Original subtitles

- I cannot in good conscience put people's lives

in your hands, McCaffrey.

- We gotta cut you loose.

- You have no idea who the hell you're dealing with.

- His dad is currently a state senator.

- What are you saying, Chief?

- A job like this one, you can't have too many friends.

- I should be getting better.

It should be getting easier, but it's not.

So why keep torturing myself?

- Because your family needs you.

Your 51 family needs you too.

- All arsonists need a worthy adversary.

- Calloway called you in because he knew

you could solve this case.

- Calloway, no!

[dramatic music]

That's the thing.

I'm not sure I did.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

[exhales]

- Nice and steady, left foot.

Good, good.

Yes. Keep your balance.

You got this.

- [grunting]

- Nice. Well done.

Yes.

All right.

♪ ♪

One step at a time.

- [grunts] How many to top yesterday's mark?

- Let's not focus-- - How many?

- 288.

[soft dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- I'm doing 300.

[grunting]

- Go!

- I got you. Let's go.

I got him.

Come on.

Let's go.

Let's go. Here we go.

- Time!

- [breathing heavily]

- Not bad.

Not perfect.

But you'll get there.

- What's the record? - Don't worry about a record.

Y'all are working as a unit.

That's what matters.

Fall in.

Gentlemen, your rotation here is almost over.

So pretty soon you're gonna be on different rigs

with different crews.

So just remember this.

This job, it is not about who finishes first.

It's just making sure that everybody does.

Good work.

Let's run it back, all right?

- So Jacob finally asked you out?

- He offered to buy me dinner

as thanks for handing him the psych ward story.

The AP picked it up.

- But you're going to dinner with him, right?

- No, I said he could just buy me a drink at Molly's.

What?

- Nothing.

I just find it interesting how he keeps

finding reasons to see you.

- Funny how it's always about a story, though.

Novak, what happened with you and Vasquez?

You haven't said a word about it.

- Oh, yeah, I decided not to bring it up.

- You're not even the slightest bit curious?

- I mean, I'm glad you told me what he said,

but what does it mean, he tried?

I put myself out there at Herrmann's vow renewal,

and he just let me sit there.

He had every opportunity to say something,

anything, but he didn't.

Anyway, we cleared the air, and things are

finally not weird between us,

and I would like it to stay that way.

- Yeah.

- Besides, I'm kind of into karaoke guy.

[phone chiming]

- Hmm, go on.

- Hey, Margaret Mikami.

Who is that, your aunt?

- No, that's my mom.

[clears throat]

You keep her in your phone as Margaret?

- Uh, yeah, we're not close.

She lives in Boston.

- Hey, my new morning Qigong routine is really paying off.

I fit into my lean pants, not the holiday ones.

- Ah, hell, what fundraiser did I forget about?

- It's picture day, Herrmann.

- Severide mentioned it in the last two morning briefings

and sent out a reminder email.

- Didn't we just get our photos taken?

- Five years ago.

New policy.

They want them every two years.

It was all in the email.

- Well, they're gonna have to use the last one I took.

- It's not optional, Herrmann.

Department requirement.

- Which was also in the email.

- What ever happened to just posting

the flyer on the corkboard in the hallway?

Now I get 1,200 emails.

Half of them go to spam, and that's supposed to be progress?

- Squad 3, Truck 81, Engine 51, Ambulance 61,

police assist, 755 Hudson Avenue, staged...

[sirens wailing]

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- Listen to me. We're not going anywhere.

Let your wife and kids out the door.

You and I can keep talking.

- Hey, what do we got?

- Adult male barricaded inside with his family,

wife and two kids.

We've been talking for about 45 minutes now.

He's armed, agitated, and making threats.

- So what's the play?

- Well, we had a dialogue going,

but he's no longer responding.

This might already be over.

Just stay behind the perimeter for now.

We'll let you know when-- - Hey, hey, hey.

♪ ♪

- Okay, Alex, you're doing the right thing.

I need you to keep walking nice and easy.

Okay, stop there.

Drop to your knees.

Show us your hands.

