Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 19 ‘Exit Point’ finally gets into the meat of the Hopkins vs. Severide story, and it does so by taking the next step we’d been putting off for a few episodes: Severide has been reported to Internal Affairs, and his promotion is now on pause, pending the investigation.
We knew it was coming, and it’s still kinda silly to see it come to life. Mostly because it’s so obviously retaliation and so obviously something previous Chiefs allowed and sometimes encouraged Severide to do that, it feels kinda silly of the show to expect us to take it as seriously as they do. But here we are, and the plot demands we worry about Severide’s job. So worry we will, I guess. The season finale is near! We need a big storyline to carry us there.
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I WILL FIGHT THIS
Severide comes out swinging during ‘Exit Point,’ of course. He’s not the type of man who was ever going to take something like this lying down in any circumstance, but especially not after he just decided he actually cared about leading 51. Ironically, it’s not just about his job or about working with Stella or even about proving that he’s not Benny; a lot of what Severide is feeling now is actually about 51.
If Chief Hopkins has proven anything, it’s that he’s not a good actor. He won’t have 51’s back in bad times, because he cannot even have their back in good times. And though we never expected the man to live up to Boden, we thought he could at least rise to early Pascal levels. Turns out we were wrong. Hopkins is so focused on his vendetta that he’s forgetting how to be a good Chief.
No part of what he’s doing is right, but that is perhaps the worst of it, particularly for a first responder. He doesn’t have to like Severide. He doesn’t have to want to work with him. But that the Chief is willing to break up one of the best firehouses in the CFD just to get revenge on a dead man says a lot about him. And we haven’t even gone into the fact that it’s likely Severide has more reasons to hate Benny than Hopkins does!
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WE DO THIS TOGETHER
The best thing about ‘Exit Point’ is that it brings back Stella and Kelly as a unit. We’ve gotten very little of them this season, and particularly since the Isaiah storyline ended. And sure, this isn’t the personal storyline we’ve been waiting for the show to develop, but it still centers on what Chicago Fire does best: personal relationships. And there’s no better dynamic on this show than Stella and Kelly.
When Stella says they’ll fight Hopkins and the investigation together, it’s not a surprise. For Severide or for us. But it’s still the kind of thing that, for someone who went so many years without a real family, with a father like Benny, is pretty good to hear. Kelly has had a partner for years at this point. He’s had support. He’s also had 51. But sometimes, when things get hard, it’s easy to default to doing things on your own.
Kelly Severide doesn’t have to do that. And though this storyline doesn’t have a conclusion, not yet, it’s clear that he’ll have everyone’s backing when push comes to shove. And it’s also clear that a man who’s willing to fight this hard for his firehouse, not just because he wants to lead it, but because he wants the best for every person in the building, well… that’s the man who should be leading 51. It always has been.
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Things I think I think:
- We so needed a scene with Kelly and Stella.
- How is this a serious accusation? No, but really. It’s kinda absurd. How can Hopkins say he didn’t ask for permission when he wasn’t even there before? Boden said go! Pascal said go!
- My lawyer brain is breaking. This is so easy to fight. Everyone’s acting like it isn’t, but this is a bureaucratic issue, not a fire someone issue.
- Like, if it wasn’t cleared with HQ, isn’t that as much on Boden and Pascal as it is on Severide?
- Yes, write a book, Mouch.
- “You break the rules, you pay the consequences.”
- Love Stella and Kelly talking things out.
- “So this is retaliation.”
- Stella saying, “Maybe I can”? I’m not okay.
- “Let’s you and me do this together.”
- Mouch, I’m sorry, but I hate it.
- How does this all work without an ambulance?
- Stella is a very good Lieutenant.
- The way she says “Kelly,” and he understands.
- Lucy going to Stella was good.
- “It’s not on you.”
- She’s gonna beat herself up about it, isn’t she?
- Need 57 gifs of Stella’s face at Hopkins after she basically was like “we’re all gonna have Kelly’s back.”
- I mean, honestly, what did he expect? That’s Severide’s wife!
- Just saying, it would have been better not to use Stella’s name, either.
- There are always so few people in the firehouse these days, it’s funny. I mean, not actually. But funny in a TV way.
- Kelly always ends up having to play fire cop.
- Lucy’s gonna help! Lucy’s gonna help!
- Can we keep her for next season?
- How’s what Hopkins saying gonna make it so that Severide wants to solve the case? Does he really not care about anything?
- It’s missing heart, Mouch! It’s missing heart!
- Appreciate Cruz wanting to help, but sometimes people don’t want help. You can’t help anyone who doesn’t want to be helped.
- Glad they solved the case, but they always do.
- Cruz talking about Otis got to me.
- “You’re not in it alone.”
- Now it’s good, Mouch!
- “So you’re saying OFI can shield me.”
- That’s 100% not what Severide wants.
- Is Hopkins having a moment? Because I don’t think he is.
- Lucy, you helped!
- That’s… a file. A thick file.
- I hate that it ended like that, and we only have 2 episodes to go.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 19 ‘Exit Point’? 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.
