Chicago Fire Season 13 followed up its shocking death with an eventful episode that showcases its ramifications to the rest of Firehouse 51 which leads to an emotional funeral.
The latest season of the One Chicago firefighting series from NBC already has its fair share of close calls and goodbyes, with one of its recent departures being Jake Lockett's Sam Carver.
In a shocking move, Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 15 ended with Monica Pascal, the wife of Firehouse 51's Chief Pascal, unexpectedly dying after being involved in a brutal car accident.
Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 16 Pays Tribute to Key Character
Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 16 spent most of its runtime showing Chief Pascal hellbent on bringing justice for Monica's death, leading the rest of Firehouse 51 to be concerned over his own well-being.
At the top of the hour, Pascal made it clear that Monica's funeral was for close friends and family only, meaning that his crew over at Firehouse 51 was not invited.
Throughout the episode, Pascal is shown being reckless in the field, with him even ordering the crew to go back to the scene of Monica's death to reassess everything and blame the accident on the other driver (read more about what happened to Monica Pascal in Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 15).
However, Kelly Severide insisted that it was really an accident and that nothing was overlooked during the investigation.
While Chief Pascal was busy finding ways to prove that it was not an accident, Cruz and the other Firehouse 51 crew members made an effort to find where Monica's funeral was being held (without the Chief's knowledge).
The crew wanted to pay their respects to Monica and show him their support amid the tragedy.
After Severide managed to keep Chief Pascal in check, the episode ended with a touching moment as everyone from Firehouse 51 arrived at the funeral to pay their respects to Monica.
While he was surprised by what his team did, Chief Pascal acknowledged their presence, indicating that he finally understood that they were one true family after all.
How Monica's Death Changes Chief Pascal in Chicago Fire
Watching Chief Pascal's downward spiral is too much for the crew (and the viewers), and this goes to show how Monica's death had a huge impact on the rest of Firehouse 51.
Although Chief Pascal started as a stern and strict commanding officer for Firehouse 51, seeing his team come through for him in the new episode by going out of their way to attend Monica's funeral changes everything.
Pascal could finally open up and accept the team as his newfound family, considering that he just lost his wife.
Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman recently explained why Monica's death had to happen, noting that grief is part of Pascal's journey in Season 13 to form surprising bonds along the way.
While it may not be instant for Pascal to be closer than ever to the rest of Firehouse 51, Episode 16's ending scene serves as a huge step for him to be aware that his team will always have his back no matter what.
New episodes of Chicago Fire debut on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and stream the following day on Peacock.
