Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 11 Review: Violet Does Deserve the Best

Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 11 ‘Frostbite Blue‘ brings back Sam Carver and sets up a path ahead for Severide that doesn’t exactly look like the one we expected. It’s a good episode, one that gives us clarity ahead, and yet it’s also an episode about adjusting to changes. The ones we’ve already had thrown at us and the ones that might be coming.

That holds true both for trading Carver for Vasquez in basically even respect, and what this Van Meter storyline means for Severide, as well as the repercussions of what happens there. ‘Frostbite Blue’ might not be the midseason finale, but it is the first episode this season to truly give us a clear idea of what this show is planning for the future. And honestly? We’re kind of into it. Well, at least when it comes to Stellaride.

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THE WOMEN OF CHICAGO FIRE

We don’t get a lot, but the moments we get with Stella, Violet, and Lizzie in this hour do so much to help ground the show in a different way than what we’ve gotten to see for the past few years. Because friendship has always been at the center of the stories Chicago Fire has to tell, but from the beginning, the show has centered male friendships more than anything. It was, after all, built around Casey and Severide.

Now, Casey is gone, but the focus remains in many ways on the male friendships. Herrman and Mouch. Severide and Cruz. And yes, sometimes, Lizzie and Violet, but the show spends a fair bit of time on their romantic relationships and not as much on the two as friends. It’s even throwing a man in the middle of them this season! So, getting a few scenes to ground this hour in the friendship between those two, and then adding Stella, only helps the show.

Chicago Fire has done a better job of it this season, too. We’ve seen Stella and Violet talk a little bit about Severide, and last season, they talked a little bit about Carver. Still mostly talking about the men in their lives, but that part feels true. You would talk to your friends! It’s not like they can fit a lot of chitchat into the 40-minute runtime. We won’t actually need them to. We just need this continuity, and for the show to, every once in a while, have a storyline that’s about them and them alone.

We’ve taken some steps in the right direction, and it already shows. Now, I just want more. Greedy, I know. But now I actually believe the show can do it.

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VIOLET DESERVES THE BEST

If there’s one thing I’m not loving is how messy Chicago Fire has made Violet’s love life basically ever since Hawkins died. And the thing is, the Gallo of it all I understood. The two of them never seem liked they were meant to last, so ending that was the right call. But with Hawkins, there was something. That could have worked if the show hadn’t decided to go another direction. And then came Carver. And I will admit it took me a bit, but eventually… it felt like that was it. The show had found Violet’s person.

Of course, the network TV gods giveth and then taketh away, because we didn’t even have Carver all that long, and we barely got any of Carver and Violet together, and then we had to say goodbye to them in heartbreaking fashion. And the thing is, we didn’t get anything remotely resembling closure. So seeing Sam again wasn’t exactly a surprise. But it was still kinda weird considering the show has already established Violet’s next ship, even if Violet (and us) have yet to move on from the previous one. And we’re still not really on board with the new one, no matter how many right things Vasquez is saying.

The problem with Vasquez and Violet isn’t actually Vasquez. He’s fine, even if we’re far from truly caring about him. He’ll likely grow on us, though, as Carver did. And it’s not Violet, because we love her. It’s that the show set it up as a quasi love triangle with Vasquez in the middle, and we don’t care about him enough to want him in the middle of Lizzie and Violet. Their friendship is so much more important to us.

And then there’s Carver, and it’s honestly hard to watch this episode and think that’s a thing that’s over. Violet clearly still has feelings. Carver clearly still has feelings. And yet… that’s not what’s happening, because of mysterious, probably budget-related reasons. So, instead, we have to say goodbye to the possibility and mourn what we could have had. And we’re not going to lie, it hurts. And it will continue to hurt, because we don’t really have closure. We just have… Violet moving on, or trying to. And even if we didn’t hate the ending as much as we thought we would. We also just… don’t love it. Not right now.

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YOU’RE NOT FAMILY

‘Frostbite Blue’ sets up a path ahead for Severide that we always kind of knew was a possibility, but that never really seemed to be what Severide wanted. OFI as his final destination? Severide outside of the Firehouse? It sounds absurd, but then again… that’s life.

Things change. No, wait, there’s another word. Things evolve. And this Severide, well… the things he wants might not be as clear-cut as he would have thought five years ago. We saw that last episode. In fact, we’ve been seeing it for a while.

Because this Severide wants a family. And wouldn’t that be easier if both he and Stella weren’t out there every day, putting out fires? The answer is obvious. But not just that, he genuinely enjoys fire investigations. And if ‘Frostbite Blue’ makes one thing clear is that Van Meter won’t be back at OFI, not full-time. Who better to take his place, long-term, than Severide?

What does that mean for Severide? Is this something he’s even considered? It’s hard to tell yet, but the door is open for something else. Something that’s not just Squad and the daily grind. Something that allows him and Stella to want more. And the way he got there with Van Meter, so different from how he could never get there with his father, well… that means something too. It means a lot.

MORE: Here is the review for the Chicago Fire midseason finale and the midseason premiere!

Things I think I think:

• The couple that runs together, stays together.
• “What has that place done to you?”
• Mouch, I’m so glad to see you.
• Glad to see Van Meter doing better, honestly. But dude, you need to rest.
• “Since when do I trust someone else to finish my cases. Besides you.”
• I like Violet asking Lizzie her opinion. That’s what you do.
• Vasquez really switched from Lizzie to Violet really quickly.
• And later, Stella, Lizzie, and Violet? I would love more of this.
• “OMG, he’s here.” Violet, that’s… it says a lot.
• Carver’s face.
• ALSO, THE BEARD.
• It works for you, Sam. Never shave.
• There are four people in the firehouse, it’s so funny, budget cuts are a b**tch.
• LOL, the lawyer needs their help. I mean, he can probably help Herrmann. We’re all thinking it.
• Carver clocking the chemistry between Violet and Vasquez was… something.
• “We don’t get to choose who we help. We answer the call.”
• Severide, you went waaaay too hard.
• What’s up with Van Meter? Does he not remember? Does he need a replacement? Because we see where this might be going, too.
• Wow, Van Meter. “You’re not family.” Wow. Gut punch.
• “Violet has been through hell in the past. And she deserves the best.” I mean, he’s not wrong.
• Stella with the good advice. And Kelly coming to his wife to talk things over.
• Two scenes of Stella, Violet and Lizzie? I dreamed of times like this.
• See, lawyers are good!
• Mouch just wants to go home too.
• Good pep talk, Herrmann. Good pep talk.
• Is the thing with Severide how we get Mouch back?
• Severide coming up with a great option for Van Meter, I love it.
• Stella sees you, Violet. She SEES YOU.
• I’m glad you took a step back, Violet. I’m glad.
• “Just so you know, I’m not Carver.” That’s actually the best thing you’ve said. Not worth a kiss, but the best thing you’ve said.

Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 11‘Frostbite Blue’? 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.