Chicago Fire doesn’t skimp on action in season 13. The firefighter drama has been intense in the second half of the season, with the episode “Cut Me Open” keeping up the breakneck pace. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The episode opens with Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) excited and a little nervous as they discuss their plans to adopt a child with 51 of their coworkers. Herrmann (David Eigenberg) gives them some much-needed encouragement, which makes sense since he’s a father of five, but the firefighters go their separate ways soon after.
Kidd and Severide think they still have weeks before the woman named Jade, who’s planning to put her child up for adoption, gives birth. Jade is similarly impressed, as she hasn’t yet completed the entire adoption process before she suddenly goes into labor. She’ll have to meet the 51s while she’s at the hospital and determine in real time whether they’re a good match for her unborn child.
Herrmann faces the possibility of firing 51
Meanwhile, Herrmann is left with a 51 team that’s extremely thin. Not only are Kidd and Severide missing, but Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) is also working part-time and therefore absent this shift. Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) has decided to take the day off, and paramedics Lizzie Novak (Joceyln Hudon) and Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) are nowhere to be seen.
Normally, this would be a minor inconvenience, but Herrmann is dealing with a performance efficiency expert who has a reputation for being tough when it comes to cutting department staff. The specialist is said to have put a fire engine at Fire Station 28 out of commission, so Herrmann is pretty stressed out about having to prove the worth of everyone he works with (despite their absence).
Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram) was eager to welcome Kidd and Severide at the beginning of the episode, but her presence really comes into play when she has to deliver some sad news to the couple. It turns out the woman who is pregnant with their potential child has a history of opiate addiction and was using them just two days before arriving. You can see both Kidd and Severide losing their cool and worrying about how this will affect the child medically.
Kidd and Severide reconsider their decision to adopt
While Asher focuses on the pregnancy itself, Kidd and Severide discuss the possible consequences of adopting a child with poor health. Kidd boldly moves forward and takes care of the child regardless, but Severide remains uncertain. He points out that he and Kidd have very busy workloads as firefighters, which prompts Kidd to make a shocking revelation.
Upon meeting Jade and receiving confirmation that they have been selected to adopt the child, Kidd reveals that she herself has struggled with addiction in the past. However, she doesn’t have much time to go into details, as Jade’s water has broken, and Dr. Asher immediately determines that an emergency cesarean section is needed.
Meanwhile, the efficiency specialist tracks down Herrmann on a call involving a man trapped in a vent. Herrmann and the team get the man out safely, but the specialist questions why the firefighter changed his plans in the middle of the rescue. Herrmann, with the help of Jack Damon (Michael Bradway) and Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri), turns the tables on the specialist through a series of grueling fire drills.
The Chicago Fire Department duo returns home empty-handed
The specialist struggles to keep up with the best of the 51st and eventually passes out from heat exhaustion while Herrmann and the rest of the team go around looking for car seats for the Stellaride. It’s interesting to see the team come together for such a worthy cause, while also helping someone who doesn’t seem to appreciate the sacrifices they often make.
Jade’s cesarean section is a success, as the baby is born healthy, but Jade herself is immediately put into anesthesia due to a sudden drop in blood pressure. Sadly, Dr. Asher confirms that the baby has tested positive for opiates, meaning she needs to be hospitalized. In another tragic but understandable turn of events, Jade decides that she no longer wants to put the baby up for adoption.
Kidd was heartbroken upon learning that Jade changed her mind. The efforts of the 51 team, who purchased a carseat and various toys for the baby, were in vain. At least, in the immediate future. The team comforted both Kidd and Severide, assuring them that they’ll save the toys for when the couple do adopt. Their story isn’t over.
51 didn’t fare much better, sadly, in their subplot. The expert determined that the team is capable, but broke the news that employee cuts will be made regardless, per the fire department. Herrmann and Mouch (Christian Stolte) were pegged as the most likely cuts due to their age, which sets up all kinds of stress for them (and us) over the next few episodes. But this story is over.
