SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 15.

Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 15 is an hour in limbo. “Do Not Resuscitate” is clearly an episode holding space until the NBC series can get to its next major plot developments (which viewers already know are coming thanks to spoiler culture). The episode isn’t terrible but it offers nothing that sticks around after the credits roll.

Firstly, the paramedics’ plot that gives the episode its title—and that was used in the promo spots—lasts for a grand total of two scenes. It doesn’t really register. Instead, the main storyline consists of Stella Kidd and Sal Vasquez investigating a car accident. This is a plotline in which Stella channels her husband Kelly Severide, and Vasquez is able to utilize his previous police knowledge. The actual specifics of the case are not that interesting; a guy covers for a girl because she has been admitted to West Point. But as Vasquez points out, fleeing the scene of an accident and letting someone else take the fall is not in line with West Point values. The moral dilemma isn’t much of one.

The real appeal is watching Stella and Vasquez team up; they’ve come a long way from when they first met. For all of the times Severide has gotten to suss out arson cases, it’s cool to see Stella get a plotline like that. Chicago Fire ends with a tease that Vasquez might be considering the police academy, and that can’t be totally dismissed because there have been one-season characters on this show before. But the creative team would be ill-advised to get rid of Brandon Larracuente, who is an incredibly talented actor. Plus, they’re already spending plenty of time on both paramedics having crushes on Vasquez. The return of Novak’s sister Heidi seems to happen just to call attention to that.

Speaking of Severide, it is very bad timing to have this be the episode in which Taylor Kinney does not appear. Audiences know that all of the One Chicago shows rotate cast members out periodically as a cost-saving measure, but to do that immediately after Episode 14 ended with Severide standing in the empty chief’s office makes that so anticlimactic. The first person viewers wanted to see after that ending was Severide, and he’s off taking the captain’s exam.

In much better news, Jeanine Mason returns as Lucy, suggesting that the writers are keeping the Cross star around. Nobody can ever replace the greatness of DuShon Monique Brown as Connie, but if anyone can follow well in her footsteps, it’s Jeanine Mason. She brings a warmth to the character of Lucy but she’s also confident. (And presumably it’s a contractual thing, but viewers may have noticed that Dermot Mulroney is still listed in the main credits despite his character Dom Pascal being fired. Perhaps Lucy will eventually get to be Pascal’s assistant at some point, if he makes a surprise return after Chief Hopkins comes in and messes everything up.)

The semi-comedic subplot, because it’s not that funny, also involves a guest star. Dan Bakkedahl—who also just appeared in another Dick Wolf series, CIA—returns as Larry the lawyer, who wants Christopher Herrmann to appear in his new commercial. The humor in this comes entirely from Herrmann freaking out over having to memorize lines. Having an actor playing a firefighter trying to be an actor is a level of meta humor that David Eigenberg navigates well. Plus, there’s a nice shoutout to Steve Buscemi. But past those meta laughs, this plot is also just there.

“Do Not Resuscitate” feels like a handful of plots mashed into one episode, instead of a coherent episode where the different stories work well together. It seems like it’s merely creating a bridge until Chief Hopkins turns up and Severide comes back, to get back to the post-Pascal drama. Chicago Fire has a lot of airtime to fill and this is one of those instances where it’s just getting by.

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.