SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 10.

Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 10 is a turning point in the season. “Carry a Torch” takes several major storylines and puts a period on them, but it’s not just that those ideas end—it’s how they’re wrapped up that is equally significant. The NBC show gives each subplot at least one emotional note to hit, so the journeys feel complete.

The most notable plotline is the conclusion to all the drama surrounding Sal Vasquez’s father Ray. That went on for almost too long in the first part of the season, so when Ray resurfaced, it felt like he was only going to cause more of a headache for Sal (and for the fans). But in this episode, there’s a pretty perfect conclusion. Ray explains to his son that he informed on his prison cellmate, so he has a target on his back; Sal helps Ray out of this sticky situation, without Ray even realizing it. But the best scene is Ray, with a gun in his face, finally opening up about his son. He tells the bad guys that Sal is the only thing in the world that he cares about, and that he’d die for him. Those few lines mean so much, and actor Brandon Larracuente‘s reactions speak even louder.

When Sal and Ray part on the street, it works on every level. It allows room for the writers to revisit the story if they so choose, but it also provides its own amount of closure so that everyone can move on for now. And most importantly, it leaves Sal and Ray in a good enough place, where the characters can also move forward. So many times in One Chicago there have been complicated parent-child relationships, and this one isn’t going to be a happy family, but it feels like there’s a greater understanding. And Ray, for the first time, feels like a person instead of an object in Sal’s way.

Chicago Fire also impressively gets some character development mileage out of Mouch’s absence (which is presumably actor Christian Stolte just getting a few episodes off for budgetary reasons). The writers could simply throw in a line or two about him not being there and move on, especially since that plot seems like it won’t be resolved any time soon. But instead, “Carry a Torch” uses that to explore Christopher Herrmann and how much Mouch’s absence affects him. Herrmann is the voice of the audience in missing Mouch, and viewers get to really connect with him on an emotional level.

It’s no surprise that David Eigenberg is wonderful here, both in a too-short scene with Robyn Coffin when Cindy shows up at the firehouse and in his screen time with Joe Minoso. Herrmann and Cruz is not a combination that fans see often, but because of the shift there’s that opportunity, and Minoso is also great as Cruz extends a hand to Herrmann. As much as it’s sad that Mouch isn’t there, it’s fantastic that the writers are able to make lemonade out of lemons.

“Carry a Torch” also wraps up the arson storyline by having Captain Van Meter regain consciousness. Firstly, Chicago Fire deserves credit for not killing Van Meter off for dramatic effect. But beyond that, to use his relationship with his daughter Carrie as a way to hold a mirror up to the troubles between Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd is a smart way to tie those two storylines into one.

Audiences may have mixed feelings about the Stellaride story up to this point, and this episode might exacerbate those a little bit. When Stella opens up to Severide about how she rushed into fostering Isaiah in an attempt to get past the pain of losing their baby, it’s hard not to think that the writers shouldn’t have done that to her in the first place. But the episode-closing scene between them outside Molly’s is so honest, and actors Miranda Rae Mayo and Taylor Kinney are so wonderful in it. It’s a scene where viewers can tell how long they’ve worked together and how much mutual respect they have for each other, as Stella and Severide finally open up and admit neither of them are okay. Nor should they be; they’ve gotten the very short end of the stick in Season 14.

But scenes like that one are why Chicago Fire has made it to Season 14. That moment, Larracuente’s great scene and all of Eigenberg’s performance hit genuine emotional notes where the viewer can feel what the characters are going through. In those instances, it doesn’t feel like a TV show. The rescue calls may be exciting and there’s a little bit of comic relief in Lizzie Novak’s new relationship status or lack thereof, but those things honestly aren’t even on the radar compared to the character moments. “Carry a Torch” proves that Chicago Fire can still strike a chord with its audience.

Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.