage first. So is Stella. That’s a positive thing, even if we are seeing these moments as a result of the nonsensical storyline from last season. In a way, we’ve wanted these two to have these conversations, to put intentionality behind their marriage, and to work together – not just in Firehouse 51, but in every respect.
Issues shouldn’t just be swept away because you love someone. Stella also basically ghosted Kelly, not that long ago (seriously, new ideas please!), and we didn’t really deal with the ramifications of that. So, to have the show dealing with these new dynamics, while making sure these two characters remain a unit, is very much a good thing. Stella and Kelly are still choosing each other, still putting each other first, and they’re now making a point to solve their problems instead of sweeping them under the rug and letting their love be the only thing that matters.
I’M GOING TO MISS MY 51 FAMILY
Blake Gallo gets about as good an exit as it’s possible to get – he’s moving away to be with family, he will still be doing what he loves, and he gets to hug it out with his best friends before leaving. And if we got a little emotional during that three-way hug, then so what? We’ve earned it.
Sylvie Brett, also gets the perfect setup to leave the show this season in Chicago Fire 12×01 “Barely Gone.” She, of course, said yes to Matt (something we would have liked to see!), and that means she and baby Julia are moving to Portland to be with Matt and the Dearden boys. But we’ll have a wedding first! That part makes sense, and it would have probably been Kara Killmer’s exit if she’d wanted to leave at the same time as Jesse Spencer, but she didn’t.
Considering how Chicago Fire has written out characters before, it’s hard to complain about either storyline. It’s of course, a change, and both characters will be missed. New dynamics will have to be created, and the show will indeed look very different when they’re both gone. But this is the way of long-running procedurals. And if the characters we love get to at least go out on a high note, well, that’s a win.
CHANGE IS INEVITABLE
Boden gets his moment near the end of the episode to put into words what this season is going to be like – and what the future of Firehouse 51, and the show, look like. And like always, Boden has just the words. Because change is indeed inevitable. It is the one thing in life we can count on.
That, however, doesn’t mean that the characters that have left, or even the ones we lost, are not important to Firehouse 51. No, as Boden makes clear, everyone who has ever been part of 51 will remain part of 51. That part won’t change. And that means the door is always open for those who can return, and the show (and the fans) don’t have to forget the ones that have been lost.
Whether the changes turn out to be good or bad, that’s on the writing. For now, going into Season 12, Chicago Fire might not be the show it was before, but it’s still an enjoyable procedural that showcases the good in people. And that’s worth tuning in for.
Things I think I think:
- LOOK, the shower scene is already one of my favorite scenes ever. That’s FIRE.
- That badly photoshopped picture Sylvie has in her locker is really cute.
- Okay, but I’m just supposed to ignore everything this show has told me about the timeline for the Dearden boys and be happy that Casey and Brett end up together, right? Because I thought Ben was looking at colleges, last we heard.
- We would have noticed the ring anyway, no need for the whole drama with the locker.
- “I basically had to fly to Alabama, put you in handcuffs, and drag you home.”
- I DEMAND FLASHBACKS.
- “It’s taken 6 months for us to even try to build back any kind of trust.” Ooof.
- Glad they’re not sweeping it under the rug, but it’s rough.
- As long as they keep working on it, though, I’m good.
- “I’m here, so are you. We’re in it together” is the vibe I want.
- Mouch is US.
- Can we get more Kylie? And that little moment with Severide? I GOT FEELINGS.
- Look, I see the Violet and Carver vibes and I just want to say no.
- In the end, Cruz was right. It all worked itself out.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago Fire 12×01 “Barely Gone”? Share with us in the comments below!
Chicago Fire airs on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.
I agree with a lot of what you have said here. Fire handled the time jump better than PD did. Overall, I did not enjoy this episode that much. The vibe of this episode didn’t sit right with me. Felt like a funeral frankly. It started with finding out that Sylvie will only be here for another 2-4 episodes maybe. I don’t like this decision at all. We lost Gallo, so we have a new firefighter to adjust to and now a new paramedic as well? I would have preferred that they introduce a new paramedic to start season 13 rather than now. Maybe they will use floaters for the remainder of this season after Sylvie leaves, we’ll have to see.
I would have preferred if Stella understood that Kelly got caught up with the fire investigations like she did when she got caught up with Girls on Fire instead of making it a thing. Dramas got to drama I guess. Also, while it is true Mouch brought Ritter to 51, an officer needed to have faith in Mouch’s judgment and take a chance on Ritter. Herman was the one who did that. Glad Ritter is staying with Herman.
I thought they short changed Gallo’s exit. I would have loved to have seen a scene with Gallo, Ritter and Violet hanging out in Violet’s apartment reminiscing, cracking jokes and engaging in the banter that I have loved with them. The hug they shared at 51 was a good way for him to go out.
I was so excited for the premiere however I didn’t feel the connection, after 6 long months the transition wasn’t there.
Seems like this season is gonna be full of changes, lots of new faces and a few goodbyes. I hope we dont lose Kelly just like we lost Gallo and soon Sylvie.