'Chicago Fire' Season 8 Episode 14: Blake Gallo's past haunts him as the firehouse deals with a gas leak case
This week's episode of 'Chicago Fire' features a series of gas leaks. In the first case, the firefighters of Firehouse 51 head to a house where a gas leak is reported. There is an explosion and candidate Blake Gallo steps up his game and helps rescue a seven-year-old girl from the building.
Gallo himself is burned a little and he is affected a lot by the girl he saved. She has extensive burns and is put in an induced coma so she would not feel the pain.
Gallo's sullen demeanor is noticed by Stella Kidd, who gets the other firefighters to brag about their burns and wounds and "welcomes" him to the club. Later, Gallo tells her that he appreciated what she did for him.
To this, Kidd tells him that they are a family and he only needs to reach out and speak to one of them whenever he needs to. Captain Matthew Casey — who has taken on a mentor role to Gallo — listens in and when Gallo walks away, he tells Kidd that Gallo's sister was seven years old when she died.
In a previous episode, we had learned about Gallo's tragic backstory and what motivated him to become a firefighter. When Gallo was young, his house caught fire. He was the only one who survived as he lost his whole family that day.
When Gallo thinks that the gas company is responsible for the leaks, he immediately goes to the hospital to reassure the mother that what happened was not her fault. He also gets the little girl a blanket knowing that she will need something for comfort when she wakes up.
Gallo also decides to keep checking in on the girl — even as Dr Will Halstead from 'Chicago Med' tells him that her road to recovery will be long. Gallo says that it doesn't matter, earning Dr Halstead's approval.
If anyone is poised to take on the mantle to lead the next generation of firefighters on 'Chicago Fire' — should the show go on as long as Dick Wolf's other production, 'Law & Order' — Gallo, along with Darren Ritter, could be the next Matthew Casey and Kelly Severide.
'Chicago Fire' airs on NBC on Wednesday nights at 9/8c.