The Brettsey Wedding Plans Aren’t Working Out, Either
“On the Hook” is a very bad time in the life of Sylvie Brett. The episode opens the day after her bachelorette party, when she’s just finished interviewing for a position at the Portland Fire Department — but when Ambulance 61’s defibrillator malfunctions in the field, that and her whole career is suddenly in jeopardy. The script takes a while to find its balance here, as once Chief Robinson (guest star Laura Allen) threatens Brett with suspension, the episode feels like it becomes more about saving Brett’s job than the basketball player who’s still hospitalized. Obviously the Chicago Fire audience is invested in Brett, but the most serious part of the situation is that there’s a young man named Jared who might die or suffer “permanent neurological damage” for the rest of his life.
However, this kink works itself out largely through the performance of Kara Killmer. Brett audibly worries over the patient, telling her partner Violet Mikami that “I hate to think of him being in this condition,” and Killmer conveys her concern in a later scene when Ambulance 61 is called back to the hospital that they brought the player to. This scenario also has the side effect of showing why it was a mistake for Chicago Fire to kill off Evan Hawkins. Robinson is as standard an antagonist as they come, showing very little empathy until the episode’s conclusion, when it becomes clear that dried-out gel pads caused the defibrillator to malfunction. While much of Hawkins’ screen time was about his relationship with Violet, it was always obvious that he wanted to support the paramedics under his command. Chicago Fire’s habit of shaking things up is what’s kept the show fresh, but now and again it bites the series when the writers get rid of a character they actually need; Robinson’s scenes affirm that Hawkins was one of those valuable characters.
But because of Killmer’s pending exit, there’s just enough suspense in “On the Hook” that it doesn’t feel like false jeopardy. There’s a chance, however slim, that her story arc ends with her making a mistake and having to start over — which she’s doing anyway because of the wedding. Which, “On the Hook” messes that up too, with Tony not paying attention and setting up the ceremony at a store called “The Aquarium” instead of the Shedd Aquarium. This is one of those moments where in real life, someone should’ve caught it, but on Chicago Fire there’s always a plot twist that keeps the biggest developments from going as planned. It turns out not to be firing Brett — it’s upending Brett and Casey’s wedding instead.
