Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 10 ‘Carry A Torch‘ does a pretty good job of moving things forward in a way that feels authentic. Sometimes the hardest thing for a show like this one is creating conflict week after week without it feeling like you’re treading on the same ground, or like the characters are acting in ways they never would.
In that respect, ‘Carry A Torch’ does a pretty good job of building on Herrman’s frustration with Mouch being gone, on the frankly weird love triangle, wait, quadrangle, going on between Lizzie, Vasquez, Violet, and Frost, and on the issues between Stella and Kelly. It doesn’t resolve all. In fact, it barely resolves anything, even if it does give us a long-awaited conversation. But the conflicts don’t come out of nowhere, and people’s reactions feel true to who they are.
When it comes to Stella and Kelly, however, the show really does need to figure out what comes next. Though I’ll take what feels like a moment of realization from Stella and that conversation at the end as a giant step forward. We wanted that. We needed it. Now, we can finally move on and start building something new.
MORE: Here’s the review of the last episode of Chicago Fire.
COMMUNICATION
Stella and Kelly have been so good at communication for so long that it’s kinda weird to see them struggling so much to talk to each other. Part of it seems to be that, for a long time, neither of them has really understood what they feel enough to discuss it. Both had, after all, avoided really dealing with the underlying feelings brought on by Stella’s miscarriage. And part of it is that they have two very different ways of processing.
This translates to Kelly shutting down and Stella having to push her way in, as she herself tells Violet. Except this time, Stella is just… tired. She’s struggling herself. She can’t be the one to push her way in, because what she needs is for Kelly to push his way in. Or at the very least, to try to meet her in the middle.
Kelly, meanwhile, has been too stuck on the Van Meter thing to do just that. But he sees it. He sees her. He understands something is going on with her, but he just doesn’t know what to do about it. The dynamics have been flipped, and that’s left them a little adrift.
But at the end of the episode, as Van Meter finally wakes up and gets to be with his family, it all clicks for Kelly. He’s been avoiding his feelings, but he doesn’t want to do that anymore. He wants to be with his family, too. Just as Stella wants to be with him.
They both want to build this thing together. And that starts with talking about how much things hurt. It starts with admitting that they’re not okay. That they both lost something, and that no matter how much they try to bury it, it’s tearing them apart. Because they wanted it. Because they still want it.
It’s not a fix, of course it’s not. And it’s not the end. They don’t have the family they dream of having quite yet. They haven’t even really discussed what they do want. But it is the first step towards healing, and I’m so very happy to see them take it, together.
MORE: Chicago Fire failed the Stellaride pregnancy storyline. What next?
A BRAND NEW ROMANCE
The weird love vibes between Lizzie, Vasquez, and Violet continue this episode, but you add John Frost to the equation, and it’s all a little more balanced… or unbalanced? Because the thing is, I would have said that Vasquez was indeed kinda flirting with Lizzie at first. And there seems to be a vibe with Violet now. But nothing has really been said. Still, if Stella is catching the vibes, it’s because there are vibes.
Lizzie and Frost, however, that’s a thing. We know it is. It started on Chicago Med, and it’s now happening in Chicago Fire. And though a romance between two shows is hard to sustain in the long run, it is indeed fun while it’s going on. The thing is, it made a lot more sense when it felt like something that was leading to Lizzie and Vasquez, not now that it seems the show is trying to sell me Vasquez and Violet.
Not that they don’t have chemistry, it’s just that it’s been 0.2 seconds since Carver. And Violet has had way too many of her storylines be about the different men in her life, so I was kinda looking forward to getting something else from her, and letting Lizzie take this romance. Plus, there’s the possible complication this could bring to the friendship between Violet and Lizzie, something I would absolutely hate.
Let’s see where this is going. For now, I’m not too into it. Well, except for the Lizzie and Frost part. I’m digging that, even if it doesn’t feel like it’s built to last.
MORE: Remember the last One Chicago crossover? Here’s our review!
Things I think I think:
- I like Lizzie and Frost, not gonna lie.
- I’m glad Isaiah is doing well, but when are you guys gonna talk?
- Since when is Herrmann positive?
- Stella clocking Violet, lol.
- Not shocked about Vasquez’s dad.
- Stella is so good with people.
- Oh, she’s pregnant. Oh, no.
- Stella, do you feel like the universe is speaking at this point?
- At least Kelly sees it.
- “Is everything okay with those two?”
- Okay, but where is the Van Meter storyline going?
- Vasquez, your dad is trouble. Stay away.
- Yeah, yeah, Stella… tell Violet. TELL VIOLET.
- “Anything you want to talk about?”
- I love it when the women in this show talk.
- “I hope the views were worth it,” indeed.
- “You can’t play a player”?
- VIOLET, WHY ARE YOU SO HAPPY ABOUT LIZZIE AND FROST?
- Ugh, and Vasquez is indeed gonna go Sherlock Holmes on this.
- I cannot explain how little I care about Vasquez’s dad.
- Cindy!!!
- Yeah, Stella. You want that.
- Cruz is trying to be a good friend, and I appreciate it. I just also miss Mouch.
- Please tell me this storyline with Vasquez’s dad is done, because I’m done with it.
- “Made me want to be with my family. And that’s you.” I’M CRYING.
- “Maybe I rushed into fostering so fast because I just thought that it would make all the feelings about losing the baby go away. And it didn’t.”
- “There’s nothing wrong with you. And I’m not okay. Not by a long shot.” Look at Kelly using his words.
- “You can show me that.” Yes, tell him, Stella! You don’t need to be strong for her.
- “I really think the only way we are gonna be okay, is if we can be not okay together.”
- I’m gonna rewatch this scene 37 times now.
- CARVER.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 10 ‘Carry A Torch’? Share with us in the comments below! And if you have your own opinion on the show, leave a review/rating on our Chicago Fire hub!
Chicago Fire airs on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.
