First of all, it is a tragic thing to lose a parent. Chief Boden’s decision to take some furlough time in order to make funeral arrangements and be with his family was the right one. Everything else in the episode of Chicago Fire, though? No, no, no, no, no, no, NO. Up is down, and someone else is in Boden’s chair, and just, no.
So while Chief Boden is tending to his family and spending quality time with his newborn son, Firehouse 51 gets a new interim chief. The fact that said chief’s soon-to-be ex-wife has been sleeping with Casey is actually the least of all problems. Chief Pridgen starts out the episode putting on the façade of a good guy, but that demeanor falls almost the instant Boden leaves the firehouse.
Let me begin Pridgen’s long list of grievances.
Grievance #1: Laughing at Otis when he slips and falls at a bowling alley the house is called to, thereby dubbing Otis with the nickname “Gutterball.” It would have been one thing if this had been a passing moment. Pridgen, however, thinks it is hilarious to keep bullying Otis and wants everyone else to agree with him. Even when Otis later makes a good save on a fire but has to be rescued, Pridgen goes out of his way to point out Otis’ mistake. Beyond the fact the bullying is NEVER okay (seriously, I don’t care how old or mature you think you are), Otis points out that Boden would never have done something like that to one of his team because Boden is a leader who inspires, not belittles.
Grievance #2: Asking Severide to spy on Casey simply because Casey disagrees with Pridgen’s manner of dealing with the team. It’s clear Pridgen cares nothing about teamwork and only about who is loyal to him and his Neanderthal bullying. When Casey persists in defending his team, Pridgen drops any sense of decency towards Severide and reprimands him for not being on Pridgen’s team and keeping Casey in line.
Grievance #3: Telling Severide and Casey “who’s boss” before making them wash all of the outside windows on the house in 15 degree F weather. This is both dangerous and cruel, and I don’t mind one bit that at this point that Casey reveals that he stole Pridgen’s Cuban cigars while sleeping with Beth. I would say this is more than enough to warrant insane dislike of the guy, but it looks like Pridgen’s reign of terror is only going to continue moving forward.
Brett also learns a lesson in the difference between helping people and towing the line of involvement. When the girl who Brett saved last week shows up to thank her, she and Brett have an instant connection. The girl, Celia, mentions that her mother was more worried about her lost guitar than her own daughter, so Brett decides to buy a cheap used guitar for Celia as a kind gesture and is promptly thrown out by Celia’s mother for trying to give charity. Brett later explains to Cruz that when she was a kid, her mom had a nervous breakdown, and she had an aunt who helped fill the void in her life. Brett simply wants to be there for Celia, but Cruz advises maybe doing it in a way that is less intrusive on this family’s life. So Brett decides to keep the guitar and simply invites Celia to come by anytime she wants, because the firehouse is a safe place.
I purposely did not add bringing Welch to 51 to Pridgen’s long list of grievances for a few reasons. For one, Pridgen had so many other insulting moments, this move paled in comparison. The main reason, however, is that Welch, having been severely disciplined for his past actions by losing his ranking, actually seems to be trying to make amends. From the second he steps into the house, he silently takes any innuendos or attitudes that come his way, works as a cohesive member of the team on the job, and genuinely tries to look out for the other firefighters. I’m not yet saying the past is forgiven, but he is definitely not the villain of this episode.
Despite all of the problems with Pridgen’s attitude, Casey still feels he should end things with Pridgen’s wife, Beth, after he finds out the truth. Realizing this could end his career, Casey tries to end things and fails miserably. He doesn’t move fast enough for Welch to not glimpse him and Beth together, so when Welch apologizes to Gabby for an earlier run-in, he lets it slip that Casey and Beth had a fling. The look of angry daggers on Gabby’s face and the look of guilt on Casey’s shows just how raw this break-up still is.
I’m all for quality father-son bonding time, especially to a father who just lost his father. That being said, me and all at Firehouse 51 are counting the seconds until Boden returns and kicks this Neanderthal loser Pridgen to the curb.
Who’s with me on the many reasons Pridgen has got to go?
[Photo via NBC]
Follow Us
