TV REVIEW: Chicago Fire “A Dark Day” Indeed

This is the big crossover event we’ve all been waiting for (unlike like the Dawsey moment they promo’d to death last episode but which apparently, not many were waiting for because it was the lowest rated ChiFi we’ve had all season). No, this is the big, exciting, dramatic episode that will bring back the need for Kleenex, and that will restore Chicago Fire to its season one glory.

Not so fast, pale face. Let me preface what is to follow with the disclaimer that I wanted to like this episode.  I wanted to freaking love this episode.  I was half full glassing it, talking it up, but sweet Jesus, it was such a disappointment.

The latest offering opens with Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) telling Hermann (David Eigenberg) that he’s acting lieutenant today because Casey and Dawson are at a charity event.  Oh, Christopher, this has to be the day you get to play fearless leader.  Not an auspicious beginning.

We see Dawsey (Monica Spencer -haha) at the charity run and then a whole lotta awkwardness occurs.  No they don’t kiss again. Instead they see Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), make a little small talk, and meet her nine-year-old niece, Zoe.  Shock of all shocks, Casey takes a liking to her.  If you hadn’t heard, he likes kids. Oh, and they also meet a new paediatrician, Holly Thelan (Amanda Righetti) who also has a nine-year-old, Imogene, in tow.  Everyone seems so stiff, but let’s move on.

Gabby is trying to register for the race, but this isn’t a normal registration. It’s super secret, kind of like part of the race is finding out where to pay your entrance fee.  What happened to a table out front with a big ole line in front of it?  Whatever.  As Casey walks toward the hospital, a huge bomb goes off, and it is spectacular.  Whoa!  This is the stuff of movies, not an hour long drama on NBC.  Kudos ChiFi. That was spectacular.

Pictured: (l-r) David Eigenberg as Christopher Herrmann, Yuri Sardarov as Brian “Otis” Zvonecek, Joe Minoso as Joe Cruz, Christian Stolte as Mouch, Charlie Barnett as Peter Mills — (Photo by: Elizabeth Morris/NBC)

Back to the not spectacular.  Casey goes flying back.  Oh great, again?  This guy’s got the worst luck of any fireman ever, almost as bad as the docs on Grey’s Anatomy. He gets up, dazed and looking around in disbelief.  It kind of reads like a scene from The Walking Dead. The first guy who limps by Casey is bleeding from a couple of places and gets the good old boy pat on the back.  What?  Was that a “thanks for not eating my brain, zombie guy” pat?  I’m confused.

We see that Zoe, Burgess’ niece has been injured, but new doc, Holly, is on it.  Shay (Lauren German) is on it too and stays with her most of the night. Did I mention Rafferty’s (Christine Evangelista) back? She is, but no funny banter with Shay tonight. A bomb just went off, people.

Casey realizes Dawson’s in the rubble, so he starts climbing up the pile of destruction. He makes his way to one of the floors and is threatened by some injured Syrian diplomat’s henchmen. Right then the ceiling falls on him. Again?  I feel like I’m repeating myself.

I’m proposing a new drinking game. I’m calling it head shot shots. Every time Casey, or anyone from ChiFi takes a blow to the head, you do a shot.  This has real potential. The show is getting better as I drink, I mean write.

Casey decides that they’re going in the wrong direction. They need to go under the pile of debris. You think?  Remember, he’s taken a number of blows to the head.  He gets Kelly (Taylor Kinney) to join him and they snake their way under the rubble to find the girl they love, or Mouch loves.  Wait, or Mills loves … or Jay loves.

They slide and slither and go further and further down. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone, but they eventually find her. Tearful reunion, they kiss. Dawsey that is, not Dawveride and not Sevasey. Bummer.  Oh, but things are about to get a whole lot better.  Gabby has a head injury.  Shot time!

