“Chicago Fire Season 13 Ep 19: A Smoky Trail of Disappointment – Will the Stars Align for a Better Next Time?”
Added on April 24, 2025 inEntertainment News Cards, TV News Cards
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Ah, the stars have aligned, and Taurus season is upon us, bringing with it a certain expectation of grounding energy and practicality, right? Well, it seems like our favorite firefighters from Chicago Fire had a celestial missstep, as Season 13 Episode 19 felt less like the sturdy bull we all know and more like a dozing lamb. This episode, dubbed “Permanent Damage,” ironically left viewers wondering if their television had suffered from such a fate due to the sheer lack of the usual adrenaline-pumping content. With rumors swirling of key characters like Carver and Ritter possibly leaving the show, you’d expect at least a send-off with some fireworks (metaphorical, of course). But alas, as Taurus would remind us, stability isn’t always exciting. If you’re craving some more earth-shaking drama or just want a glimpse of what’s next in the stars for our firehouse crew, LEARN MORE.
We’ve had quite a run of excitement on the show recently, so I suppose we can give Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 19 a pass for offering a lot less.
It was well past the middle of the hour before the team even got a decent call, and even that one didn’t come with anything more than a brief medical emergency.
Overall, “Permanent Damage” was so slow that the never-ending mindless commercials made more of an impact than anything else.
Honestly, I wonder if there was even 35 minutes’ worth of content. Every time a story got beyond a short conversation, there was another set of commercials.
Between the endless breaks during the season and the incessant short breaks during the episodes, we can probably tear through a whole season on Peacock in record time.
It was so slow that one of the predominant stories was Novak’s sudden homelessness.
Novak was temporarily living in her car because her rent doubled overnight, so she was on the hunt for a new place to hang her hat.
She only had one suitcase, so wherever she goes, it doesn’t seem like it would be all that tough to invite her in to see how it went.
Begging to move in with Ritter, though, was such a bad move. Never force yourself into another person’s living situation.
Even worse, she went right into Ritter’s locker without asking, not quite Marie Kondoing it but rearranging everything he had.
Herrmann stepped in with an offer to live with his daughter, which was definitely a no-go for Novak.
Eventually, Ritter was worn down by listening to her efforts. No wonder Ritter may be on his way out. The roommate situation doesn’t seem like a good idea.
And anyway, if Carver and Ritter are really on their way out, as we heard after Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 18, you’d never know it from the story.
The photos this week were even heavy on both characters, as if someone was trying to assure us that they were still a permanent part of the crew.
Carver ultimately got involved with Violet’s quest to find someone masquerading as a medic after she and Novak got called for a young man with a botched tracheotomy.
More power to that poor guy, lying there without having any idea what was coming next. I sure wouldn’t have had his calm demeanor.
I get a twinge in my arm, and I start planning how the paramedics will get into my house if I’m unable to let them in.
It’s definitely not cool that someone would intercept an emergency call. Was he just some dude who got his jollies watching emergency shows and wanted to give it a whirl?
There was a woman on hand to call for help, but she didn’t have a lot of information for Violet to go on to track the guy down.
It’s pretty scary to imagine, though.
There are so many scams in the world. Is this another one we need to worry about? Some fool listening to the emergency channels, trying to usurp business from the pros?
It took her to neighbor Carla’s door, but she still didn’t have much to share about the guy other than that he was middle-aged, white, and sweating a lot.
He sounded more like a drug addict than a medic working for a private service, and the plain phone number on a business card didn’t elicit faith.
In the end, he was a guy who thought he was “helping” those who couldn’t afford emergency services.
Shockingly, there’s no recourse against someone like that. How can performing a medical procedure on someone not have consequences?
But wasn’t Sylvie visiting homes with Mouch for similar reasons? Is this really a new story worthy of retelling?
Elsewhere, Kidd was out again under the guise of taking a leadership course.
They take so many courses that they’ve got to be the most educated and well-prepared firehouse in Chicago.
And Mouch wants to be in on that action, asking Pascal to nominate him for the same course.
He’s really trying to increase his skillset, from wanting to take courses to brushing up on the latest equipment.
I’m surprised that Mouch and Herrmann are both stepping up this season after decades of letting time pass.
They’ve had so much time to prepare for leadership positions that this urgent push is almost uncomfortable.
Mouch has also been monitoring the chief’s test for Herrmann. It’s three weeks away, and Mouch couldn’t be happier.
I suppose that’s why he’s so excited to improve his leadership presence, but I’m still not sure Herrmann is as on board as Mouch.
Even more importantly, I’m not sure I’m on board with it.
When the rubber meets the road, they are both on hand to fight the worst disasters. But you need more than that to lead.
The way they cavort like schoolboys tells me they aren’t ready. I guess we’ll find out soon enough if the writers have been better preparing their characters behind the scenes than on screen.
While Kidd was away, Severide kept busy checking on Damon, who will fully recover and is back in step with Novak, and looking into Natalie’s situation.
She returned to the firehouse hoping to share something with her, but instead, she found Kelly. Spending time with him gives her the opportunity to open up about Kidd rescuing her family.
She’s sincerely troubled, suggesting her sister might have started the fire that burned their house down on purpose. Of course, Kelly’s ears pricked up. That was right up his alley.
Kelly did some investigating and confirmed that the fire was accidental. That prompted a visit to her house, where he met her sister.
Natalie’s sister is so unpleasant that it’s easy to understand why she doesn’t want to spend much time with her and might even toss her under the bus to get rid of her.
Ultimately, she gave Kelly a photo to give to Stella, saying Stella would know what it is.
I have no idea where this story is going. This whole episode left me scratching my head. It just wasn’t up to par. Maybe it would have clicked if there had been more laughs or something.
The only redeeming part of the hour was that Carver and Violet spent some time together, but if he’s leaving, then it’s hard to care.
But what about you? Did “Permanent Damage” do anything for you, or were you as bored as I was? I guess it was better than watching paint dry!
Still here? You’re our kind of people.
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