Alex, I need to see your hands.

♪ ♪

- [screaming]

[tense music]

- We gotta move.

One, two, three.

- [screaming]

- Let's get him on oxygen, and grab the IO drill.

- Engine, you lead out. - On it.

- Squad, go to primary search.

Truck, vent the roof, run a ladder to the second floor.

- Copy. You got it.

All right, 81, give me a 38 on the B side.

We got two kids in there. Let's move.

- Copy that.

- Gonna put some oxygen on you, okay?

Try to stay calm.

- [gasping]

- Go!

♪ ♪

- Hold!

♪ ♪

Mouch! Soak it down!

Capp, clear yourself a path!

- Copy that!

- Fire department, call out!

- On your six, Lieutenant. - Copy.

- His pressure's dropping.

Stay with us, sir.

Give him a 300cc fluid bolus.

- Copy.

[saw whirring]

- Hey! - Wait, wait, wait.

- Help us! Help, please! - You hear that?

- It's burning!

Please!

Get us out!

- [grunts]

Hey, we got the family.

We're bringing them onto the roof.

- Copy.

- Herrmann, Ballard, get to the roof.

We got multiple victims coming down.

- All right, copy that.

Hey, Burke, you and me, we're going up.

- Copy.

- Come on.

Up. There we go.

Okay. - Three, two, one.

- We're moving to the second floor.

- Copy that.

- He's bradying down.

I can't feel a pulse. - Start compressions.

- Just a few more steps, okay?

Nice and easy.

All right. Hey.

- Watch your step. Watch your step.

[sirens wailing]

- Hey, Burke, two more ambos just arrived.

Will you take them to get checked out?

- All right, copy that.

We're gonna...

♪ ♪

- Truck, status on the family.

- Accounted for. Wife and kids. - Copy.

Multiple firebombs on two, unable to secure.

All companies evacuate.

- Vasquez, what's your status?

- Starting to vent.

- Negative. Clear the roof.

♪ ♪

Vasquez, report!

♪ ♪

- Novak, let's call it.

There's nothing else we could've done.

♪ ♪

- Hey, come on, grab a pike pole.

We still got work to do.

♪ ♪

- Chief Tomlin's here.

- I saw him.

- Cruz.

- What's up, Capp?

- We heard you ditched the wheels.

- Yeah.

[grunts] My legs finally got the memo.

- [chuckles] Yeah.

- Caught a rough one, huh?

- [sighs] What's the latest?

- Uh, Dr. Archer, he, uh, did tell me

about some specialized recovery center.

Supposed to have a good reputation

for getting first responders back onto the job.

Might take a few more months, but...

I'm ready to put in the work.

- Joe Cruz in the house!

Hey, are you teaching Zumba yet or what?

- [laughs]

- Come on, let's take it to my office.

I got a few things for you to sign.

- Yeah, sounds good.

[grunts] I'll see you guys in a bit.

- Yeah.

- So he told me, the good news is,

you always land on your feet.

[laughter]

- Chief Tomlin.

- I'll, uh-- I'll leave you to it.

- That was, uh, some call this morning.

Now, there's a chapter for your memoir.

- Could've gone a lot worse.

- Yeah. That's why I'm here.

Look, you're CFD's busiest squad.

You're missing a limb.

You've been running a man down for, what,

going on five months now?

- It's temporary.

- Oh.

You and I have different definitions of temporary.

- All due respect, Chief, what is this about?

- Joe Cruz is a hero, plain and simple,

but the vacancy in Squad 3 needs to be resolved.

This comes from high above.

You have a week to recommend a suitable replacement.

If you don't, headquarters will.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- They can't just push Cruz out.

There's gotta be union protections.

- It's actually more of a gray area than you'd think.

- Well, he made it sound like headquarters can do

whatever the hell they want.

- If they're convinced he'll never return to suppression--

- Well, that hasn't been determined.

- Another way is if Cruz voluntarily

accepts reassignment.

- Mouch, that's not gonna happen.

- Squad positions don't come up very often.

Maybe Tomlin wants to move one of his guys into that slot.

