Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 12 Revisits A Tiresome Plotline (Again)

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Contains spoilers for “Chicago Fire,” Season 13, Episode 12

The show “Chicago Fire” appears to be revisiting an age-old storyline – one that they’ve tackled multiple times before. By now, viewers might be growing weary of this recurring plot twist, which has become somewhat predictable and routine. Despite its emotional resonance, the repetition is becoming noticeable. This plot point refers to characters choosing adoption over biologically-born children, a common theme in the drama that, while valid as a means of family creation, is frequently revisited.

What’s the major surprise development? What was the decision made between Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo)? How many other “Chicago Fire” couples have attempted adoption, with some experiencing disappointments or failure, while others found unexpected success? Here’s our take on why we believe it’s time to reconsider this recurring plotline.

Why Stella and Kelly are choosing adoption on Chicago Fire

During the “Relief Cut,” Stella’s relative, Cole Williams (played by Richard Blackmon), arrives in town. After resolving past issues between them due to Stella distancing herself from the Williams family following her marriage to Kelly, they reconcile. Later, Kelly treats Cole to drinks at Molly’s, where he shares with him Stella’s heartbreaking childhood background that has prevented her from attempting parenthood.

It appears that when Cole’s younger brother was born, Stella took charge due to her Aunt Laverne’s severe post-partum depression. Essentially, Stella raised her young cousin, a situation that led her to cope with drugs and an unfortunate first marriage. This background gives Kelly a new perspective on Stella, prompting them to resume their conversation about having children. Interestingly, Stella expresses a desire to have children – not biologically, but through adoption. As a result, there might be a potential adoptee in Stella’s future – perhaps not an infant, but an older child. However, there’s one obstacle: “Chicago Fire” has explored adoption storylines extensively in the past.

Chicago Fire already explored Gabriella and Matt’s failed adoption

The initial instance of an adoption plotline on “Chicago Fire” originated from the characters Gabriela “Gabby” Dawson (Monica Raymund) and Matt Casey’s (Jesse Spencer) efforts to conceive a child. When Gabby came across seemingly orphaned Louie at a fire scene, she and Matt nurtured him in foster care before contemplating adoption. Gabby expressed her feelings by saying, “The way he clung to me with every ounce of his strength… I have a feeling this was destined to happen.

Sadly for them, Louie’s biological father reappears shortly after and requests custody over him. When Gabby realizes how tightly-knit his family is, she allows Louie to go with him, though her heartache is profound. This plotline was often criticized as pointless by the show’s fans – especially since we never see Louie again afterward. Matt and Gabby eventually split up due to several factors, including her attempts to conceive after this incident, despite knowing that she can’t have children naturally without significant risk to her own life. However, not every adoption storyline on “Chicago Fire” has a disappointing conclusion.

And Cruz and Sylvie’s successful ones

In terms of adoption, Sylvie Brett (Kara Kilmer) and Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) stand out more frequently. Towards the end of her tenure on “Chicago Fire,” Sylvie comes across a teenager considering giving up her baby. Being an adoptee herself, Sylvie feels a strong pull towards the infant. Initially, she takes in the newborn girl – whom she names Julia, after her deceased biological mother – as a single parent. However, later on, she reunites with Matt Casey, they marry and subsequently move to Colorado, taking their combined family of adopted children along with them.

Fans frequently voiced their discontent about Sylvie’s adoption hardships, as they perceived it to be repetitive from Gabby’s story and had previously become emotionally attached to the Cruz family’s journey. Similarly, Joe’s family expands when they adopt Javi (Carlos S. Sanchez), a boy from Honduras. After discovering that the woman looking after him financially couldn’t continue, Cruz ends up adopting Javi. The adoption process was lengthy, and when Javi officially became a part of their family, “Chicago Fire” fans openly expressed their happiness through tears. They were overjoyed not only because Cruz is now referred to as ‘dad’ by his adopted son, but also because they have been a stable family for quite some time. It appears that “Chicago Med” has told this type of story multiple times in the past.

Adoption is a wonderful thing, but enough is enough

It can’t be argued that adoption is a wonderful aspect, nor that “Chicago Fire” hasn’t handled its adoption-focused plotlines exceptionally well. However, it’s been quite some time since we’ve seen a character welcome a biological child onto the show – Chloe Cruz (Kristen Gutoskie) gave birth to Brian in Season 9. Introducing a newborn delivery could be a nice change of pace, although it’s reasonable why the show might hesitate to sideline one of its characters for an extended period due to maternity or paternity leave.

Instead of repeatedly putting Stella through the same emotional turmoil by having her go through another adoption process, it would be more engaging for her character to face and overcome her fears and anxieties. It has been quite some time since a character on “Chicago Fire” had a child naturally, so introducing this twist could add an exciting dimension to the show.

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2025-02-10 04:00