Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 10 Review: “Chaos Theory”

Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 10 “Chaos Theory” is a much stronger episode than “A Favor,” and we’re not just saying that because Stella Kidd is back. We, however, won’t deny that Miranda Rae Mayo’s presence makes everything better. In this hour, however, we finally get Cruz reaching out and asking for help, instead of burying his head in the sand. We also get to see the best version of Severide the friend and the leader, so all in all, a very good combination.

But the storylines in the background in this episode end up feeling a little disjointed. Sure, there’s always a plotline in Chicago Fire that’s more about fun than anything, so checkmark for the Ritter and Herrmann plot. There’s no resolution to it, though, and it never feels like it goes with the rest of the episode. However, it’s hard to tell where Chicago Fire is going with the Violet and Carver thing or the Stella plot. Hopefully somewhere, and hopefully Stella’s storyline is going to take us to the family plot we’d been promised, and also to revisit the kids’ conversation between her and Severide.

MORE: Is Chicago Fire Season 13 living up to our hopes for the show? Read on for more!

You are where you need to be

Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 10 — CHICAGO FIRE — “Chaos Theory” Episode 13010 — Pictured: Miranda Rae Mayo as Stella Kidd — (Photo by: Peter Gordon/NBC)

Stella has a pretty good storyline with the teacher of the school in one of the calls in this hour, Amy. She freezes up during the call at the school and feels responsible, which makes her reach out to Stella about Girls on Fire. But Stella advises her against it, realizing that she’s already great at what she does: being a teacher. She also tells her that the fact that she froze up is perfectly normal, making it clear that even if she’d be a great firefighter, she doesn’t need to drop what she is now just because she feels guilty.

It’s a nice storyline for Stella, it just feels like it’s setting up something else. There’s something about the way Amy talks about knowing Stella, and then when confronted by Stella about it, brings up Girls of Fire that feels a bit off. It’s not that she couldn’t know Stella just because of that, but it feels like might have a more personal connection with Stella that she isn’t disclosing just yet. And that, well… that’s more interesting than the nice moment they have in this episode.

MORE: How are we doing with what we wanted from Chicago P.D. this season?

Finally, Joe

Joe Cruz remembers who he is—or perhaps, more importantly, who he wants to be this hour. And it’s a great thing to see because the bad decision after bad decision thing was getting old. He not only goes to Severide, but he also reaches out to Kevin, which to us is like the perfect combination. However, even with Severide telling him he couldn’t have saved Flaco, it’s hard for Cruz to let go of a guilt he’s carried for years. It’s hard for him to believe this isn’t on him. As a firefighter, you try your best in every situation and Cruz feels like he didn’t. He let Flaco die.

And the thing is, he did what he did in this episode to protect his family, yes. But he should have gone to the police right away, and he should have gone to the hospital too. However, Cruz does the right thing later even though it would be easier to say nothing. Severide hands him a get-out-of-jail-free card, and he doesn’t take it. At the end of the hour, he tells Pascal it’s because he wants to be the man his son thinks he is, and that doesn’t fix everything he did wrong. That doesn’t make it all right. But it’s a good place to start. Just as this whole storyline is a good moment, in general, for a character that is all too often relegated to the sidelines.

Things I think I think:

Joe, listen to common sense. You are causing an even bigger problem.
I’ll take a nice Stellaride reunion scene every day of the week.
Look, Violet, it would be weird to make your boyfriend help Carver.
If Herrmann weren’t worried about actually being Captain, that would make no sense.
Pascal is always shifty. Like, I never know where we stand with him.
Cops *are* the problem.
Severide’s onto you, Joe.
Pascal’s onto you too, Joe.
I mean, Pascal is right, but why is he so into this?
Carver, don’t become friends with Violet’s boyfriend.
What did you do, Herrmann?
“I won’t be coming in next shift. I’m going to the police.”
Severide talking about “science” is hot.
SO IS CARVER AT THAT SCENE.
Awkward Violet and Carver with her boyfriend scene.
Kevin Atwater makes everything better, okay?
Did Cruz deserve to get out of this as easily as he did? Maybe NOT. But we’re not gonna complain.
Okay, what’s the deal with Amy? Because this storyline with Stella HAS to be about more.
TELL HERRMANN. He deserves to know.
I’m glad he at least got suspended.
“I want to be the man my son thinks I am.”

Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 10 ‘Chaos Theory’? Share with us in the comments below!

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

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Lissete Lanuza Sáenz

Lawyer. Writer. Editor. Former Senior Editor in charge of Features, Lists, and News at CBR. Freelancer at TV Guide & Remezcla. Eternal optimist. Fangirl since the dawn of time. Hates the color yellow, olives and cigarettes. Has a recurring nightmare where she’s forced to choose between sports and books. Falls in love with fictional characters.