- I don't know.

But it feels like he's gunning for me.

- All right, let me make some calls,

hit up some old friends from my union days.

- Do whatever you gotta do.

Just do it fast.

- I'm on it, Cap.

[camera shutter clicks] - Okay, next.

- I hate my smile in photos.

- What's to hate?

- Just always look so forced.

- Isn't it, though?

That's the whole point of having to say "cheese."

- No, no, that is how you end up

looking like a serial killer.

- Wow.

- Next.

- I blame Tyra Banks for convincing

an entire generation that it's not enough to just smile.

Now you have to smile with your eyes.

- You have to what?

- Smize. - Huh?

- Okay, you have to think of something

that makes you smile and then let your eyes do the rest.

It's happy, but effortless.

- I don't know what you're talking about,

but it's just a smile.

I don't know what's so hard about that.

- Next.

- Um, hey, can you go?

'Cause I'm not ready.

- Hey, Frank.

[camera shutter clicks]

- Next.

- Chief Tomlin, sorry to barge in unannounced,

but I had this lying around and, uh, heard you were a fan.

Randall McHolland, Firehouse 51.

- Let me guess.

Joe Cruz.

- Yes, sir.

I spoke with union council

about line-of-duty medical leave,

and they cited a clause in our CBA--

- Article 18, section 4.

I am familiar.

Did they point you to section 36?

- I know a four-person squad is standard,

but section 36 allows for--

- Four is standard for a reason.

- [sighs]

Come on, Chief.

I mean, there has to be a way for us to make this work.

- I didn't think your captain was the type to play ball.

- Well, that's why I'm here.

Give Cruz 90 more days before his occupational health eval,

and Severide will personally come in off shift

and train all five of your truck companies

for technical rescue certification.

- I don't care about all that.

[tense music]

But there is something that he can do.

- [laughs]

- Okay, you want to know who I really want to hear about?

- Who?

- Ryan Mercer. Right. - Mm-hmm.

- Valedictorian, class president.

- My arch nemesis.

- I heard he's currently in federal prison

for investment fraud.

- Oh, my God.

Seriously?

Wow, he must've made some new friends at Stanford.

- Hey, how come you didn't end up going there?

You got in, right?

- Always the investigative journalist, huh?

Never turn that off?

[bluesy rock music playing]

- I'm really glad we reconnected.

Most people from high school I'd be happy to forget.

- Oh, yeah.

- But not everyone.

- All right, buddy.

This is gonna be a tough one.

What word is that?

- Bear.

- Boom!

Ah, good job.

All right, let's run it again.

- I'm gonna ask Jodie to pick up the kids

from school again tomorrow. - Okay.

- Yesterday, I sat in traffic for 38 minutes

to move maybe half a block.

- That's brutal.

- I don't have time to be sitting in traffic that long,

not with so many other errands

and all my Zoom meetings.

- Hey, buddy, why don't you go get ready to take a bath, huh?

I thought we talked about this.

- I need help, Joe.

Look, I know--I know how hard you've been

working on your rehab, but when the twins arrive--

- Mm-hmm.

We will figure it out the way we always have.

- I don't want to do this alone.

- Who's asking you to?

- Once you're back at work--

- Oh, come on, Chloe, we keep having--

- [grunts]

Ouch.

[gasps]

- What's wrong?

Braxton-Hicks?

- I dunno.

Ouch! - Okay.

Okay, okay.

All right, we are not due for four weeks.

- [breathing heavily] [water trickling]

- Oh, okay. Okay.

Uh, all right.

Um--okay, boys, uh, this is not a drill.

Javi, grab the go-bag.

Otis, forget the bath. Okay.

Breathe, breathe. There you go.

[apprehensive music]

- Is Mom okay?

- Come with me.

[baby fussing] - [gasps]

Hi.

[baby crying]

[gentle music]

♪ ♪

Come and meet your new baby sisters.

- They're so tiny.

- [chuckles]

- Which one's which?

This is Sofia, and this is Elena.

- Come here.

Let me take one of those off of your hands.

