'Chicago Fire' Season 13 Episode 19 "Permanent Damage" Review

This episode of Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 19, opens with Violet and Novak rushing to a high-stakes call. They find a man barely hanging on because the medic who treated him first completely botched the intubation, the breathing tube was placed way too high, above Adam's apple. The guy’s neck and chest are already swollen, and he’s gasping for air. Violet and Novak don’t waste a second. They perform a cricothyrotomy right there on scene and manage to stabilize him, just barely.

Back at Firehouse 51, the situation gets more frustrating. No CFD ambulance had been dispatched to that building, meaning whoever treated the guy wasn’t one of theirs, and from the looks of it, probably wasn’t even a real medic. Violet’s furious. She knows if they don’t figure this out fast, it could turn into a major legal mess.

Meanwhile, Carver is back at 51 after completing rehab. It’s good to see him moving around and settling back into the rhythm of the firehouse. Damon, though, is still sidelined, recovering from the shoulder injury and smoke on his lungs he got during the fire in the last episode. He is frustrated sitting out but Damon gets some good news when he finds out his lungs are healing really well. If his shoulder keeps progressing, he’ll be cleared to return to duty soon.

Mouch, is thrilled about the new set of Jaws of Life that Truck 67 loaned them. He’s raving about how much faster they are compared to the old ones, and even though some of the others tease him, Mouch is genuinely excited about how the new tools could save lives. It’s classic Mouch, all heart and all about the job.

Novak is dealing with her own problem: she needs a place to live. She’s trying to convince Ritter to let her move into his extra room. Ritter isn’t thrilled, and things get even funnier when Novak reorganizes his bathroom supplies in his locker at the firehouse by scent and day of the week, without asking. Ritter’s face says it all. They may be friends, but living together might just be a disaster waiting to happen.

While all that’s happening, Violet and Carver start digging into the fake medic situation. They track down Carla, the woman who called 911 after the botched airway incident. Carla’s clearly scared, but she confirms she saw a sweaty, middle-aged man run from the building. Violet also notices that Carla has a nasty infection on her hand and urges her to get it checked out. Later, Carla comes back and gives them a huge lead, a phone number tied to a guy named Danny, who’s been working the building with no official ties to any ambulance company.

CHICAGO FIRE -- "Permanent Damage" Episode 13019 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jocelyn Hudon as Lizzy Novak, Daniel Kyri as Daren Ritter -- (Photo by: Peter Gordon/NBC)

At the same time, Severide picks up Natalie’s story about the fire that destroyed her family’s home years ago. He pulls the old file and goes over it carefully. The fire had been ruled accidental, faulty wiring, no evidence of arson. But Severide knows sometimes things get missed, and Natalie’s lingering guilt sticks with him. He wants to be sure they didn’t overlook anything all those years ago.

Back at 51, Novak and Ritter are still flipping through terrible apartment listings, joking about just how awful everything is. After a lot of back and forth, Ritter finally agrees to let Novak move in, but only on a trial basis. 

Later, Violet and Carver track down Danny face-to-face. They’re not cops, but they confront him head-on. Violet tells him in no uncertain terms, pretending to be a medic is going to kill someone. Danny tries to spin it, saying he’s helping people who can’t afford real medical care, but Violet doesn’t buy it for a second. She makes it clear: if he keeps this up, there won’t be another warning.

At Ritters apartment , there’s some comic relief with Novak and Ritter arguing over pesto dinner plans. Ritter says that she doesn’t have to make him dinner. They are good. Novak tells him she thought he would be out for the evening and the dinner isn’t for him. Just then there is a knock at the door. It’s Damon with a bottle of wine. Ritter just rolls his eyes and says he will be in his room. 

Molly's  Mounch tells Herman the Lieutenant’s Test is officially scheduled for three weeks from now. The weight of it hits everyone. Years of hard work, long shifts, everything they’ve built, it’s all leading up to this.

And as the episode winds down, it’s a reminder of what 51 is really about,  no matter what they’re facing, whether it’s crazy calls, fake medics, busted shoulders, or housing disasters, they always stick together. Always.

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