If you don't already know what happened in the "A Real Shot in the Arm" episode of Chicago Fire Season 8, check out now, because spoilers lie ahead!
The Season 8 premiere of Chicago Fire was primarily a tearjerker for delivering the gruesome death of Otis, but there was also a heartbreaker in Sylvie Brett's departure from Firehouse 51. While it could have been a good decision for Brett to return to Indiana and marry Chaplain Kyle if she'd made it for the right reasons, she hasn't seemed happy.
"A Real Shot in the Arm" only made it more clear that she wasn't ready to give up on her 51 family to live a small town life, become a small town wife, and live in the vicinity of Hope. Luckily, the episode also made it clear that Brett is more than welcome to return.
As if Brett wasn't already struggling with her relationship with Kyle, who clearly took her aback last week when he told her that she wouldn't need to work when she became a chaplain's wife, spending time with Hope and then experiencing life working in a firehouse that took zero calls in a shift convinced her that this new life wasn't the life for her. A video call to Molly's while her 51 friends were hanging out without her was just salt in the open wound.
Meanwhile, Foster's fuse when it came to Brett's replacement, Chad Collins, grew shorter and shorter as he frustrated her both personally and professionally. Finally, she snapped and fired Collins despite the fact that she wasn't actually in a position of power to fire a paramedic. After panicking for a moment, Foster got ahold of herself and announced to Stella that they were going to Indiana to get Brett back.
They took off on their road trip, which just about coincided with Brett walking in on Hope talking to Kyle. While she knew Kyle wouldn't do anything with Hope, it was the push Brett needed to admit to herself and Kyle that this wasn't the life for her. She broke up with Kyle, although not without tears and an apology because she didn't want to hurt him. Kyle took it well, acknowledging that he could see Brett struggling with their new life.
Fortunately, the breakup happened moments before Foster and Stella turned up at Brett's place in Indiana. Why is this fortunate? Well, Stella was determined to break down the door and "kidnap" Brett if necessary, and Foster wasn't altogether sure that Stella was kidding. Brett was ready to walk out the door, luggage packed, when her pals from Firehouse 51 arrived.
So, Brett is coming back, and the manner of her decision to return suggests that she's back for good. She declared that the people of Firehouse 51 were her family now, and everybody clearly misses her enough that I'd say a welcome from them is enough to keep her in Chicago in the long run.
Does this mean Chicago Fie will give the divisive Brett/Casey relationship another shot? Derek Haas explained why Fire began to explore that relationship in the first place in a recent chat with CinemaBlend. For now, Casey has a lot on his plate with new firefighter Blake Gallo, who is a little bit Casey and a little bit Severide. Replacing Otis was already a tall order; filling the void with a bit of a wild card could keep the officers of 51 quite busy.
Chicago Fire's New Firefighter Will Be 'A Lift To The House' After Big Death
New episodes of Chicago Fire -- presumably with Brett back in the mix full-time in the Windy City -- air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, smack dab in the middle of the Chicago primetime block with Med at 8 p.m. ET and P.D. at 10 p.m. ET.
