'Chicago Fire' Season 8 Episode 17: Matt Casey goes beyond the call of duty and fans hail the hero's integrity
Spoilers for 'Chicago Fire' Season 8 Episode 17 'Protect A Child'
This week's episode of 'Chicago Fire' featured multiple rescues, but it was the first one that weighed heavily on Captain Matthew Casey's (Jesse Spencer) and rookie Blake Gallo's (Alberto Rosende) hearts.
A house fire leads the firefighters to rescue a disabled mother and her child as their neighbor insists the mother is incapable of taking care of the child.
Both mother and son are rescued by firefighters — special shoutouts to Casey and Gallo for convincing the little boy to come out of his hiding space — and are taken to the hospital for treatment.
However, the neighbor calls the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) telling them that the child needs to be taken away from the mother. This does not sit well with Casey who ropes in Gallo and Chief Wallace Boden for help. Unfortunately, the DCFS ends up taking the child away.
Casey and Gallo then go and speak to the neighbor who reveals that she is bitter that the mother lets the trees in her yard grow roots over to the former and therefore concludes that the mother will not be able to take care of the child.
Casey goes to the DCFS officer and in an impassioned plea speaks about his own son being taken away from him (his and Gabby Dawson's former foster son, Louie Thompson) to be with his own father. Casey manages to convince her leading to the mother and son being reunited.
Fans were happy with the Casey-centric episode as they swooned over the firefighter. One fan tweeted, "Matthew Casey goes above and beyond. That's what I love about him."
Another wrote, "This scene right here. This is why Matthew Casey is my fav character. He’s a man with integrity and character and strength and vulnerability. #ChicagoFire."
One viewer observed, "Who wouldn't want to be with Matthew Casey?! He cares for the city of Chicago, and he also cares about others before himself! #ChicagoFire."
Another tweeted, "The good old Casey is still there... Very happy for the memory of Louie, and for him to fight for the family. well done captain... He learned from the best. She will be proud of him."
A fan summed up Casey through one of his dialogues, "This doesn't sit right with me. This doesn't sit right at all." The words that mean Casey [cares] and he's on the job. #chicagofire."
'Chicago Fire' airs on NBC on Wednesday nights at 9/8c.