Lyla Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) seems like a straight shooter. She made flippant comments about having an affair with a former fire instructor of hers, but outside of that, she’s proven to fit it quite nicely with Firehouse 51. So nicely, in fact, that she was offered a full-time gig in her second Chicago Fire episode.
Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) is convinced that she’s found a new long-term partner in the field, and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) seems pretty high on Novak’s skillset as a medic, as well. That said, there’s going to be some drama involving the character come the season 12 episode “Under Pressure.”
Lyla Novak gets drawn into the drama
Despite Novak’s outwardly friendly persona, Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman revealed that the character is going to bump heads with Violet during the penultimate episode of the season. She told TV Insider that Novak’s position within 51 gets compromised by the return of her predecessor, Jared Lennox (Wesam Keesh).
For those who don’t remember, Lennox was planted at 51 by Chief Robinson (Laura Allen), who has a target painted on the firehouse’s back. She ordered Lennox to undermine Violet whenever she could, and even tried to get the new PIC written up before they were both caught.
Robinson and Lennox are going to play vital parts in the new episode, and Newman told the outlet that they are going to be quite the headache for Violet:
“Violet has definitely had to step up in multiple ways as PIC, especially when it comes to dealing with Lennox and Novak.”
Newman doesn’t specify how Novak gets involved in the drama, or whether she has an ulterior motive for working at 51, but she did put a spotlight on her that fans would not have otherwise. Of the two 51 hires that have been recently made, Jack Damon (Michael Bradway) is far and away the most sketchy.
The more we learn about Novak, though, the more clear it may become that this was a misdirection on the part of the Fire writers. We’d obviously prefer to have Novak stick around, given how much uncertainty has surrounded the new medic gig, but it all depends on what she does during the last two episodes of season 12. It’s make or break time for the character.
