Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 12 Review: ‘Relief Cut’

Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 12 ‘Relief Cut’ is an episode about Stellaride and it’s also an episode about how, sometimes, the only thing you can do in life is live. Sounds very obvious, but we often get caught up on existing, day in and day out. Even when we’re happy. Even when, like Stella, we have a job we love and a husband we adore. We exist, and we don’t rock the boat. Sometimes we even let our fears define what we do. We don’t challenge the status quo. Because that’s what’s easier.

Living life, actually living it, doing the scary things that mean living life to the fullest, even if that leaves you trembling in fear… well, that’s another thing. And in ‘Relief Cut’ we see a Stella that finally takes a long look at what she’s got and decides she wants more. She wants to try to push through her fears and go for the thing she deep down wants, even if she never thought she could get it. And for her… that’s a family. A real family, of her own.

MORE: Stellaride shined in the crossover! We discuss how here.

I DON’T CONTROL HER

The thing with Cole in Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 12 ‘Relief Cut’, Stella’s cousin, is so hilarious because it’s so wrong. To think that Stella’s husband could be keeping her from her family is to not know Stella. Simple as that. And sure, she might have been very bad at keeping in touch with her family in the past few years, but that’s not on Kelly. That’s on her, and on the job she has, on her fears, and also… in some ways, on the fact that Stella has never been without a family.

In this episode, Stella decides that she wants her own family with Kelly, and part of that is recognizing what family is, its importance, and what she wants to build. Part of it is, of course, that she had a very close call last episode, and those kinds of close calls make you take a look at your life and your choices. But there’s also just the fact that the thing she fears, is, in many ways, something she already had experience with. And though that experience shaped her fears, that experience also shows she can do it.

As Cole tells Kelly in this episode, Stella, even a young Stella, already took care of him, his mom, and his brother, of everyone, particularly after her aunt had postpartum depression. She’s been the big sister/motherly figure she didn’t seem to believe she could be. The rest, well, the rest was all about Stella getting out of her own way and letting herself want. That doesn’t mean this is happening right away, but it is the first step.

MORE: How are we doing on the list of things we wanted to see from Season 13 of Chicago Fire?

I WANT A FAMILY WITH YOU

We figured it was coming, and in Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 12 ‘Relief Cut’ we finally get Stella exteriorizing that she wants to start a family with Kelly. And the reason we figured it was coming was that Stella’s issues with it didn’t seem to be that she didn’t want kids, it was more about fear. Fear because of the job they do. Not just that, but fear of being left behind when/if she got pregnant. Or losing her edge. Fear of not being respected as a Lt. All valid fears, but fears nonetheless.

Some women don’t want kids, and it’s important to remember that’s as valid as wanting kids. Just as it’s totally valid to want kids, but to not want to get pregnant, particularly in the position Stella is in. But for her, the issue that was keeping her from this decision was more about being afraid, and she’s the kind of person who runs into fires. So she can face this fear. That’s what she does all the time.

And the thing about Stella is that she’s got a family at 51. She’s got a family that she thought she couldn’t reach out to but turns out she does. And she’s got a partner who has her back, 100%. One who understands why she might not want to get pregnant. One who is willing to go on this journey with her, no matter what the journey looks like. No, one who’s happy to do it, because family is what they create.

Together.

MORE: Did the things we wanted to see from Season 12 of Chicago P.D. come true?

Things I think I think:

Kelly Severide is such a wife guy these days, and I mean that in the best possible way you can use that term. Instead of being like “It makes no sense to move this nightstand,” he literally says sure. Good man.
Kylie, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you!
Is Herrmann going to get one of those bracelets?
Stella giving Ritter a pep talk was good.
I love it when Herrmann is fighting people.
Carver and Ritter is GOOD too. I got Firehouse 51 feels.
“You’ve been keeping Stella from us for too long.”
And Kelly being like “I don’t control her.” He’s 100% right. No one does.
People STEAL hydrants? Whaaat?
I adore Kelly telling Stella what Cole said right away. It’s been a while since I’ve just sat here and gushed about their communication, but… communication!!
“As long as you weren’t cutting the breaks”? Who says that?
“What if we go undercover?!”
Pascal being nice weirds me out.
“It’s on me, Cole.”
Fine, causing means well. I’m glad Stella set him straight. And it was good for her to realize that she has family, even if she made mistakes.
Kelly is the perfect husband in this episode, I love him so much. The way he looks at his WIFE.
Look, Ritter, he’s right. If you can’t see a future with him, why are you wasting time?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Lizzy Novak, you are the best.
Herrman and Kylie saving the day with the hydrants was a pretty good storyline.
Carver, baby. Let me hug you.
See Herrmann, you can be a politician.
There’s also the fear of postpartum depression for Stella, and that’s a valid fear.
“I am not sure that I want to get pregnant, but I am sure that I want a baby with you.”
They’d be PERFECT adoptive parents, truly.
My feelings have feelings.

Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 12 ‘Relief Cut’? 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.