Written by John Edward Betancourt CHICAGO FIRE -- "A Favor" Episode 13009 -- Pictured: Christian Stolte as Randy "Mouch" McHolland -- (Photo by: Peter Gordon/NBC)
Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1309 of ‘Chicago Fire’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
One true struggle for creatives in every medium, is figuring out how to make a story feel as real as possible. Because the reader/viewer knows they’re settling in, to enjoy a book or a movie or a television show, and they know its fiction playing out before their eyes, and that makes life tough for a writer that is eager to try and express a very real experience or moment, and they often have to work extra hard to find a way to really immerse us in a manner that makes us feel as though, we are there. But it is possible to make this happen, and one franchise that leads the way in this is the One Chicago saga on NBC. Because it really has figured out how to make stories feel as real as possible, as though we are in the middle of the journeys these characters go on and for proof… look no further than last night’s episode of Chicago Fire. For it really did offer up a story that felt stunningly real and ‘A Favor’ accomplished such a feat, by offering us true balance in the story. For this is a tale that put the highs and lows of life on display and featured a reminder that sometimes we face impossible situations that change us, and all of that came forth by way of two key storylines. One of which involved Herrmann and Mouch. Because on the high side, they got word that they passed their exams with flying colors. Which meant Mouch was now leading the charge on calls, and Herrmann was getting salutes from others as a brand-new captain. But soon, some realities set in. Such as the fact that it doesn’t take long for the chaos of the world to shatter our expectations of how we want certain moments to go. Because Mouch really wanted his first call to be a flawless and heroic endeavor and for the most part it was. Save for the fact that a person he had hoped to rescue, passed away well before the fire in question and no one knew who the guy was, nor did anyone come to claim his body and his personal effects, and that bothered Mouch to no end. To the point where he made it his mission to make sure this man’s death had meaning and that someone would remember him. A process that Herrmann made sure to support every single step of the way and well, for his efforts, Mouch became the person he wanted to find and helped honor the memory of the deceased. All of which felt shockingly real because it had highs, and it had lows, and it reflected our world, and that strange little twist we run into, to a tee. However, there was mention that this story also explored the tough days we sometimes endure, and that was handled through Joe Cruz. Because he and Junior had a little talk in this story, and Junior revealed that he expected Cruz to help him with a grand heist. One that would offer his family a beautiful payday and all that Joe had to do was get them firefighter gear, so they could infiltrate where hidden money was waiting, and if he could do that… they would be even. But Joe resisted and that prompted Junior to turn up the heat and threaten Joe’s job, and that prompted Cruz to stand up to Junior and say no, to no avail. Mainly because Junior pointed a gun at Joe and forced him to execute the plan. One that went south and ended with Junior’s death and an injury for Joe, and this for certain transformed Joe and will influence his future since it was so much to endure and brought forth some real trauma. The only question that remains from that story, is what comes next for Cruz. Because Junior was wearing Joe’s hat and who knows if cameras saw them. Which matters since eventually, the police will get involved. But while we wait for resolution there, we can celebrate, a realistic tale. One that also offered up an interesting moment between Pascal and Severide, wherein Pascal made it known how much he values Severide as a leader and that too added to a story that really did feel as though… we were experiencing life. Since there was joy to be found here, challenges and wants and hopes and dreams and scary moments. All of which happens across our little world to heroes and villains and everyone in between and it is just refreshing to know that this series can accomplish such a feat and immerse us flawlessly, within another world for an hour or so. Until next time. Watch ‘Chicago Fire’
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