Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode 12 Review: Under Pressure

On Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode 12, “Under Pressure,” Cruz lands himself in the hospital, Lennox returns to cause more problems, and Novak has a key realization about working at 51.

Squad is called to a fire at a homeless encampment, and though they’re able to get it under control pretty quickly, Cruz finds a victim passed out and works to save her, but he starts running out of air in the process. He makes it out with the woman, but promptly collapses. 

It’s an intense moment, and it’s probably one of the more realistic types of injuries we’ve seen for a firefighter. He’s ultimately just fine, but Severide insists he go to the hospital as a precaution — ordering him to, actually. 

This is all a setup to work out whatever has been going on between Cruz and Chloe. They’ve been in couples counseling and Chloe has been pulling away, though the details of all of that have felt abrupt until now. 

After Chloe sees Joe in the hospital and recalls what it was like when Mouch was hurt last season, Joe realizes that her issue has been the same one they had early in their relationship. It’s hard for Chloe to be married to someone with such a dangerous job. 

It’s actually really smart writing to bring this back up again, especially now that they have children. It shows consistency with both characters, and it makes it feel like we’ve seen more of their relationship than we have.

Amidst all of it, it also offers an explanation as to why the audience doesn’t see very much of Chloe. Joe points out that she’s always kept her distance from 51.

Joe says the one thing he can’t give her, though, is to give up his career. Being a firefighter is simply who he is.

Thankfully, Chloe takes that to heart, and there’s a payoff that shows some resolution here without much more conflict between the couple. Chloe shows up at the firehouse just in time for Tony and Capp’s attempt to beat Squad 4’s world record.  

The camaraderie she sees there is one thing, but then the woman Cruz saved shows up and asks Chloe where to find him. Cruz isn’t available at that moment, so the woman hands Chloe a picture and asks her to give it to Cruz. It’s a portrait she’s drawn of him as a thank you for saving her life. 

She tells Chloe the story of waking up to learn that this firefighter had saved her life, and what it meant that they’d come into rescue everyone there and put their own lives on the line to do so. 

It’s a moment of clarity for Chloe, and an emotional one at that. 

Hers isn’t the only significant realization on this episode, though. Violet and Novak are called to an elderly woman’s home for a wellness check that has a profound effect on Novak.

It’s an elderly woman who has cut herself, and she tells Violet and Novak how her husband usually takes care of her, but he hasn’t been feeling well. When Novak goes to check on the husband, she sees he’s been dead for days, having died of cardiac arrest.

His wife didn’t realize — likely based on some deep denial — that he’d been dead. She’d been living as though he were merely sick and “tired all the time,” unable to leave the bed. 

Novak becomes deeply emotional, so much so that Violet has to send her out of the house. Violet’s leadership here is just as important as what we learn about Novak. She takes the lead where she needs to and is able to be a mentor to Novak all at once, noting that her empathy is her “superpower,” but it can also make things difficult.

Novak reveals this is why she’d always preferred being a floater. She says being constantly on the move allowed her to avoid becoming invested, which ties into her fun-loving personality too, if you think about it. 

What Violet does to help Novak is simple, but again, shows her leadership and why it works so well that she’s been promoted. All she does is take Novak to watch Tony and Capp’s attempt at a world record, but more importantly, how everyone from the firehouse comes together to cheer them on.

It’s the found family, the way they all support each other, and how they find time to have a little fun and silliness that makes working at 51 special. It’s also what gets them through the hard days. 

That levity is needed for the audience too, and it’s part of what I’ve always said sets Chicago Fire apart from the other shows in the One Chicago universe as well as from other shows centered on first responders. Even though it’s still dramatic and heavy at times, it’s often a lighthearted show because of things like this. 

Tony and Capp beating that world record is especially satisfying by the end of the episode, partly because of how Severide supports them and mostly because of how competitive Squad 4 suddenly is.

Unfortunately, they learn it’s not official, but when they find out it would have cost them $1200 to do so, they consider themselves winners for not spending their money in such a frivolous way. 

I did say “everyone” earlier, but it’s worth noting that about half of the cast is missing on this episode. Presumably, the strikes and the shortened seasons of network shows have been the reasons for so many missing faces throughout various episodes this season.

At least Severide’s adventure on Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode 11 offers a realistic explanation for so many cast members being away. However, Severide sure healed quickly from all of that, didn’t he? Not a single scar! 

This episode also sees the return of Lennox, which likely sets up a key storyline for the season finale.

At the same call where Joe Cruz collapses, Lennox is there as backup and administers medication when he shouldn’t. Severide and Violet are the only two people to witness it happen, so filing a complaint is tricky since it looks like retaliation. This all comes back to Paramedic Chief Robinson, who has basically been a comic book villain from the start. 

But there’s a twist. Rather than take Lennox’s side, she lets him go and thanks Severide for filing the report.

With no loyalty left between Lennox and Robinson after that, Lennox goes to Severide to warn him about Robinson going for that Deputy Commissioner position soon. If they’re going to stop her, they’ll have to do something fast. 

Lennox also reveals he’s grateful to Boden for telling him to protect himself, which is also part of why he’d rather see Boden in that position than Robinson at this point. 

Now, we know Eamonn Walker is stepping back (not necessarily away) from his role as Wallace Boden. He’ll no longer be a series regular after this season, and the Season 12 finale will effectively serve as his sendoff. I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe that the Deputy Commissioner position may have something to do with the way he’ll be written out.

We’ll see, though, and there’s no telling how that will shake out, especially since Boden has already said he wasn’t interested in that position to begin with. Either way, let’s all be prepared with extra tissues for that finale.

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Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

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