‘Chicago Fire’ Recap: ‘Quicksand’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

CHICAGO FIRE -- "Quicksand" Episode 13008 -- Pictured: (l-r) Hanako Greensmith as Violet Mikami, Jocelyn Hudon as Lyla Novak -- (Photo by: Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1308 of ‘Chicago Fire’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. This article also contains discussions regarding suicide, which may be triggering to some individuals.
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For the most part, fall finales, or midseason finales as they are also called… are quite epic in nature. For they tend to feature stories that are just bombastic and powerful, and end in a manner that takes our breath away. Or they end with a juicy cliffhanger that will have us and other fans buzzing about the show until it returns from its hiatus. Which is a fun way to handle things from a storytelling perspective and we too enjoy it since it does wow us and keeps us engaged. But now and again you run into a show that decides to handle its fall finale in a far more different manner, as evidenced by this week’s episode of Chicago Fire on NBC.

For ‘Quicksand’ was not a big-time tale, with some kind of giant mystery for Severide to solve. Instead, this episode was engaging but not overtly stunning. It was simply a story designed to begin to move characters into a new and hopefully peaceful chapter in their lives. For instance, this is a story that saw Carver work to adjust to life as a single man. Because Tori, decided that she could no longer handle having a responsible boyfriend that wouldn’t abide by her free spirit demands. So, she went back to Texas and left him on his own and thinking upon tomorrow, and thinking upon perhaps getting a dog. But this was a big deal for him, one that truly speaks to a chance for major growth for him, and he wasn’t alone in such matters.

Because Novak revealed through a harrowing suicide attempt, that she has a lot of deep-rooted trauma from a suicide that clearly took place in her past, and facing that here, rattled her to no end, and understandably so and she of course… thought she could go it alone. But eventually she understood she needed to start to talk to someone about this and chose Violet as the first person to hear about such matters, who was happy to listen. Plus, even Pascal started thinking about growth. Because he and his wife were still reeling from another incident that resembled what happened in Miami and he came to realize that living life on the edge was no longer viable for their marriage. So, he worked hard here to find common ground with her and worked to plan for a better tomorrow where they could finally be at peace. 

Yet, there were still more moments of growth present here. Since Hermann and Mouch were at a bit of a mental crossroads here. Because this was it, the Lieutenant and Captain’s tests lie ahead and well… they realized this was a big deal and that a major change was ahead, and it was just lovely to see them prepare for a new chapter and become what they truly are, great leaders. But this episode wasn’t totally without a cliffhanger, and that was all handled by Cruz in this story. Because someone was leaving bullet urns in his locker and well, that all related to some early show callbacks for Cruz. Since he let Flaco, the leader of the Insane Kings, die in a fire, and well… Flaco’s cousin Junior came calling in this tale. The question remains though, if this is about harming Cruz and teaching him a devastating lesson… or related to something far more unique.

But alas, we won’t know until January 8, 2025, when the show returns from its winter hiatus and well, while we wait to learn what lie ahead for Cruz, we can celebrate, a supremely relaxed finale. One that focused heavily on why we tune into this show, the characters. Because who they are, how they live and how they grow is what keeps us coming back, and while some might not like this midseason finale for being so low key, it works. In fact, it more than works, it was great. It was just a lovely character study that set the stage for new beginnings, and potentially a sour one for Cruz, and that’s just fine. And that cliffhanger did enough to keep us ready for more of this dynamic show, and the incredible people that populate it. Until next time.

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