‘Chicago Fire’ season 3, episode 12 review: Was an arsonist behind Shay’s death?

Was Tuesday night’s new episode of “Chicago Fire” difficult? We’d say that this is one of the biggest understatement out there, given that we had bad news about Boden’s father, hard times for the paramedics, and above all, else a major question regarding what really happened to Leslie Shay: Was she murdered?

While we spent most of the episode investigating this question, we found out the answer at the very end: Yes. There was arson that took place in the building that is now infamous, and now, the investigation begins with a killer still out there. This is a brutal cliffhanger, but you have to feel at least somewhat hopeful that justice will be served. It is another way to bring back the memory of the character, and get the PD involved, as well. All of these things are appreciated.

Perhaps what we really enjoyed about this hour more than anything else, though, was seeing Herrmann take on his role again as Little League Hockey Coach. It is something that is so simple as far as a gig goes, but he went at it with the same sort of heart and enthusiasm that he uses with anything. This guy is the pulsing heart of the show, and we’re glad that it is not forgotten.

As for the news that Boden’s father is dying of cancer, devastating. He has added a whole new facet to his life courtesy of his newborn child, but at the same time, he is coming to terms with loss.

This was one of the better episodes that we’ve seen of the show. It was hard to watch at times, but also meaningful, and different than anything on the show so far. How can you complain with this sort of cliffhanger? Grade: B+.

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