Spoilers ahead for Episode 6 of Chicago Fire Season 11, called “All-Out Mystery.”
Chicago Fire split the story three ways in “All-Out Mystery,” with some of the firefighters trying to bond with Carver, Cruz and Chloe running into a hurdle in trying to adopt Javi, and Stella joining Severide as he played “fire cop” for OFI again while Seager was out. By the end of the hour, the episode may have resolved what has evidently been a lingering insecurity for Stella.
The course of true love never did run smooth between Stella and Severide until they tied the knot, and even that involved a near-death experience before they finally caught a break. Still, their marriage has been solid, and she is crushing it as Truck 81 lieutenant. There was just one thing that she hasn’t been the most confident about: Severide’s dynamic with Seager.
Stella clearly isn’t concerned that her husband would cheat on her with the OFI investigator. She knows her worth and even bonded with Seager earlier this season, but “All-Out Mystery” suggested that she was still at least a little insecure about how well Severide works with this other woman who seemed to have a thing for him at one point. This week, with Seager unavailable, Severide was willing to play fire cop solo before Stella volunteered to help him.
He didn’t seem 100% confident that her skills as a firefighter would translate to pitching in with OFI, but she proved herself and helped crack the case of arson/jewelry theft. They were celebrating their success back at the loft, and Stella teasingly told him to admit that she’s a “better partner than Seager.” Severide started with saying that she’s a “great” partner” then “an amazing” partner” before grinning and telling her that she’s “the best partner.”
Stella was all smiles and responded with “damn right,” and it really seemed like the end of even the last remaining insecurities she felt about his dynamic with Seager. Is OFI going to be chasing after her and trying to recruit her to investigate arson rather than fighting fires, like they did Severide? Probably not, but she was key to solving this case, and she and Severide were completely happy at the end of the episode.
Honestly, it was nice to see Stellaride catch a break with a story that actually had a happy ending by the end of the hour, when they’ve had an extremely rough ride over the past few seasons. After their honeymoon was ruined by some very bad people, I’d say that they deserve a lighthearted story or two this season, and it was great to see Stella get a win in helping OFI.
Of course, not every storyline in “All-Out Mystery” got a happy ending, as Cruz and Chloe learned that his brother’s old gang ties could prevent them from adopting Javi. They still have a chance to redo their application, but it doesn’t sound like they have much hope of gaining permanent custody, short of cutting all ties with Cruz’s brother. Joe Minoso previewed some hurdles for Cruz and Chloe last season, but who knew that the story would take this twist?
See what happens next with new episodes of Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, and streaming next day with a Peacock Premium subscription. Also, check out what Hanako Greensmith had to say about the changes to Brett and Violet’s partnership in Season 11!
