The Hose or the Animal is the first episode of the fifth season and the 93rd overall episode of Chicago Fire.
Summary[]
After fostering Louie, Dawson and Casey are back together and Dawson decides to return to Ambulance 61. Severide and Stella are also together but Stella finds that her ex-husband Grant has escaped from psychiatric hold and is after them. Borelli questions Boden's leadership after his brother is killed in a building collapse. Mouch and Brett write fiction and she unexpectedly runs into Antonio Dawson.
Plot[]
Stella and Kelly are together and she is happy until she listens to Daniel Charles' voicemail informing her that her ex-husband Grant has left psychiatric hold without being discharged. She hears something and looks around to find his bracelet on the floor under her bed. She doesn't tell Severide and later gets a call from Dr. Charles, who knows that Grant has been at her apartment. He says Chicago PD has been informed - Kelly overhears her and isn't happy that she didn't tell him. He tells her he isn't stable and she needs to stop being so protective of him.
Gabby has fostered Louie, but tells Casey she doesn't want to pressure him into staying or making decisions. The two then drop him off at Herrmann's with Cindy.
The team tends to a case where a school bus has crashed on the road and a metal rod from another pierced through the bus into the shoulder of one of the boys. Another is trapped under the rod and can't breathe. They save them both.
Chief Boden finds Borelli, who is clearly angry and upset. He asks why Jimmy didn't attend the badge dedication for his brother, but Jimmy says it was too soon and he isn't ready. His anger isn't helped when he asks Boden to transfer him back to Truck and is refused.
Brett starts reading "Firehouse Fiction" and Connie tells Gabby and Casey that his campaign manager Susan Weller came to see them while they were out. While Sylvie reads one piece out loud to Otis and Cruz, they realize that the names are super similar to those of people from 51. It must be someone that works there that wrote this.
Stella goes to her car to get something and Grant is seen spying on her behind some bushes. However before he can move or do something, Severide comes up behind her to make sure everything's okay.
Gabby is very upset and confused. She tells Herrmann she can't continue being a firefighter in case something goes wrong and something happens to her both her and Casey since they work together. Herrmann tells her that its hard but there are families like their own that also need help.
Susan meets with Casey and apologises and he says he wants to focus more on his firefighting than a political career.
Stella is reassured when Grant texts her saying that he's sorry and will live with a friend until he feels better.
Sylvie confronts Mouch and tells him that she knows that it's him that has been writing the firehouse fanfiction. She wants him to let her in on it because she's read tons of bad romance fiction and thinks that together they could get published. Mouch later agrees with one condition: discretion. Otis, Cruz, and Herrmann meanwhile watch Connie reading pulp romance and decide that she must be the author. They read some of the fiction to her as she's getting coffee to try to get her to fess up.
Boden tells Borelli he has thought about his request on transferring back to 81 and has decided to reject it. Jimmy calmly hands him an envelope and walks to the common room, where Boden angrily follows him after opening the letter and calls him out. Jimmy lashes out, saying his brother is dead because of him and now he will go after Boden's badge - Boden suspends him but he refuses to leave. Boden angrily tells him to leave and Borelli says everyone knows what he did to the team and leaves. Casey and Severide go with Boden, who tells them Jimmy has filed a grievance against him and opened an investigation on him.
Gabby discusses her options with Casey. Severide shows up and brings some toys as well as telling them that he wants them to move Louie to Casey's apartment as it's bigger than Dawson's (Herrmann's attic) - he says he will find another place. They meet with Boden and Gabby asks to be transferred back to Ambulance 61 and everyone is satisfied with the outcome. Herrmann tries offering the place to Severide but he says he wants to find one himself.
Gabby is back on 61 and she and Brett go to a gunshot victim. They save him and Antonio also shows up, telling them that he is one of his CI. he and Brett exchange looks and Brett later asks Gabby without him.
Boden doesn't want Borelli back like Mouch has said the union suggests. Severide takes the team on a ride and they go to Borelli's house, where Severide tells Jimmy to stop acting childish and demeaning his brother. Jimmy tells him to mind his own business and slams the door. Boden's decision is then overridden and Borelli is reassigned back to Truck 81, much to Boden's dismay.
The team helps a man hanging on a utility pole.
After shift, everyone is at Molly's - Antonio joins Gabby and Brett and thanks them for saving Corey's life - Antonio and Sylvie share a moment and Gabby leaves them alone and is asked whether she will stay on 61 as Jimmy is back to 81 and she agrees.
Severide awkwardly asks Stella if she wants to stay with him, and Cruz makes fun of him. They laugh together and she goes out back to take out the trash, where she meets Grant. He has a knife and verbally calls her out and is clearly angry and feels betrayed that she's with Severide. Severide also comes out and a fight breaks out - Severide grabs something and stabs Grant in the neck.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Jesse Spencer as Lieutenant Matthew Casey
- Taylor Kinney as Lieutenant Kelly Severide
- Monica Raymund as Firefighter/Paramedic Gabriela Dawson
- Kara Killmer as Paramedic Sylvie Brett
- David Eigenberg as Firefighter Christopher Herrmann
- Joe Minoso as Firefighter Joe Cruz
- Yuri Sardarov as Firefighter Brian "Otis" Zvonecek
- Christian Stolte as Firefighter Randy "Mouch" McHolland
- Miranda Rae Mayo as Firefighter Stella Kidd
- Steven R. McQueen as Firefighter/Paramedic Jimmy Borrelli
- Eamonn Walker as Battalion Chief Wallace Boden
Recurring Cast[]
- Randy Flagler as Firefighter Harold Capp
- Anthony Ferraris as Firefighter Tony Ferraris
- Steve "Chik" Chikerotis as Deputy District Chief Steve Walker
- Lauren Stamile as Susan Weller
- Guy Burnet as Grant Smith
- Scott Elrod as Travis Brenner
- Robyn Coffin as Cindy Herrmann
- Lucas Von Kampen as Lucas Herrmann
- Amanda Calabrese as Annabelle Herrmann
- DuShon Monique Brown as Connie
- Oliver Platt as Doctor Daniel Charles
- Jon Seda as Detective Antonio Dawson
- Marina Squerciati as Officer Kim Burgess
- Li Jun Li as Officer Julie Tay
- Aiden & Austin Cohen as Louie Thompson
Guest Cast[]
- Eddie J. Fernandez Jr. as Carreker
- Jaylen Bryant as Luca
- Patrick Agada as Corey
- Pete Punito as Garbage Truck Driver
- Shadana Patterson as Bus Driver
- Marcus Hendricks as Officer
- Bryson L Thomas as Gangbanger
- Jessica Klass as Random Girl
Notes and Trivia[]
- The time jump between season four's finale and season five's premiere is not significant.