'Chicago Fire' S13 Ep21 Recap: Sabotage, Secrets & Arrests
- Zakiyyah
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Robert Franklin’s Fiery Car Crash and Shocking Condition
The episode opens with Robert Franklin being rushed into surgery after his car bursts into flames. His lungs are in bad shape, and doctors decide to put him in a medically induced coma.
Back at Firehouse 51, everyone’s stunned. Franklin isn’t just any patient—he’s the man who killed Monica Pascal. And now this? When Pascal is notified, he seems vindicated, saying the man should not be allowed behind a wheel.
Violet’s Recognition as a Hometown Hero
At the house, Violet is thrown off when Finn mentions her being featured in The Sun as a “Hometown Hero.” She didn’t tell anyone about it, but the story made its way around. Dr. McClean, a consultant for the public defender’s office, saw the piece and reached out to Finn. They are interrupted by a call.
Violet’s Calm in a Life-Threatening Call
Violet responds to a call at the park where Marty, an adult playing football with friends, has taken a brutal hit. He crashed into a fountain and now has a flail chest. She stays calm, helps him breathe through it, and gets him stable.
Natalie’s Desperation and Kidd’s Selfless Road Trip
Natalie shows up, clearly anxious, asking for $200. She’s vague about why, but eventually admits she lied—Julia didn’t burn their house down. The truth is, Julia and her boyfriend want her gone. Her mom, recently released from prison and living in
St. Louis, has space for her. Natalie just wants to go home.
Instead of judging her, Stella Kidd steps in. She offers to drive her to St. Louis herself.
A Safe Return and Kidd’s Gut Instinct
They make the trip, and when they arrive, Kidd tells Natalie to text once she’s safely inside. Natalie promises. Kidd drives off, but something doesn’t sit right.
Later, once it’s dark, Kidd turns around and goes back to the apartment she dropped Natalie off at. She finds Natalie walking down the street alone, crying. Kidd pulls up and tells her, “You don’t have to explain. I just want you safe.” Natalie chokes back tears and says the neighbors think her mom might’ve moved to Florida.
“I don’t even care,” she sobs. But clearly, she does. Kidd doesn’t push—she just drives them back to Chicago.
Franklin Crash Investigation Reveals Sabotage
Back in Chicago, Severide and Van Meter dig into the Franklin crash. The fire started before impact. There’s a punctured fuel line, tool marks—sabotage. Van Meter says it’s time to bring in IAD. They’re either looking at someone inside the department or someone trying to frame Pascal.
Severide Visits Bishop and Digs Deeper
To get answers, Severide visits Bishop in prison. He asks if Bishop’s behind the setup. Bishop avoids the question and steers the conversation to Miami, specifically, the Velvet Sky fire that killed twelve people. He says Don Pascal was the commanding officer and kept working for Chief Hendricks even though everyone knew Hendricks was dirty.
Evidence Mounts Against Hendricks
Not satisfied, Severide does his own digging. At the library, he pulls records and starts piecing things together. The burn patterns, the redacted reports—it’s clear the fire in Miami wasn’t accidental. With what he’s found, he goes straight to Pascal.
Pascal Finally Tells the Truth
Pascal lets him in and doesn’t dodge it. He tells Severide the truth: Hendricks was tied to organized crime. He buried evidence, paid people off, kept himself protected. Pascal wasn’t looking the other way—he was quietly building a case. Monica knew, and she hated how dangerous it was.
Pascal admits he kept it all quiet, but only to protect the investigation. And now? He knows that silence might cost him everything.“They’re not going to believe me,” he says. “Even if I tell them.”
Violet Confronts Finn After Surprise Meeting
Later, after the meeting, Violet confronts Finn. She wants to know why the meeting felt like an ambush. Julia wants to connect Violet with a mentorship program through USC’s med school. It turns out Finn set it up behind Violet’s back, thinking it was a nice surprise.
He tells her she’s too talented to stay where she is, that she should be a doctor. She’s heard this before.“If I wanted to go to med school, I would’ve,” she tells him. To her, being a paramedic isn’t a fallback. It’s the job.
She ends things right then and there. When Finn asks if she’s in love with someone else, she doesn’t hesitate—yes.
Severide Gets the Truth About Monica and Pascal
Wanting more clarity, Severide visits a firefighter who knew both Monica and Pascal. The guy says there was never anything romantic between him and Monica, but she confided in him. She was scared of Hendricks, and Don was trying to stop him.
“Don’s solid,” he says. “Honorable. Always has been.” That’s what Monica respected most.
Pascal Arrested as Severide Watches in Silence
Right then, Severide’s phone rings. He heads back to 51 and gets there just in time to see the police walking Don Pascal out of the firehouse in handcuffs. Van Meter walks past him, doesn’t say a word. Severide looks bewildered because he knows Pascal didn’t do this.
A Tense Ending: Will the Truth Come Out?
The episode ends in quiet tension. Don’s gone. Van Meter’s silent. Severide is left standing there, watching everything start to fall apart. Hopefully next week Severide can put the clues together to free Pascal.
We will wait and see.
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