'Chicago Fire' Episode 12 Review: A gala, a proposal and a whole lot of comradery

With Pelham being penalized, Stella leads the crew temporarily on Episode 12 of ‘Chicago Fire'
UPDATED JAN 20, 2022
Miranda Rae Mayo as Stella Kidd (Adrian S. Burrows Sr./NBC)
Miranda Rae Mayo as Stella Kidd (Adrian S. Burrows Sr./NBC)

Contains spoilers for 'Chicago Fire' Season 10 Episode 12 'Show of Power'

Season 10 of 'Chicago Fire' just got better. From Stella Kidd taking charge as Acting Lieutenant and leading the crew to Chief Boden going all out to save one of his own, the new episode of the NBC drama might just be the best one this season has to offer yet!

Aptly titled 'Show of Force', the episode moves in typical 'One Chicago' style which is a masterful blend of the stories of the various characters and their day-to-day experiences. Kicking off right after Lieutenant Pelham was penalized for allegedly behaving in a negligent manner while on duty, the episode sees Stella replacing him and taking the crew on a mission, an accident in a mall. Boden, though proud of Stella's execution, is disturbed and decides to probe further into what looks like a skewed and sloppy dismissal of Pelham. His focus turns towards Chief Kilbourne and he asks Deputy Commissioner Hill to investigate Kilbourne, citing hidden motives behind the actions taken on Pelham. This is where tensions start to rise. 

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After a little back and forth, the suspicions on Kilbourne grow stronger and Stella gets the crew together to grab DC Hill's attention. The crew succeeds in doing so by storming her office and threatening to resign their positions if she doesn't look into the concerns raised by Chief Boden. DC Hill agrees to their demands and visits Sarah, the firefighter who accused Pelham of negligent behavior. Motivated and empowered by the solid girl power that Hill and Stella bring, Sarah rescinds her statement and this leads to Kilbourne being placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. 

While all this is going on, disillusioned with the CFD gala due to Covid-related restrictions, Brett and the rest of the paramedic team plan an "alt-party." Laced with adequate amounts of humor, the attempt and counter-attempts add some lightness to the otherwise serious episode. The episode ends with Pelham getting his job back and the "alt-party" being a banger. However, that's not all. Moved by what he saw during a mission, Kelly proposes to Stella and she says 'yes!' 

The latest episode of 'Chicago Fire' sadly is also the last episode for this month. We'll have to wait to see what the future holds for the members of 51.

Season 10 'Chicago Med' will return after the Winter Olympics with new episodes. 

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