Chicago Fire “Back With A Bang” Spoilers Ahead
Stella Kidd is back, and Firehouse 51 feels like a home again. Despite the unnecessary drama pulling at the strings of the one solid (on-screen) couple, Chicago Fire is complete once more.
The thing is, I’ll never say no to couples having heartfelt conversations or even talking through their problems. What Stella did is out of character, but what’s easy to appreciate is that she notices her wrongs and tries to rectify them throughout Chicago Fire “Back With A Bang.” We need more moments like this on our screen, but it’s how it continues to happen that leaves a bit of a sour taste.
Their couch is an excellent place for moments of vulnerability like this but leaving the episode off with Stella’s hesitations to answer the question about still wanting to marry him. It doesn’t make sense to bring in this drama that you could just feel is for the sake of advancing a plot and not developing the characters. Kelly’s demons and insecurities are darknesses the series has already dealt with plenty of times, so it doesn’t make sense to continue adding on to that.
But what is admirable and what I’ll commend the show for is its decision to address burnout. Stella’s ambitions are always remarkable, but it always boils down to the fact that we often forget people aren’t expendable. People are robots who could tirelessly work themselves to the ground, even if and especially when they love their jobs. Sometimes, breaks are necessary. Slowing down and focusing on the now is crucial to becoming better at the task at hand before expanding horizons further. Stella needed this break, and she absolutely deserves it, but I wish she had a chance to vocalize these feelings before she came home. But—humans. We’re imperfect, so I’ll give her that. It can be a good thing that the series allows her to fall to get back up stronger.
Still it isn’t essential to harp on drama for a couple who’ve established time and time again that they want to be together. She wouldn’t have chosen to say yes to marry him if she thought, even for a moment, that it would box her in. And this? Well, blah. It’s silly, and we don’t need it. If the series finds a way to delay the wedding to explore Stella’s burnout and panic, then sure, but it’s not something I want to see if it’s not carefully thought out. I don’t want to see it if it won’t benefit my favorite character on this show. What I do want to see, however, is more forehead kisses.
Chicago Fire’s “Back With A Bang” is solid in more ways than one between the reunions with the women and Hawkins noting how great Violet is—plus, everything with Ritter is the reason why this show is so good. These moments where it’s clear just how fortunate everyone at Firehouse 51 is to have each other because they are a solid team.
What are your thoughts on Chicago Fire’s “Back With A Bang?” Let us know in the comments below.