Previously on Chicago Fire, Dawson failed her firefighters test but got a second chance. Casey failed his first testin being a supportive boyfriend but is really hoping he can pass the second one with a little help from an engagement ring. Boden also needed a second chance with Donna after bungling his first proposal. “Let’s get married to make the paperwork easier,” is not exactly every girl’s dream. He hit his mulligan squarely down the fairway and Donna agreed to be Mrs. Chief. Also looking for a second chance is Devon, Shay’s former girlfriend who made off like a thief in the night with everything of value (and Otis’ piece of crap helmet) from the Shaveride apartment. But now she’s back, from outer space, and Shay’s not sure if she’s going to tell Devon to go on now go, or not.
We begin where we left off, with Dawson in the smoker. She finishes her test and the smile on her face tells us she passed. Do you need a minute? That’s one hell of a smile, Dawson.
Dawson and Casey walk into 51 and no one is around. When they make their way back to the classroom everyone is waiting to cheer. Shay snags the first hug and tells Dawson “I’ve never been so turned on.” Well, who doesn’t love a lady firefighter?
Boden tells Casey and Dawon that they needs to come have a chat in his office. Severide wants to know what Devon is doing staying over at their apartment. Well, Severide, when two beautiful, single ladies…He wants Shay to assure him that she’s not going to be stupid about Devon (again) she tells him shes got this. Yeah, Shay, when it comes to your love life, everything screams “under control.”
Dawson has been assigned to be the candidate in the house from the 1950s. The sexist douchebag we met last week will be her lieutenant. Boden says it will be a challenge but has no doubt O’Neal can handle it with a combination of one handed push-up montages and the perfect use of lines such as “suck my dick.” Dawson has two more shifts before they are breaking up Shawson. How about a little break up sex, ladies? Boden says he’s going to miss Dawson (but maybe not the paperwork she generated from her disciplinary cases). After she leaves the room Casey wants to know if there’s anything to do about Dawson’s placement and Boden tells Casey that even if they are setting up to fail, no one beats Dawson. Hmm, sure would be nice to have a boyfriend with that much confidence in her. Casey bombs out of Boden’s office and tells the guys, “get in losers, we’re going to teach a class in feminism to some neanderthals.”
Boden catches Herrmann and asks him to be his best man. Herrmann is thrilled, although he totally had money on the Chief blowing it with Donna. Herrmann tells Boden he will get a church wedding organized because after your fifth baptism, the church always throws in a free wedding.
Casey and the brain trust rolls up to Dawson’s new house. He asks where Welch is and the guys barely acknowledge him. He finds Welch working out and informs him that he and Dawson are a couple and that he wants to be sure she gets the respect she deserves. Welch makes a crack about Dawson being able to cook, clean, and do other “female type activities.” He sounds like he should be running for Congress on the GOP ticket. Good lord. Casey gets pissed (which we know because he points his finger menacingly) but before he can try to kick Welch’s ass, Herrmann appears. They have a call.
Suddenly it’s night time. That conversation must have taken forever because it was afternoon when it started. The call is to a boarding school which is fully engulfed in flames. Some of the kids weren’t on campus so they don’t know if everyone is accounted for or not. They clear the halls of kids, and for a tense minute it’s unclear if Severide and Mills are trapped in the fire. The make it out with a kid who injured. Shay and Dawson take the kids to the hospital while the crew douses the flames.
They are still working the next morning. Mouch bemoans his bad dating luck and Herrmann looks ready to kill someone. The priest told him that you actually need six baptisms before you get free use of the cathedral. Otis says, “So you’ve already screwed this up.”
Never change Otis. Mills asks Newcastle if he will help find his father’s family. Mills offers to pay but Newman says he’ll work for beer. Apparently, he’s still in college.
After they finish putting out the fire they go through the interior and Newguy and Severide find a kid that was hiding under his bed in a room Severide searched. He twitches and Severide carries him out. Severide can’t believe he missed the kid and Boden says “let it go.” If this were ABC Family, there would be a nice Elsa product placement at this point.
Back at 51, Severide still looks distraught. But Christmas came early because a lady is dropping off a mangy looking motorcycle Severide bought himself. The guy make cracks but that thing is pretty under all the grit. Severide starts to work on it and Capp brings his tools to help out.
In the bathroom Cruz asks Herrmann if he broke the news to Boden that there’s no church for his church wedding. Otis is a terrible secret keeper. Herrmann thinks he can find a way around the priest telling him it’s impossible. Otis tells him he better fess up to Boden.
Boden is watching Severide pour his grief into his motorcycle when Herrmann walks up and starts to tell him about the church debacle. He gets cut off by the Chief thanking him for taking it off his plate. Whoopsie! Looks like Herrmann is going to go back to the drawing board.
Shay and Dawson roll in. Shay tells Severide she checked up on the kid at the hospital but he doesn’t want to talk about him. She notices the bike and he claims it’s evidence that he’s okay. She fires back that if he’s okay maybe they can chat about sticky fingers Devon. He may never be that okay.
