Abhiroop Das
Co-created by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’ ends its fourteenth season with a number of ambiguities purposefully left unresolved. The finale, titled ‘Thank You,’ spans over three days of various ups and downs for the Firehouse 51 family, with each character taking some time out of their busy schedule to reflect on their journey thus far. Hermann and Cindy, having put their all into rebuilding their house after the tragedy early on in the season, decide to renew their vows in a grand celebration, whereas Vasquez considers rejoining the police academy and fulfilling his childhood dream.
The most pressing cliffhanger, however, comes from Severide’s side of the story. In the penultimate episode, he learns that there is a promotion up and waiting for him in the Office of Fire Investigation, better known as OFI. However, to claim the title of OFI Captain, Severide must bid Firehouse 51 goodbye, which is a decision that has the potential to shake the procedural drama series to its very core. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Severide is Implied to be Considering the OFI Job Before the Fire Breaks Out
Towards the end of ‘Chicago Fire’ season 14, Severide decides whether he wants to stay with Firehouse 51 or lead OFI as a captain, but we never learn what his answer actually is. Before he can reveal his choice to Dom, a fire emergency demands his attention, as well as that of his entire crew. That, however, marks the last time we see this topic as the building complex fire turns out to be far ghastlier than anyone could have predicted, and soon gives way to an inferno that traps everyone in one place. Given this cliff-hanger finish, just about everyone’s life is at stake, and the show doubles up on the tension by giving us a peek into the families of every firefighter who is currently affected. While the sequence is ominous as is, Severide is less likely to have a fatal conclusion, given how much the show has in store for him.
Throughout the season finale, Severide debates between landing a high-profile job at OFI and maintaining the status quo as one of the pillars of Firehouse 51. While the former offers him a chance to wield a lot more decision-making power on a systemic level, the latter space is where he has built up his entire life, career, and relationships. As such, the episode punctuates every major sequence by positing an argument for one side or another, with Isaiah landing the decisive comment. Just when Stella seems convinced that sticking to the firehouse is best for her husband, Isaiah brings up how much safer Severide would be in a desk job. It is an argument that Severide doesn’t defend against for the rest of the episode, which means that when Dom asks Severide for his choice, it is most likely leaning towards the OFI position.
Severide’s Response to the Season Finale Fire Will Decide Whether He Stays or Goes
While Severide may have settled on the OFI position right before the fire incident, everything changes after that. In a way, it materializes the worst-case scenario that Isaiah imagines early on, except this time it leaves Severide with the opposite perspective. Though we don’t know exactly how the arc will pan out from this point onwards, there is a good chance that Firehouse 51 will survive and triumph over this hurdle, just like every other time. As such, this might be the instance that Severide needs to realize how much his team depends on him, and how much he depends on them in return. It is this delicate balance that he will have to bid goodbye to if he takes up the OFI job, knowing that while he may be safe, Stella and the others will be risking their lives the same old way.
Conversely, the death scare from the finale fire might just have the opposite effect on Severide’s psyche, forcing him to reconsider what all he would miss out on if he would miss out on if he meets his end like that. The season already highlights such an arc through Van Meter, who gets severely burnt during an arsonist attack, and is still battling for his life at the hospital when the finale unfolds. This leaves Severide with a choice: whether to follow in his father’s footsteps and become the change within the OFI that he wishes to see, or stick to his roots and save as many lives on the ground level as he can. Everything ultimately depends on the finale fire crisis itself, with Dom eagerly awaiting Severide’s response after this grueling shift is over.
Read More: Is Dom Pascal Leaving Firehouse 51? Is Dermot Mulroney Leaving Chicago Fire?
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