The firefighting drama has had its ups and downs.
Chicago Fire is the longest-running series in the One Chicago franchise. It has been able to balance the melodrama of Chicago Med and the grittiness of Chicago PD and produce episode after episode of entertaining, firehouse-based shenanigans.
Of course, not every episode is made equal. Some of them nail this balance, and are able to produce an hour of television that gives ample screen time to each of its characters. Others try, but simply fail to hit the mark by virtue of a boring subplot or a misplaced character motivation.
We’re here to discuss these highs and lows. Chicago Fire is halfway through its 13th season, and as such, we decided to comb through IMDb and determine which episode has been deemed the best, and which has been deemed the worst. The results may surprise you.
“Through the Skin” tops the season 13 episode list
The most popular episode Chicago Fire season 13 is “Through the Skin.” It’s the only episode to cross the 8 mark on IMDb, as it currently sits at an impressive 8.1. The episode centers around Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) and her decision to put her career on the line to deliver a baby.
It’s an excellent showcase for the character, and it brought about some compelling questions about doing what one considers “right” in the moment versus “right” by the rules. “Through the Skin” excels overall, however, because it achieves the balance we mentioned up top. The graveness of the Violet storyline is balanced out by the lightheartedness of the stole bike storyline.
Cruz (Joe Minoso) enlists the help of Mouch (Christian Stolte), Capp (Randy Flagler) and Tony (Anthony Ferraris) to recover his son’s stolen bike. There’s some good laughs packed into their scenes, as well as a sweet overall message.
“Birds of Prey” has been voted the worst S13 episode
The show’s inherent balance did not apply as successfully to the worst episode of season 13 thus far. At least, according to IMDb. The users on the site declared that “Birds of Prey” has been the low point of the show, with a rating of 7.5.
“Birds of Prey” should be an exciting viewing at first glance. Severide (Taylor Kinney) investigates a fire at a storage unit, and discovers a ton of hidden guns. It’s usually fun to see the character in detective mode, but the storyline is pretty rote, and “Birds of Prey” does a bad job of incorporating the other 51 members.
Severide is typically left to his own devices when he conducts an arson investigation, which leaves the rest of the episode feeling disconnected. The stuff involving Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) scans like an afterthought, which is a shame given the character’s typically compelling screen presence.
Which Chicago Fire episode has been your favorite of the season so far? Your least favorite?