In Casey’s office, Dawson starts to get nostalgic for her job. She only has two more shifts at the house and while she won’t miss getting puked on she will miss Shay (and other stuff, but after she said “Shay” I pretty much tuned out). Before they can finish the conversation they get called out.
Shay and Dawson wax nostalgic on the drive to the call. “Every call seems like it might be the last time we get busy in the back of the rig.” The call is for a couple of guys who have been shot. The police show up (no sign of Hairporn though) and run after a third guy with a gun. In the meantime Shay and Dawson get started on the victims, until one pulls a gun on Dawson. Before anyone can run over, Dawson cold cocks the guy. You messed with the wrong Marine, dude. Shay and Dawson have a little celebratory eye sex.
Casey tells Boden that he found Dawson a place at another house so she doesn’t have to deal with Welch. Boden wants to know if Dawson asks for the change. Casey says no, he hasn’t exactly talked to her about it. Boden says he will sign off if it’s what Dawson wants. If it were me, would ask Dawson wat she wants first. Especially in light of her going all Muhammad Ali on the last call.
Casey is in the shower while Dawson gets changed into her street clothes. His phone rings and Casey asks her to take a message. The call is about an engagement ring. Whoops! She tells him that she didn’t get the call in time. Doing the “Single Ladies” dance, might be a giveaway Dawson.
Severide is working on his bike when Boden asks how he’s doing. He grumbles and gets the bike to start. Boden walks away. Severide walks into the hospital to see the kid. He asks a nurse how the kid is doing and how old he is. He’s 10, and unlikely to make it. What is this, England? Who sends their kid to boarding school at age 10? Severide blinks back tears.
Back home Severide would just like a goddamn beer but Devon finished it and didn’t buy more. Worst houseguest ever? He blows up at her. At least half of his rage has nothing to do with her but frankly, she had this coming. Shay walks in at the end. Severide leaves, Devon cries and Shay is left in her normal spot, totally screwed (but looking amazing).
Severide lands at the precinct to see Detective Lindsay. Is there any chance that she has a gay sister? Severide tells her it was just one of those days. I have a feeling Lindsay’s face could make just about anyone feel better. I volunteer as tribute to find out. After he tells her about his effing terrible day and blames himself for not finding the kid, Lindsay tells him a story about her first week on the job. She saw a kid stealing a candy bar but didn’t arrest him or talk to him. She let him go and while she paid for her food she heard gunshots. The kid died and she can’t help feeling guilty. Severide wells up and she hugs him. In a perfect world, Lindsay would be dating Shay but these two are so pretty and good together I’m not even mad about it.
At Molly’s, Dawson tells Shay that she answered the call from the jewelry store. Shay can’t keep a secret for her life so Dawson realizes Shay knows about it. Dawson takes a big slug of her drink. Before they can process her feelings, Herrmann hops up on the bar and makes a terrible toast to Dawson. Shay and Dawson have a quick eye shag before Casey pull Dawson away. She thinks he’s about to propose, but nope, he’s got a big, shiny transfer order for her. Wrong answer, bucko. She wants to be treated like everyone else and promises Master Chief Welch will not break her. She’s got D.H. Lawrence in her back pocket and she doesn’t feel self pity, Matt.Mills hands Newhouse a folder with a picture of his dad and some other information. Mouch sidles up to Herrmann and lets him know that while he has failed to get the church for Boden, maybe his wife will have better luck. Any woman who can birth five Herrmanns can surely take on a priest without breaking a sweat.
Severide is still tinkering with his motorcycle. He gets it started and rides it to the hospital. He walks in and sees the parents weeping and assumes the worse. The nurse tells him that the kid has made a turn for the better and the parents have been crying with joy.
Herrmann picks up the Chief and finally breaks the news that they aren’t going to the cathedral. Boden is ready to rip his tiny little head off when the phone rings and Donna says she’s at the firehouse. Boden is out for blood and screams at Herrmann the whole way. When they arrive at 51, the entire house it there waiting for the ceremony. Mills got ordained online to do the ceremony, and the bagpipers play hile Donna walks down the aisle. Not too shabby, Herrmann.
Mouch tries to sneak a second piece of cake and ends up in a rom-com moment with Sergeant Platt. Whoa boy, she might be more than you can handle, but it’s going to be fun watching you try. Casey takes note of all the happy couples around the room and decides that he shouldn’t wait to ask Dawson to marry him. Upstaging your boss on his wedding day is always a good idea. She cries but before she can answer they all get called out.
They head to a fire, that looks small from the outside. Before heading in, Severide tells Shay he’s sorry. He says she loves him and that they will figure everything out. Casey calls out that there is a person injured on the stairs so Shay and Dawson go in. Then the radios seem to stop working so the battalion chief heads in to check it out, leaving Boden outside in his wedding suit. A few seconds later the building explodes. Boden calls for anyone to report but just gets silence.
And we’ll have to wait for the fall to see if anyone survived. Thanks for watching, tweeting, and reading the recaps. I have really enjoyed recapping this season. You are all the best.
