Chicago Fire season 7 episode 7 review: Goodbye to Benny Severide
Related Chicago Fire video – Check out some more thoughts all about Severide and some of what happened with his father at the bottom of this article. Meanwhile, remember here to subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube for more … and also to take a look at our playlist.
Just as you would imagine, Kelly was completely torn-up over what happened. He tried to do everything that Benny wanted in order to give him the proper send-off, which was interesting when you think about how little Benny was actually there for him son throughout the course of his actual life. It shows the strength of Kelly’s character and his own personal resolve, his own desire to tie this story up in the way in which he wants.
His primary order of business, more so than any other, was trying to find his father’s firefighter medal — which, unfortunately, was not as easy as it should have been. It actually was in possession of Kelly’s sister Katie, who was able to deliver it to Stella a little bit later in the episode. That was important to Stella — critically important. Not only did Katie provide something for her brother but, beyond that, she helped Stella find a way to feel like she was there for her boyfriend. She struggled with that in the early going, mostly because Kelly continued his natural inclination to be closed off.
So why was Kelly so angry, and so intent on fighting to ensure that every aspect of his father’s funeral was perfect? From our vantage point, so much of that had to do with his own desire to make certain that he was able to
Brett does some investigating
One of the larger side stories tonight (and a particularly engaging one) revolved around Sylvie Brett doing what she could, with the help of one Emily Foster and even Teddy Sears’ new Chaplain, to figure out what exactly happened with a car accident that led to a man getting hit. She knew from the moment she arrived that something was off and, over time, that inclination started to become clear: The driver was more than likely texting while driving and then pawned the phone off on her little sister. She wanted to do everything that she could in order to protect her own hide, and in doing so, she tried to force someone she cared about to be a liar.
After some soul-searching (and some very good Chaplain advice), Brett finally confronted the driver about her texting habit … which she of course denied. Yet, at least she could say that she did her part to get the issue off her chance.
Kelly Severide’s eulogy
At the end of the episode, Kelly did his part to remember his father with humor, with heart, and with recognition of who this man was. He was a tough, stubborn dude who often wouldn’t listen to anyone other than himself. His personal life was a total wreck for much of his life, as was the relationship that he had with his son.
Yet, he was Severide’s father still. Despite all of the pain and the heartache he felt all episode long, the funeral scene washed everything away. Taylor Kinney delivered one of his best performances to date and with that, he had an opportunity to start the healing process. Notice we say start. This isn’t something that will go away today, tomorrow, or the next day for him. He needs to be cognizant of that before he can do anything else.
One last thought: How beautiful was that closing sequence with the firefighters and the trucks lined up in memoriam.
CarterMatt Verdict
This episode was a tear-jerker, which shouldn’t be that big of s surprise given the subject matter. Everyone was in full uniform and the character of Benny got a proper send-off. While there was a lot going on within this single episode the writers did their part to check off every box. Also, it seems like we’re going somewhere with this Brett / Chaplain relationship. We like them … but we also like Brett and Antonio.
Related News – Want to see some other information right away on Chicago Fire and the future of the series?
What did you think about Chicago Fire season 7 episode 7 overall, and some of the big stories that were at its core? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments. (Photo: NBC.)