If clickbait were an episode, this would have been it!
After that promo, we expected some significant developments about Gallo and Violet on Chicago Fire Season 11 Episode 15, but the moment passed without any fanfare.
The rest of the hour was packed with some emotional storylines, a potential new relationship, and Kylie versus the house.
But first, we have to address the Gallo and Violet of it all.
Their development has been so painful it hurt people close to them seeing how blind they were to the reality around them. And who had been on the receiving end? Ritter.
The constant will they, won’t they has gotten tiring to watch at this point. It appears childish that two grown people cannot admit their feelings for each other and must act like middle schoolers.
They’d rather date a million and one people than be courageous enough to take a leap of faith and go out.
If it doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. If it does, well, that’s just great. The constant emotional torture is not it. If not addressed soon, it might start affecting their work.
Or has it already?
Remember in Chicago Fire Season 10 when they discovered a beer recipe? Gallo got involved with someone from the brewery they were working with but couldn’t fully commit to the relationship because he was hung up on Violet.
Long story short, he hurt someone’s feelings and lost something good that could have made them financially stable — no more multiple jobs.
Violet, it’ll be okay. They’ll get him out.
Sylvie
The most relatable scene in “Damage Control” was when Ritter rolled his eyes after seeing Violet jumping around, making sure Gallo was okay. I felt so seen.
And then the stunt they pulled toward the episode’s end.
It felt like a cop-out tactic to try and keep it going for a season longer. Gallo has feelings for Violet; Violet has feelings for Gallo.
Let them explore those feelings!
Mr. Merril had only one concern. Getting those horses to safety. He gave his life for it. If … if they try to pin this on him … call it negligence. A man who can’t even defend himself?
Mouch
Dead men tell no tales, and they can’t defend themselves, as Mouch rightly stated.
Responsibility is one of the biggest problems of hierarchical leadership. When given a certain position, certain responsibilities come with it, and many people try to avoid those responsibilities.
It ends up being thrown around as a football, and the smaller person in the system gets left with the burden.
When the city was willing to lay the blame on the stable manager’s feet, it triggered something in Mouch.
It showed him what might happen to him because if it could happen to a good man like the manager, why not a good man like Mouch?
One can’t help but feel devalued when one dedicates their whole life to something and is betrayed at the last minute.
This feeling stuck with Kidd and Wendy, who decided to investigate the true cause of the fire.
In an unexpected turn of events, Carver and Wendy hit it off, and you know what? Good for him.
If one person needed someone close to him, it had to be Carver.
It was unclear how the relationship might look going forward because it is one thing to have a one-night stand, but it is another thing to feel something deep for another person.
And Carver feels something for Stella. Whether he will get over it or suffer in silence from unrequited love remains to be seen and will be interesting to see in the coming episodes.
Meanwhile, Sylvie realized that holding Dylan to The Casey Standard was not fair to them.
Casey was a great guy and one of a kind. Dylan will never be like or replace Casey. But Dylan can also be great in his own right if only given a chance.
“Damage Control” sought to explore how a mistake can have far-reaching consequences for the offender and anyone nearby.
On the one hand, we had a nephew who loved his uncle but made a stupid mistake that cost him an uncle. It was heartbreaking to watch him realize he really messed up.
On the other hand, we had a negligent doctor so full of himself that he put a patient’s life in danger after making a mistake.
And did you get the email about Anabelle? Yeah, 0930hrs? And thank you. I’m sorry you had to miss class.
Herrmann [on the phone]
Cindy’s condition worsened, putting a huge strain on Herrmann and the family. With Herrmann working to support the family, responsibilities fell to the other kids to care for themselves and each other.
The unhealthy thing was acting as if there wasn’t something going on.
The strength in us humans helps us overcome some of the hardest things in life, but sometimes we soldier on and try to numb our feelings instead of honoring them, letting them wash over us, and then healthily addressing them.
We know everything is not okay. Your mum has cancer, and that really, really, really sucks. And we don’t have to pretend that it doesn’t. And it’s okay to talk about it. To cry about it. I mean, if you feel like crying.
Herrmann
Whether that involves talking to someone or making and beating your own cancer clown, it is a step in the right direction.
Apart from the Gallo-Violet mess, “Damage Control” was a great episode that balanced progressive storytelling, humor, and chilling emergencies.
What did you think of it?
Given the responsibility, how would you approach the two cases of people making mistakes that resulted in the loss of life?
We always love reading your thoughts on these questions and other aspects of the episode, so don’t hesitate to comment.
As always, you can watch Chicago Fire online right here on TV Fanatic to catch up on what you might have missed.
Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on Twitter.