The show has resurrected plot points from this season 1 release.
Chicago Fire has dished out multiple Christmas episodes over the last decade plus. We already singled out the episode “Winterfest” as a candidate to watch with your family during the holiday season. We wanted to do something a little different this year, though, which is highlight the first Chicago Fire Christmas episode.
The episode in question is called “Merry Christmas, Etc.” and it aired halfway through season 1. The episode is fun to watch as a time capsule, as beloved characters like Peter Mills (Charlie Barnett) and Gabriela Dawson (Monica Raymund) are long gone. “Merry Christmas, Etc.” also provides glimpses of those who have passed, like Otis (Yuri Sardarov) and Leslie Shay (Lauren German).
“Merry Christmas, Etc.” is a season 1 highlight
What makes “Merry Christmas, Etc.” such a fun episode to revisit this particular holiday season, though, is the story. The episode largely focuses on Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) and the struggles he’s undergoing in trying to free his brother from a gang lifestyle.
Cruz’s brother Leon (Jeff Lima) is mixed up in a Chicago gang known as Insane Kings, and despite the efforts of the former to free him, Leon is in danger. Few get to leave the gang lifestyle behind, and the gang’s leader, Flaco (Jose Garcia), also factors prominently into the episode.
Why is this relevant over a decade later? Because Leon is once again in danger, and Cruz is having to deal with the fallout of his tussle with Flaco. Cruz eventually left Flaco to die in a building fire, and the season 13 episode “Quicksand” saw Flaco’s cousin return to exact revenge.
The episode sets up an ongoing season 13 story arc
The cousin, Junior Polanco (Richard Cabral), saw what Cruz did that day during the fire, and now that he’s out of prison, he intends to make the firefighter pay. The season 13 episode ended with a riveting cliffhanger regarding Cruz’s fate. We really don’t know how the character is going to avoid getting burned this time around, while protecting his brother.
“Merry Christmas, Etc.” serves as a holiday-appropriate reminder of this storyline, and what was at stake during the first season. It’ll service both the nostalgia some fans have for the OG cast, while at the same time allowing you to brush up on a storyline that is relevant once again. What more could you ask for in terms of a One Chicago holiday viewing?
