After choosing to violate federal law during the One Chicago crossover, Pascal needs to face the consequences.
It’s time to see the fallout on Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 14, and since we know Pascal will be out for a few episodes and a new Battalion Chief is coming in, it’s pretty clear which way this will go.
Of course, the drama is in how the decision is made and how Pascal will handle it afterward. Plus, Firehouse 51 will have his back, and every member will have their own thoughts.
There Were Always Going to Be Consequences on Chicago Fire
It doesn’t take too long to get into the consequences after the conclusion of the One Chicago crossover event.
At first, things seem to look good. Pascal gets Davis to reinstate Engine 81 and Mouch at Firehouse 51, and there’s a new assistant coming in.
However, it’s soon clear that the new assistant was a mistake. Pascal delivers the bad news that he’s being terminated, effectively immediately.
It’s definitely heavy-handed considering the situation.
If it wasn’t for Pascal breaking federal law and getting that computer equipment, Intelligence wouldn’t have been able to figure out what was really going on.
Sure, the FBI would have eventually gotten to the bottom of it, but it would have likely been too late.
That should have counted for something, and it’s likely what will come up eventually.
We know that Pascal isn’t going to be gone forever. When reports of him being absent for a few episodes came in, it was clear they were a few episodes.
This could help shake things up a little on Chicago Fire and allow for growth for Severide, though.
He’s always sat comfortably as Squad 3’s lieutenant, but Cruz points out that with Pascal gone and no permanent Battalion Chief, Severide is now the Head of the House.
Could this lead him to want to move up the ranks? While he’s said in the past that he doesn’t want it, things change, and his decision could change now.
As for Pascal, I’ve enjoyed seeing him come out of his shell more.
Had this happened during Chicago Fire Season 13, there’s no way he would have been as open with the firehouse as he is.
Now that he’s seen the family that Firehouse 51 is and how he’s become part of it, he’s clearly focused on making sure things are in place for a successful firehouse when he’s gone.
However, there are still times when he retreats into himself, and that happens during his conversation with Mouch.
An Emotional Moment for the Older Members of the Firehouse
There is an emotional element to Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 14.
As everyone learns how the city is dealing with Pascal’s actions, they all want to fight back.
As much as no one thought Pascal would remain Battalion Chief at Firehouse 51 for long, he has become a member of the family they are willing to protect.
And they want to find a way to fix the situation. I’m sure they will in the end, but we need to get through the initial emotions first.
Pascal is just accepting of it, considering what is really worthwhile in his life next.
Meanwhile, Mouch is shocked to learn Pascal is willing to leave it all behind.
Herrmann isn’t surprised by how the city has turned its back on Pascal, and we get to see how all these older members of the firehouse handle the situation.
Is there any point?
I am interested in seeing the fallout from Pascal’s termination over the next few episodes.
Not only do we get the shakeup, but we also get a hope of emotional storylines of what comes next and how to handle the realization that 30 years can end up meaning nothing.
We give ourselves to companies and careers, and in the end, it can be for what seems like nothing.
Herrmann has a beautiful moment with “Chief Pascals Cell Box” to make it clear that he will be remembered, and I look forward to seeing that being used.
Severide Always Steps Up in a Situation
The one big call of the night takes a scary turn, as a truck driver plows through the call and knocks the aerial.
Kidd is just lucky that there’s something to grab as she falls off the aerial, and we get to see Severide step up to figure out a way to get her back down to the ground safely.
No matter what’s going on, Severide steps up and figures out a way. He remains calm, even when it’s Kidd who is in danger.
It’s no surprise that there are constant thoughts about him moving up the ranks throughout the episode, and it continues until the very end.
What’s great is that Cruz has Severide’s back when he needs it the most, and he doesn’t judge it, either.
As usual, Firehouse 51 ends up taking on the investigation, and while I can joke about CPD not knowing how to do its job, it also highlights how anyone can lose themselves when someone they love is in danger.
Of course, considering it’s Kidd who was involved in the incident, he’s going to take on the investigation. However, even if it wasn’t for Kidd, you just know that he would take it on.
He’s a man who needs answers, but this is far more personal than ever before.
For a while, I was curious whether this would lead to a change in Severide’s character.
In the end, it was a moment for Severide to really consider his actions, and it led to a reminder of how far Pascal and Severide have come over the last year or so.
Severide doesn’t hold anything back from Pascal when it comes to being honest about almost crossing a line, and, like Cruz, Pascal doesn’t judge.
Pascal has been there. They’re all human. Severide pulled Pascal back, just like Cruz pulled Severide back.
Sometimes you need to listen to those underneath you and own your mistakes. That’s the makings of a great Battalion Chief, and Pascal sees that in Severide.
While this whole storyline offers a look at how Severide tries to tackle a lot himself — and he always has — it also gives Kidd a chance to stand up and call Pascal out on his treatment of her.
From the first day he arrived, he has pushed her harder than anyone else in the firehouse, and many likely believed that it was either because she was a woman or a woman of color.
After calling him out, he admits he’s been hard on her because she reminds him of himself. He knew she could withstand the harsher treatment.
When Pascal was first written in, I wasn’t sure which angle they would take it. At first, we thought he was just a temporary Chief while Herrmann worked his way up the ranks.
However, at this point, I just knew that Pascal wasn’t doing it out of harshness or sexism. There was always going to be a reason behind it.
This could have had a greater impact if Pascal had been harsher on Kidd over the last season and a half.
Because he let up after a while when he was first introduced, it seemed like he had realized she was the great leader he had heard about.
I almost forgot that he was so hard on her because it hadn’t come up in a while, so it felt like it came out of nowhere during this episode.
Once Pascal comes back, I’m looking forward to the two of them communicating better. There’s a lot that Pascal can learn from this.
Ending with Mouch’s report about the funeral attack was a poignant decision, and it certainly comes across as the reason Pascal will end up fighting for his job.
That is, if his office will even be empty when he gets back. Now I need to see Severide move up the ranks.
Sure, there were some questionable moments during the episode, but this was one of the strongest episodes of Chicago Fire in the last few years.
It had better not be “goodbye,” but “see you later.”