'Chicago Fire' Season 13 Episode 18 "Post-Mortem" Review

This episode of Chicago Fire was something else. The tension wasn’t just from the fire itself, it was from the fact that Boden is finally back, and he returns right in the middle of one of the toughest investigations they’ve had. Damon was left behind during the West Randolph fire, and he was seriously injured. Now it’s up to Boden to figure out exactly what went wrong and if someone has to answer for it.

The fire was chaos from the start. Squad 3 and Engine 33 showed up to flames blowing out the windows and heavy smoke from the attic. There were three civilians still inside, including a baby. Cruz and Carver were sent up the side to sweep the second floor. Cruz’s regulator froze, and he barely made it out. Carver kept going, along with Damon and Clarence. Somewhere in that mess, the floor collapsed. Everything that could have gone wrong on this call did go wrong. 

Chief Pascal called for an emergency evacuation, thinking everyone was out. Six firefighters were accounted for. But it turns out seven had gone in. Damon was still inside and no one knew it. When his mayday signal was heard the team didn’t hesitate to go find out who was left behind. 

The mayday went out and everything stopped. Squad 3, led by Severide, didn’t even flinch. They went right back in, knowing how dangerous it was. They found Damon. He was alive, but just barely. He had internal injuries and smoke inhalation.

Watching them get him out of there was rough. You could see it on everyone’s faces, Stella, Ritter, even Herrmann, it hit hard.

Boden’s investigation was the core of this episode. He wasn’t loud about it, but he was serious. He went over dispatch logs, statements, after-action reports, and asked all the right questions. Was the miscount an honest mistake? Did personal relationships, like Damon being Severide’s brother-in-law affect judgment? Should the evacuation call have come later?

Pascal stood by his decisions. He made the call to protect his team when the structure was giving out. And honestly, he had a point. The fire was out of control, visibility was zero, the radio was a mess, and they were already working on borrowed time. It’s not easy being the one to say enough is enough.

At the hospital, Damon wakes up cracking jokes, but the damage is serious. There’s something in his scans, an old spinal injury that could change everything. Still, the crew is there, and Severide tells him straight, whatever happens, they’ll figure it out together.

Eventually, the CFD closes the investigation. No one is officially blamed. Grissom calls Pascal to say it wasn’t personal, just protocol. But everyone knows how close they came to losing someone, and that doesn’t go away just because there’s no one to punish.

This wasn’t a flashy episode, and that’s what made it powerful. It was about leadership, responsibility, and the weight of making decisions in the worst conditions. Boden returning and owning that space again reminded everyone what real command looks like. And even with the smoke cleared, the firehouse won’t forget what almost happened.

What did you think of the episode and our Chicago Fire review? Leave a comment.

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