As much as we would love to see couples always happy and in love, that’s not the reality, and Chicago Fire has offered a look at that a few times.
Trudy and Mouch, Herrmann and Cindy, and even Boden and Donna have had their moments of unhappiness and struggles, and we’ve seen them work through them.
However, there is a small issue: the wives of the main characters are just guest stars, so we don’t get to see them often enough to really understand what makes a marriage work.
Kidd and Severide are both full-time members of Firehouse 51 and are series regulars on Chicago Fire, offering us a real look at what makes a marriage work.
Communication Is Key
When it comes to any sort of relationship, communication is essential, and that’s something Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 9 showed is breaking down.
Kidd and Severide aren’t really opening up to each other, and that’s understandable. They are both dealing with different issues.
Severide is terrified he’s going to lose one of his mentors and friends, and there’s little Kidd can do to help. She needs to give him time to deal with this.
However, Kidd is grieving the loss of Isaiah right now. While she did the right thing for Isaiah, it still hurts her to lose this boy she has welcomed into her family.
At first, a lack of communication between them as they deal with their own issues isn’t going to cause major harm, but Chicago Fire has a habit of extending the pain.
After all, it’s a drama, and we need to see the lows as well as the highs. It’s important to fear for a relationship.
Over time, that lack of communication is going to drive a wedge between them, especially when we know that Severide has a habit of bottling things up when he’s struggling.
So, things are sure to get worse before they get better, and while it’s nerve-wracking for Stellaride shippers, it’s also a great way to show how relationships can struggle but also get back on track.
Don’t Forget the ‘For Worse’ Part
Marriage vows make it clear that things won’t be easy. There’s a reason for the “for worse” and “in sickness” parts of them.
Chicago Fire Season 14 is getting us to the “for worse” part of the marriage vows.
As the wedge between Stellaride forms widens, they’ll feel distant from each other and struggle to connect emotionally and mentally.
This is sure to lead to arguments, even over the smallest things, and could cause problems as they continue to discuss their family options.
It reminds people of the “for worse” part of the vows, and this is where people like Mouch and Herrmann can help, as they have been through it.
Kidd and Severide both need to turn to people for some advice. Kidd is more likely to turn to Herrmann and Mouch, while Severide will likely turn to Cruz.
They need to be open to saving the marriage, and as long as someone reminds them that the vows always said something like this could happen, there’s a chance they’ll make it work.
Getting through a darker part of a relationship tends to make a couple stronger, but we need to see how that happens.
Up to this point, we’ve seen arguments, and by the end of the episode, Herrmann or Mouch has apologized for their part. Things move on, and we never really revisit the issue.
With Stellaride, they are both on screen more, and that allows for this rift to get deeper. It also allows us to see consistent work from them, as they avoid reverting to what they were.
We’ve already seen the two battle demons of the past and work on their relationship, but this is something that realistically happens time and time again.
New arguments come up, and new situations can put stress on the marriage, and now we get to see it all once more, and how they get over this hurdle together.
As long as there’s more good than bad, a relationship is worth saving.
This one is worth working on, and as long as Stellaride remembers the “for worse” part of their vows, we get to see what makes a marriage work on Chicago Fire.
Now, Chicago Fire Season 14 needs to commit to this arc in full, not take the easy way out by breaking the couple up for the sake of drama.