On the Shay and new doc adventures, the paramedic gets injured when she falls on some exposed rebar.  She decides it’s best to say nothing even though the gash she sustains to her stomach is gut wrenching, literally. They get Dr. Arata (guest star Dylan Baker) involved to help save Zoe because after killing people on The Good Wife, he saves them on ChiFi.  This guy would do Sergeant Platt proud. He discovers that Burgess’ niece has a badly damaged liver and needs emergency surgery.  He asks Burgess if she can give consent.  Kim says, “I don’t know.”  “Good enough for me,” responds the doc. He finds the liver’s too far gone; she needs a transplant.  All the while, the other nine-year-old at the race stays close by her new friend.

Hope is not lost when Arata has an idea.  He’ll play the liver musical chairs and use the Syrian diplomat’s “waiting in a cooler” liver.  Hope is lost when the liver has apparently gone bad.  Who knew livers were like milk and could go bad?

Pictured: (l-r) Eamonn Walker as Chief Wallace Boden, Joe Minoso as Joe Cruz, Charlie Barnett as Peter Mills — (Photo by: Elizabeth Morris/NBC)

Because one dying kid isn’t enough, we get two. Imogene, the other little one, starts foaming at the mouth.  You’ll never guess what’s happening.  Epidural hematoma. AKA…head injury.  Tip another back, viewers.

Chicago Fire, why must you add one story upon another upon another?  We are fine with the Dawson in danger story. Maybe add a couple of subplots with Zoe and Shay, but do we need more?  No.  More is not necessarily better.  Case in point? There’s another bomb.

Mills (Charlie Barnett) and Cruz (Joe Minoso) go in search of it because everyone knows a fireman can sniff out a bomb like a bloodhound sniffs out … Uh, blood? They find their bomb in a car and call the bomb squad, I mean Chief Boden. Was Chief in The Hurt Locker, and I just missed it?  Fireman by day and bomb tech by night?  Wow!  Mills even knows bombs. He says this one is amateur hour meaning it could go off at any moment. This isn’t some brisket you’re coaxing into tenderness, young man.  Oh well, he rips out some wiring and, whew, bomb diffused.

The sheer ridiculousness of the scene sent the term “suspension of disbelief” to new heights. Are the guys going to be performing emergency surgery next week?

Speaking of surgery, little Imogene is having brain surgery.  We see her pupils are unresponsive.  Did they just kill off the little girl?  I think they sent her the way of Jones, and Hallie, and Taylor Kinney’s six pack.  RIP.

Finally, more of the crossover crosses on over. Voight and his leather clad crew roll in at the end.  Voight confronts the diplomat’s men and says he needs to take their weapons. “If you do anything that makes me uncomfortable I will end you. Understand?” They give up their weapons. Smart men.

Shay continues looking bad and collapses after hearing Dawson’s okay.  I’m thinking head injury.  Shot time!  No?

Pictured: (l-r) Jon Seda as Antonio Dawson, Jason Beghe as Hank Voight, Sophia Bush as Erin Lindsay — (Photo by: Elizabeth Morris/NBC)

The episode cuts to black, and we’re told we need to tune in tomorrow night for the continuation of the story on Chicago PD.  Will I be back?  Heck yeah, headache and all, because CPD is amazing. We also need to make sure Shay will be alright. This might lead to the big Shayveride scene we’ve been waiting for all season. Maybe Kelly will actually make an appearance. He didn’t have much to do in this one, apart from crawl after Casey. Maybe we’ll get another Linseride scene. Maybe we’ll come up with a new drinking game. Every time someone wears leather, take a shot.  If Jay sports some jean on jean, take two shots.  This could get interesting.

I’m hoping Chicago Fire gets interesting.  With only two episodes left, the time is now.  “A Dark Day” was supposed to get things rolling, but instead disappointed. All the potential from that initial explosion just went black, deteriorating into a bunch of jumbled story lines, too many for us to care about all of them. Perhaps these final two will have more focus, more feels, and more authentic story telling. They will give us something to believe in. See you back here after CPD, then back again next week.  Maybe we will get to watch Chicago Fire rise like the phoenix from its ashes and reclaim it’s spot as must see TV.