Chicago Fire “The Magnificent City of Chicago” Spoilers Ahead
Chicago Fire‘s Season 10 finale does what this show does best by reminding its audience that this story is first and foremost about a family amidst high stakes. It’s about the people who won’t complain when their friends decide on a hasty wedding, but instead, they’ll meet them halfway, ready with arms wide open to help in any way they can. As a title, “The Magnificent City of Chicago” encapsulates not only the city’s charm but ultimately Firehouse 51’s and the love at the center of Stellaride’s wedding.
In typical season finale fashion, the series brings in cliffhangers that don’t necessarily fit the hopeful tone at the moment, but they still orbit around the episode’s theme, which carefully highlights why people must be willing to compromise. Whether in love, friendship, or in one’s career field, a person should be ready to look towards the next right step, and right now, most of these characters are.
Like A Father
Chief Boden is like a father to everyone, and the episode reminds the audience of this in the most pleasing way by having Stella ask him if he d be the one to give her away. Miranda Rae Mayo and Eamonn Walker undoubtedly wore their hearts on their sleeves in both moments, where the scene played a crucial role in reminding viewers that this squad truly is brimming with people who care about one another.
Boden isn’t like any of the other leaders in One Chicago, and the season finale honoring him by making it clear that he’s a man who’s always willing to do whatever is necessary for his team crystallizes that notion. Yesterday or on the moon, there is nothing Boden wouldn’t do for Stella, and he not only shows this by being at her side, but he tells her, reassuring her with the utmost sincerity in his expression that this is something he’s doing proudly.
We might not see actual weddings for the other characters on this show, but seeing Stellaride’s wedding is knowing that it’s a family affair because everyone, Chief Boden especially, has watched them grow since day one. This moment is special because of the characters and their story.
The Best Bride Squad
Stellaride wedding would not have been memorable or complete without Sylvie Brett and Matt Casey returning for the occasion. And though Sylvie’s departure wasn’t permanent like Jesse Spencer’s as Casey, for there to be a finale as lovely as this, both of them needed to be present.
The women on Chicago Fire aren’t just co-workers, but they’re best friends. Despite how little we see of them in the same frame or in moments that celebrate their friendships, we can be confident in their loyalty to one another and their love. In the same way that the women would once go bring Sylvie home, she’ll return to put together a last-minute wedding/bridal shower bachelorette like this.
There’s no animosity or jealousy here—neither would allow their personal issues to cast a shadow on Stella’s big day; instead, they’ll do everything they can to ensure that every moment is memorable. And, frankly, because of how limited female friendships are on procedurals, Chicago Fire’s means of centering them in an episode that celebrates romance reinforces its importance gorgeously. Plus, to later have Chloe be the one doing Stella’s makeup? Yes, please. This is primarily why last-minute TV weddings are ultimately so perfect because all characters’ involvement fits so seamlessly.
All Your Perfect Imperfections
Whether near-death experiences brought on by fires, or murder in self-defense, in Chicago FIre’s “The Magnificent City of Chicago,” nothing was going to stop the Stellaride wedding from going forward. When Kelly and Stella realized in “Last Chance” that time was ticking and they didn’t want to spend another moment apart, they’d put their dream wedding aside and do anything to be husband and wife immediately.
And of all the songs they could have chosen, Joh Legend’s “All Of Me” is just right for the two of them. We could try to sum up every little thing they’ve been through to find themselves standing in front of each other like this, but in reality, that’s not what matters. It’s the fact that they made it. It’s a culmination of six years—fights, makeups, fears, and hope intermingling together with profound adoration to fortify the promise that from this moment on, everything they do, they’ll do it together. And the exquisite detail that their wedding vows to each other perfectly summed it all up for the audience. The last time wedding vows were this lovely was for Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago’s in Brooklyn Nine-Nine— so yeah, noice (not a typo).
The end and the beginning, even when they lose or win—like the lyrics in the song, this is it for them. For every loss they lived through, they found a piece of themselves in the other. Head underwater or breathing fire, whatever dims inside of them, the other lights something up, softening each other’s edges by accepting imperfections and loving them through it all, one day at a time.
What’s Next?
There’s a long road ahead for Sylvie and Bre t where distance is concerned, and while the two seemed ready to power through in “Two Hundred,” it’s harder today now that missing each other is getting more challenging to grapple with. And since we don’t know how long Chicago Fire will go on, it’s hard to hold onto headcanons. Casey isn’t returning soon despite this momentous event he couldn’t miss, and they both have separate lives now. But where does that leave them?
Chicago Fire’s “The Magnificent City of Chicago” isn’t ominous all the way through. Still, its final few moments are anything but hopeful, and part of that is because of Brett and Casey, along with Hawkins and Violet. There’s hope in the wedding, but every couple isn’t Stellaride, and this show sadly doesn’t fall in the romance genre where we could have more than one couple happy and in love. (I mean, we can, if you know, writers would simply accept that romance sells and people want to see this stuff.)
While it’s unclear whether Brett and Casey will find their similar endgame in a wedding someday, it doesn’t feel as though that day is anywhere in the near future. Right now, they’re dancing their way towards a Perls poem:
“I do my thing and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,
And you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it’s beautiful.”
It’s not the end. Without actual confirmation, we’re not headed there yet, but it’s not fully all in either. It’s a moment. Together, right now. That’s what they’re choosing to focus on.
Not Giving Up
While the uncertainties with Brettsey make sense, the sudden shift in Violet towards Hawkins comes like a punch out of nowhere. Sure, she’s unaware that he took matters into his hands, risking everything he has for her, and that’s okay for now because losing oneself in stress coupled with the joys of the wedding with her family is understandable. But we’re not going to sit here and believe that they could be in love one moment and the next, and question whether the risks are worth taking or not. That part of the arc makes very little sense.
However, what makes sense is that Violet and Hawkins are good together. They’re worth the risk as a romantic pair because Gallo, Ritter, and Violet are great together as friends. After everything that’s happened with Emma, they’ve come out stronger, reminding each other that they’ll do anything to protect Violet no matter the costs. Jeopardizing this friendship in any way for a potential romance between Gallo and Violet would be a cheaper move now. When people argue that men and women should be friends without love between them, sometimes, it can get frustrating, but the sentiment is true for the three of them. They’re better together without a romantic arc coming in the way.
Chicago Fire’s “The Magnificent City of Chicago” is a stunning episode because of Stellaride’s wedding, but there are many unanswered questions we’re going to have to sit with during the hiatus. Will Emma back away this easily? She isn’t cut out for 51, that’s certain, but is this the last we’ve seen of her? Will something happen to Kelly or Stella now that we know the people after him won’t back away easily? Will Hawkami last?
Further Thoughts
- No, but, truly, I might never get over Boden being the actual best person on this show.
- Hermann and his comment about commitment issues almost made me spit out my coffee.
- I don’t think anyone, myself included, realizes how much I adore Hawkins. It grows by the episode yo.
- Emma straight up just left!?? Do you realize where you work? I—okay.
- Brett stepping for Violet like that!? YES.
- I need this show to have girl’s night episodes at least twice if not more next season. The women together is always everything and more.
- THE VOWS WERE PERFECT. Stella being superstitious was also hilarious and I loved every minute of it. Plus, the phone call with Kelly’s mom? Things are really changing for the better.
- It’s true, this show isn’t the same without Casey, and he’s such a presence still which made this episode as special as it is.
Now streaming on NBC and Hulu: What are your thoughts on Chicago Fire’s Season 10 finale, “The Magnificent City of Chicago” Let us know in the comments below.
I absolutely love this show!