- Yes, sir. - [grunts]

- Ooh.

- It's okay. I just need to sit.

- Yeah, you've been on your feet all day.

- I'm fine.

You're the one that just gave birth.

- It's cool, Dad. I can help.

- Oops. [chuckles]

- [grunts]

Hey, big bro.

[babies crying]

[humming]

♪ ♪

- Chloe said she had to have twins to even the score.

- Oh, poor Joe.

He doesn't stand a chance.

Those two little girls are gonna have him

wrapped around those little fingers.

Oh!

[laughter]

- Check it out. We got them tiny Sox hats.

- Isn't Joe a Cubs fan?

- Yeah, he was furious.

- Let me see it.

- Hollis!

Hey.

So rotation's almost over.

How are you feeling?

- I'm feeling, uh, feeling great, Lieutenant.

Ready to get out there.

- Well, if, you know, there's anything

that you want to talk through or any questions,

now's the time for that.

- Thanks, Lieutenant.

- All right.

Carry on.

- Heard I just missed you at the hospital yesterday.

- Hard to believe Cruz has four kids.

- Yeah.

I think he's going after Herrmann's record.

I also went down to headquarters,

was able to steal a few minutes with Chief Tomlin.

He's willing to give Cruz 90 more days.

- What did he want?

- For you to rescind your letter to the DC

and have McCaffrey reinstated.

- What?

- I know it's not ideal, but--

- No. - But--

- No way. Not a chance.

- [sighs]

- He's willing to use Cruz as a bargaining chip?

- I don't see another way.

And if we don't make the deal, Tomlin already has

someone in mind for the spot.

- I'm not putting McCaffrey back in the field.

- Maybe you don't have to.

- [exhales]

- Damn, Hollis.

How hungover are you?

- Nah, I just--not sleeping.

That guy burning alive,

I guess we'll get used to it, huh?

- It's what we signed up for, man.

Doesn't mean we'll ever get used to it.

[pensive music]

♪ ♪

My first rotation,

we had a rollover on Eisenhower.

The guy was slumped over the steering wheel,

head split wide open,

brains spilling out.

Kendrick Lamar was--he was--

he was playing on the radio.

Until this day, I still can't hear that song

without going right back.

♪ ♪

For weeks, every time I closed my eyes,

that's what I saw.

And eventually, one of the old-timers just--

he pulled me aside, and he told me I gotta find

a way to get out of my head.

He told me to put a washcloth over my face,

put on a white noise machine.

It worked for me.

♪ ♪

- Guess who got the proofs for our photo session?

- What? - What? How?

- Well, it turns out that cranky old photographer

is open to bribes.

So for 50 bucks, he sent us a link.

- You got taken.

We don't get to choose.

- Herrmann, he's the one who decides.

Plus, after my last photo fiasco,

I am not leaving it to chance.

Okay, let's see what we got.

- All right. - Hey, it's me.

- Ooh.

- Remarkably consistent.

- Why mess with perfection?

- Oh.

Tony, lots of good options.

- Mm. Well.

- Okay. That's not terrible.

- These are all perfect.

What were you so worried about?

- Yeah, I mean, I'm-- I'm not--I'm not mad.

Thanks, Herrmann.

I--I took your advice and kept it simple and just smiled.

- Ah. All right.

What about me? How'd mine turn out?

- Oh, that is not the one.

- Keep going.

- Huh.

- You--you must've got in my head, telling me to smizz,

smize, whatever you call it.

It completely threw me off.

All right?

Now, not one of those is frame-worthy.

- Truck 81, Ambulance 61, water rescue, Riverwalk access

at State Street.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- Over here.

His kayak flipped, and these guys jumped in after him.

- All right.

Everybody, move out of the way.

We got him. All right, let's get him out.

- Ballard. - On it.

- How long was he under?

- I don't know.

A while.

- All righty. - Grab the strap.

- Yeah. [siren wailing]

Good job.

- Grab his head. Grab his head.

- Got it. - All right.

- Hey, we got no pulse.

- All right, start compressions.

