Season 12, Episode 5 Gives Rome Flynn’s Character a Tragic Past
The primary subplot in “On the Hook” is directly connected to Brett’s predicament, as Derrick Gibson is visibly affected by basketball player Jared’s injury, and in Marcus, the young man who collided with Jared when he collapsed. Gibson is his usual taciturn self for most of the hour, even snapping at Sam Carver when Carver tries to start a post-shift conversation with him. Suspicion grows when Carver sees Gibson talking to one of the nurses at the hospital. Eventually, Gibson starts opening up to Carver and the two pay a home visit to Marcus, in which Gibson tries to convince the young man that he’s not responsible for whatever happens to Jared (who is at that point likely to make a full recovery).
This is all coming from somewhere, and it’s unintentionally awkward but also surprising when Gibson blurts out to Carver that “I killed a man.” But at least Chicago Fire audiences now understand where Gibson’s anger and defensiveness come from, making him a little bit more relatable. The scene in which he speaks to Carver over drinks about the context of that quote — one of his boxing opponents, Marty Johnson, died during their fight — is another example of Dick Wolf series incorporating more mental health stories and Rome Flynn’s best work on the show. But is that enough to endear Gibson to fans? A lot of One Chicago characters have tragic backstories, but the “found family” theme is particularly strong on Chicago Fire, so he’s still very much on the outside of that. At least this is a first step forward.
On a related note, Jake Lockett has been turning in reliable performances as Sam Carver since Season 11. Especially since the show has now established him as Violet’s next love interest, will producers promote Lockett to series regular status eventually? There have been other recurring cast members promoted with less to do, and Carver clearly isn’t going anywhere.
