Contains spoilers for “Chicago Fire” Season 14, Episode 16 — “Firehouse 66”
In a “Chicago Fire” episode filled with turmoil and shocking revelations, a small but universe-shaking development in the marriage of Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) and his wife Chloe (Kristen Lee Gutoskie) provides Chi-Town with a bit of levity. Joe corners Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and announces to his superior that Chloe’s expecting a child — an event that’s already shaking up the Cruz family’s world.
This also definitely raises the stakes for fans who love Joe and want him to live to see his newest child born, as “Chicago Fire” has never been kind to expectant parents. But in spite of the danger, Chloe and Joe are over the moon, though they’re completely stunned because they thought they were done raising small children.
Joe admits to Kelly he was reluctant to share the information with him, knowing that Severide and Stella (Miranda Rae Mayo) have been going through a rough patch stemming from their failed attempt at adopting a kid of their own. But Kelly is delighted for Joe and Chloe. There’s only one problem: Javi (Carlos S. Sanchez), who Joe and Chloe adopted during Season 10 (a trend in Dick Wolf’s shows), is angry about his new sibling’s impending arrival. A worried Chloe peeps at his computer and learns that her son has contacted the adoption agency that helped unite him with the Cruz clan, looking to meet up with any biological family he might have back in Honduras. Chloe and Joe have no idea how to address their kid’s feelings.
Can Cruz and Chloe cope with their new arrival?
While all of Joe’s co-workers seem quite happy that he’s going to have a child, his job could definitely be adversely affected by the baby’s birth. Battalion Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) has been terminated for reckless behavior, leaving everyone working with the CFD on edge as they cope with a new order-hungry interim official. Joe and his co-workers had just begun to form a bond with Pascal when the city dumps him, and their new lead seems less than interested in offering them leniency.
On top of that, local leaders have been putting tons of pressure on the department to cut costs, leaving Joe vulnerable to termination if he comes off as anything less than devoted to his job. If he steps out of line or disobeys newbie Chief Hopkins (Rob Morgan, best known as Chief Powell of “Stranger Things”), he might end up on the unemployment line with five mouths to feed.
At least one of his problems has an easy solution. After searching for the best way to talk to Javi about his roots, Joe decides to fly with him to Honduras during his next furlough. Javi is overjoyed at last, and Joe is relieved that he can help his son connect with his biological family without losing custody of the kid. With such sterling parenting skills at their disposal, is it any wonder why he and Chloe want to add one more to their tribe?