All right, guys, the medics are here.

- Okay.

You get pads on him. I'll bag him.

- Yep.

♪ ♪

- Yeah. Okay. - Check rhythm.

- Asystole.

- Resume compressions.

- Come on, kid.

- Okay. IV's in. - Push epi.

- All right.

- Come on.

- Come on. Come on.

- Okay, uh, let's intubate.

- Okay.

♪ ♪

Okay, ready. - [coughs]

- There we go.

- Okay. - Get him on his side.

- [coughing]

♪ ♪

- We've got ROSC.

- Great.

- [breathing heavily]

- All right. There you go.

- All right.

Hey, Jansen, Burke, grab a stair chair.

- Copy.

- [breathing heavily]

[soft dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- Hi. Sorry to interrupt.

I want to say congratulations. - Thank you.

- And you, welcome to the girl dad club.

- Ah. Thanks, Doc.

- Good.

Uh, so I ran into your physical therapist this morning.

Seeing as you've made such remarkable progress

in the last few weeks, she said that if you keep it up

you'll be back on Squad before you know it.

- I'll keep pushing.

- Good.

[apprehensive music]

- Come on, guys. This is great news.

♪ ♪

Javi, papi.

- Why can't somebody else's dad do it?

♪ ♪

- Yeah, yeah, sounds like it could be a really good fit.

Let me, uh, confirm with both parties,

and I will get right back to you.

All right, thanks.

- [exhales deeply]

- What happened?

Another rough call?

- Uh, no, no, no, no, no.

We saved the guy.

He's gonna be fine.

It's just this photo.

I don't think I can resurrect it.

I sent it to Annabelle, the least-awful one.

She ran it through some AI thingy, but--

I don't know.

- It's like someone took a photo of your wax figure.

- Well, she fixed my smile, but I can't use this.

- Yeah, it's a little heavy on the artificial.

Well, Frank said that he could do a reshoot

for 100 bucks, but that's highway robbery.

- Herrmann, it's just a personnel photo.

- Not for me, all right?

This could be my last photo in uniform, the one they use

at my retirement party and the last one that, you know,

Cindy gets to frame.

- Well, when you put it that way, 100 bucks

sounds like a bargain.

- [sighs]

- All right, listen up.

We've had a couple rough ones.

And we don't talk about this as much as we should,

but these things, they stay with you,

whether you like it or not.

And we all have to figure out a way to get through it.

So me, I go for a jog.

I run until I am too tired to think.

Sometimes it works.

Sometimes it doesn't.

You can always talk to the chaplain or each other.

- Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I mean, me, I--

I end up at the shooting range.

You know, it just gives me something else to focus on.

- You just have to figure out whatever works best for you.

- Before we begin, I'd just like to say I think

there's a way we all walk away happy.

Maybe not completely happy,

but that's the nature of compromise.

You know it's good when everyone

leaves a little disappointed.

- McHolland, quit shuffling and deal.

- Right. Okay.

I called an old friend of mine in Equipment and Supply.

Turns out they have an opening on the front desk.

So if McCaffrey still wants to serve--

- Equipment and Supply?

Tell me you're joking.

- Gets him back on the payroll with a chance to earn

his way back into the field.

- That wasn't the deal.

- It's the only way I'll do it.

- Well, then this has been a giant waste of my time.

Gentlemen-- - Please. Chief.

With all due respect, it's not forever,

but it's a way back in for the kid.

And we're not asking for much.

Just 90 more days for Cruz to get

cleared by Occupational Health.

- And if he is not ready by then?

- He'll be ready.

[backup alarm beeping]

[phone ringing]

- Your mom again?

- Yep.

- Oh, it's her third call today.

She's really committed to the whole

not-leaving-a-voicemail thing.

- Yeah, she knows I won't listen.

[sighs]

- Hey, you know you can talk to me, right?

- Yeah.

I think it feels wrong

complaining about my mom to you.

- Well, you don't have to worry about that.

Trust me, if--

if my mom were still here,

I would be complaining.

She always knew exactly how to get under my skin.

