Chicago Fire’s Friendships Are Its Biggest Strength

When it comes to network television, shows often find their success by anchoring couples for fans to fall in love with. But it’s Chicago Fire’s friendships that set it apart.

Don’t get me wrong, Chicago Fire has had its fair share of popular ‘ships: Stella Kidd and Kelly Severide (Stellaride). Sylvie Brett and Matt Casey (Brettsey).

There’s also Trudy Platt and Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Plouch), and my personal favorite: the Herrmanns (Christopher and Cindy).

Romance is Great, but It’s Not Everything

No one can deny the importance of a powerful couple in a popular TV show.

What would Grey’s Anatomy have been without Meredith and Derek? 

Can you even imagine The Office without Jim and Pam or Parks & Recreation without Leslie and Ben?

Sans David and Patrick, Schitt’s Creek would have been a much less heartwarming show. The same goes for This Is Us’s Beth and Randall.

But as much as we love a good ship that gives us butterflies long after a finale, there’s something about Chicago Fire’s platonic relationships that brings a wholesome warmth to the show.

The friendships on Chicago Fire are a reminder that love takes many different forms.

Male Friendships that Break the Mold

It’s not just that the firefighters and paramedics at 51 consider themselves a family.

Within the firehouse full of people who generally love each other and regularly risk their lives for one another, there are smaller groups and pairings that have developed into unbreakable bonds.

One of the best elements of Chicago Fire is its commitment to representing wholesome masculinity.

Its friendships are one of the best ways it does that.

Take Mouch and Herrmann, for example.

For plenty of men from their generation, especially in stereotypically “masculine” jobs like theirs, there is a societal expectation to avoid showing too much emotion. 

But Mouch and Herrmann have ignored all the unspoken rules and shown that male friendships don’t have to be gruff and detached.

When one of those two is going through something, the other shows up in whatever ways his friend needs.

They offer each other a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and a warm hug when the moment calls for it.

Having grown up in Appalachia, I’m from a culture in which most grown men tend to only hug one another at funerals.

They’re taught from a young age that keeping their emotions to themselves will make them strong and manly.

That perspective makes it extra refreshing to see men like Mouch and Herrmann share an intimate friendship without the barriers of toxic expectations.

The Impacts of Chicago Fire’s Platonic Relationships

It’s not just about Mouch and Herrmann, though their bond is one of my favorite things about Chicago Fire.

Other friendships on the show are (or have been) shining examples of how important it is to find your people in life.

Looking back at the closeness between Severide and Shay, Ritter and Violet, or Boden and Stella, it’s clear that gender isn’t something that the writers worry about either when building platonic relationships.

A show that reinforces the fact that romance is not inevitable just because people of different genders are close is a show that is serious about setting an example.

The concept helps to normalize LGBTQ+ relationships, too, by ignoring the idea that gender plays a role in whether a relationship can be platonic or not.

Chicago Fire has certainly played with the notion of the “work spouse,” but usually, any semblance of romance is off the table once a solid friendship has been established.

Stella and Violet have the kind of bond that goes beyond colleagues and feels more like family. 

Ritter is often seen leaning on them or providing them with support, too, but he’s never fallen victim to the “campy gay best friend” trope that many shows employ.

Herrmann and Ritter share a friendship that feels like a father/son dynamic some weeks and a college buddy dynamic others.

When Chicago Fire’s Platonic Relationships Turn Tragic

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Cruz and Otis, whose relationship was such a powerful display of platonic affection that fans are still thinking about them.

It’s been years since Otis’s tragic Chicago Fire death, but he’s never stopped mattering to Cruz.

The rest of the world may have moved on, but every time Cruz looks at his son, a child he named after his late best friend, he’s reminded of Otis’s legacy.

When Shay died, she took a piece of Severide with her, and it took years for him to feel whole again.

A Long History of Strong Friendships

Throughout an impressive 13-season run, Chicago Fire’s characters have shown their platonic love for one another in countless ways.

They’ve celebrated weddings and new children, grieved family deaths, supported each other through health scares, and navigated impossible challenges together. 

These folks have literally run into burning buildings for each other, and they continue to do it every week.

There will always be romantic storylines, but through the ups and downs, the friendships on Chicago Fire persist even when everything else feels lost.

As the series progresses, I can only hope it stays true to its core, valuing the intimacy of its friendships and proving that sex isn’t a requirement for a strong bond.

What friendship is your favorite in Chicago Fire history? 

Do you prefer romantic storylines, or are you in it for the friendships?

Let me know in the comments!

Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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