Vasquez is charming and confident in the Season 14 premiere, but secrets are swirling beneath the surface as he settles in at 51.
The Season 14 premiere of Chicago Fire welcomed Firehouse 51 newcomer Sal Vasquez (Brandon Larracuente), and while everyone at the station was eager to meet the new guy, Vasquez arrived under a cloud of mystery.
Fire’s Season 14 premiere (“Kicking Down Doors”) kicked off with a meeting between several Chicagoan higher-ups, as a police chief and CFD chief debated over Vasquez. The CFD chief explained that it went against CFD protocol to keep the notorious Vasquez in duty, while the police chief reminded him it was “a favor.” The CFD Chief ultimately decided it was best to keep “department channels open,” agreeing to send Vasquez to Firehouse 51. At that, 51’s Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) raised an eyebrow.
“Do I have any say in this?” Pascal asked, but his boss wouldn’t budge, telling him that Firehouse 51 was the CFD’s choice for a reason and Pascal should be flattered.
With that, Vasquez officially became a member of Firehouse 51, but joining that tight-knit family would be easier said than done. Read what we learned so far about Vasquez, below:
Sal Vasquez had a bumpy first impression with Stella
Pascal greeted Vasquez at the station, adding that he’d heard a lot about him. Vasquez seemed a tad nervous about that as Pascal gave him the tour of Firehouse 51. Soon, Vasquez met his commanding officer, Lt. Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), who told him he was replacing “a hell of a good driver.”
“Not as good as me,” Vasquez smirked, rubbing Stella the wrong way. But before she could respond, the 51 bell rang, mobilizing the squads.
Vasquez made an incredibly bumpy debut as the squad’s new driver, zooming through the streets like a madman. Stella and the firefighters were utterly speechless after Vasquez pulled a hard U-turn before she gave the order. The combination of not waiting for an order and reckless driving had Stella feeling mighty nervous about her new firefighter, so she confronted Vasquez about the call later on.
“I knew we had to go after it,” Vasquez explained. “We’re not gonna we’re not gonna let a fireball just roll down the Western Ave., right?”
“I think what you mean to say is you are sorry and that will never happen again,” Stella said coolly.
“OK, yeah, sure,” Vasquez nodded. “Won’t happen again.”
Stella brought up Vasquez’s cockiness and negligence with Pascal, but he seemed distinctly disinterested in entertaining the complaint. Pascal encouraged Stella to take a beat, but all she could see were red flags.
Sal Vasquez comes from a police academy background
Later, after a call went south due to a shooter on the loose, Vasquez reacted with expert precision, warning the firefighters about the stray bullets. Despite Vasquez’s heroism, Stella remained dubious.
“You seemed to know the bullets were coming,” Stella asked Vasquez later at the station.
“Yeah, I did some time at the police academy, you know?” Vasquez explained. “Before I got into the firefighting track. I guess I honed some instincts.”
Upon learning that Vasquez was in the police academy before switching between a bunch of different firehouses, Stella struggled even more to ignore her suspicions. She decided to do some more research into Vasquez’s history.
During the shooting call, Vasquez dropped to the ground to protect a firefighter, falling on his halligan and receiving a nasty gash in his torso in the process. But instead of reporting the injury, Vasquez hid his pain, attempting to stitch himself up in secret.
Sal Vasquez has made a friend in Firehouse 51 paramedic Lizzie Novak
Shortly after landing on Stella’s watch list, Vasquez soon found a friend in 51 paramedic Lizzie Novak (Jocelyn Hudon), who took note of the charming new firefighter on his first day. After Vasquez was ordered to clean bathrooms, Lizzie visited him to share some kind words.
“For what it’s worth, I was the new guy last year, and I know it has its challenges,” Lizzie said. “So if you ever wanna talk.”
“I appreciate that, but I don’t worry too much about Firehouse dynamics,” Vasquez shrugged. “It is what it is.”
Lizzie smirked, warning Vasquez that he wouldn’t find a better Lieutenant and shouldn’t underestimate Stella.
Later, after Vasquez’s plan to address his wound failed, he nervously visited Lizzie for help. Vasquez admitted that he tried stitching himself up because he knew Stella was upset with him and didn’t want to pester her with the issue.
“Turns out sewing’s harder than I thought,” Vasquez winced, showing Lizzie the gash.
“You’re a lunatic,” Lizzie said.
“Not the first time I’ve heard that,” Vasquez quipped as Lizzie got to work.
Firehouse 51 is Vasquez’s “last hope to stay in the CFD”
Stella takes vetting her firefighters seriously, and after uncovering Vasquez’s background and learning he had a reputation for insubordination and pushing back against his commanding officers, Stella visited Pascal to share her findings. But Pascal remained fixed on the matter.
“Vasquez is staying,” Pascal told Stella, not a suggestion but an order.
“May I ask why?” Stella asked.
“Vasquez needs a leader like you,” Pascal said. “One who has the confidence to take him on, show him who’s boss, elevate his game.”
“OK, but why bring someone like this into the Firehouse at all?” Stella pondered. “How good a firefighter can he be, Chief?”
Pascal seemed torn, unable to disclose to Stella the gravity of the situation. “The only answer I can give you right now is that this job is Vasquez’s last hope to stay in the CFD,” Pascal explained, adding, “And I need that to happen.”
Stella found herself asking the same question as viewers: why does Pascal need Vasquez to stay at Firehouse 51 so vehemently? How many administrative hoops did Vasquez jump through to get there? All eyes are on Vasquez as he settles into Firehouse 51’s flow after a rocky arrival.
Find out what happens next by watching Season 14 of Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC, or stream episodes the next day on Peacock.