- Honestly, I don't even know what she wants.

- Well, maybe it's worth finding out.

- For 100 bucks I better look like I'm on the cover of "GQ."

- I'm not a miracle worker.

- Well, I'm not getting up until we get this right.

[camera shutter clicking]

- I may have created a monster.

[chuckles]

I also may have flooded karaoke guy's phone with my headshots

and asked him to pick a favorite.

- You need his opinion? - No.

I just need him to see how amazing I look in uniform.

[chuckles]

- Jealous.

- [laughs]

- Don't think I didn't notice you finally fixed this.

- Well, somebody had to.

- Hey, you talk to Mouch?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah, he, um-- he filled me in on your deal

with Chief Tomlin.

- If--if you don't think 90 days is enough--

- Oh, no, no, it's not, um--

Dr. Archer, he, uh-- he pulled some strings.

He got me into that program I told you about,

so it should speed up my recovery some.

- That's great news, isn't it?

- Yeah.

[pensive music]

Yeah.

♪ ♪

I'm not coming back.

♪ ♪

- Look, I know these last few months have been a rough go.

- It's more than that.

- Just--you don't--

Cruz, you don't have to decide right now, all right?

Just-- - Hey, trust me, brother.

This is the hardest decision I've ever had to make.

And I know you fought for me, and, man, I'll never forget it.

It just--

this house, the job,

this family, it--

it lives in me.

[pensive music]

♪ ♪

You know, when, uh--

when I got my head back in it and I finally started to hit

the PT hard, I had one goal--

get back on that squad.

And then the twins came, and it changed everything.

Yeah, this, uh-- this rehab center,

it's, uh--it's close to Chloe's parents in Minneapolis,

and they're dying to help with the babies.

Chloe can work remotely, so that's where we're headed.

So I can be there for my family.

- We've been riding beside each other for 12 years.

♪ ♪

I need you beside me.

- They need me more.

Besides, you taught me everything I know.

You'll teach the new guy too.

♪ ♪

- So that's it?

There was no talking him out of it?

- His mind's made up.

- Wow.

How do you replace Joe Cruz?

- 51 won't be the same without you, Joe.

- How did Severide take the news?

- Oh, not great.

- Well, he just needs time to process.

- We all do.

- Are you taking your French press with you, or...?

- I'll miss you, too, Capp.

- Body's not even cold.

- What?

He's the one who made me a coffee snob.

- It's all yours.

- Oh, my God, and he takes it.

- Hmm.

That one's getting framed.

- Hey.

Don't go anywhere.

- You know you don't have to do extra credit

trying to impress me.

- [chuckles] It helps me know where everything is.

- Mm.

Well, I just checked in with Hollis,

found out you beat me to it.

Do you know why a cold washcloth works?

- It activates the dive reflex.

- I saw you last shift,

uh, shielding those kids from seeing their father's body.

[soft music]

You just knew exactly what they needed.

- I figured they'd seen enough.

- They don't teach that at the academy.

I think that you knew exactly what those kids needed

because somewhere along the line

you learned what happens when nobody cares.

♪ ♪

Whatever happened before you joined the CFD,

before you got here at 51, I can tell

it taught you how to survive.

♪ ♪

You just gotta learn you don't have to do it all alone.

- You know, I remember when I first joined Squad,

I thought you were gonna kill me.

[chuckles]

[soft dramatic music]

♪ ♪

Hope you don't mind.

It was Herrmann's idea, and for once,

I actually agree with the guy.

I promise, when we're done,

I'll put it back where it belongs.

♪ ♪

So, uh, Capp said--

he promises he's gonna keep you looking sharp.

So Tony's on it.

[exhales deeply]

I'll be with you always, brother.

- Congratulations, Joe.

♪ ♪

Come on, we can save these for later.

I think they're ready for us.

[laughs]

♪ ♪

- Come on and get in the middle, Joe.

- All right, everybody here?

You ready?

♪ ♪

All right, folks, here we go.

Looking good. Let's do this.

[camera shutter clicking]

One more.

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[wolf howls]