Chicago Fire kicked off Season 14 in the 2025 TV schedule with a big change for Herrmann to adjust to after he voluntarily gave up his position as a lieutenant at Firehouse 51 so that Mouch could have his turn. Originally, the adjustments he’d have to make didn’t seem much more serious than finding a way to supplement his family’s income and give up the office at 51. Then, the Herrmann family home burned to the ground, delivering a tragedy that was hard to watch but could be great for the story as the season continues.
Of course, the fire wasn’t as tragic as it could have been, since every member of the family was fortunately outside of the house when it started to burn. Still, they lost almost everything, and Herrmann spent most of the fateful episode (which is available streaming now with a Peacock subscription) wondering if the fire happened because of some faulty wiring that he was responsible for.
Severide did ultimately prove that the cause had been a problem with a switch in the kitchen, not something that Herrmann had done, but that didn’t fix all of the former Engine lieutenant’s problems. Even Mouch’s efforts to support his friend didn’t do much, as he tried to persuade Herrmann that they’d only lost material possessions and what mattered was that the whole family survived.
While that was a great perspective, I was on Herrmann’s side when he pointed out that there were a lot of memories and a lot of sentimental value in all of those material possessions, and maybe the immediate aftermath of the inferno wasn’t the right time to try that line of comfort with Herrmann. They did get back on the same page, however, when Mouch joined Herrmann in combing through the rubble of the house to try and find something that survived.
And they did! They recovered a ring that had belonged to Cindy’s mother, and seeing that had survived was the thing that finally broke Cindy after everything. She’d put so much effort into fixing everything for the family that she hadn’t had much time to mourn or vent, and I have to give special kudos to actress Robyn Coffin for her performance. The episode mostly followed Herrmann’s point of view throughout the episode, but Cindy breaking down was the part that really hit home for me.
For me, it’s a credit to Chicago Fire that there are still ways for twists to pack an emotional punch after thirteen full seasons and nearly 300 episodes. Just like how Severide’s reaction to the pregnancy news in the Season 13 finale (which was sadly cancelled out by the pregnancy twist in the Season 14 premiere) made me cry, Cindy’s reaction to the ring was an emotional blow, and that’s a good thing on the small screen.
I hope that Fire continues to explore the aftermath of the fire for Herrmann in ways other than using it as a reason to write him out for a few episodes, but only time will tell. See what’s in store for the family with new episodes of Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, between Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. You can also revisit earlier episodes streaming now via Peacock.
