Chicago Fire confirmed whether or not Captain Tom Van Meter is alive following the gruesome accident he suffered inside a burning apartment in Season 14, Episode 8. The midseason premiere of the hit One Chicago series from NBC immediately picked up on the massive cliffhanger from Episode 7, where it showed Kelly Severide, Van Meter, and a local principal trapped in a burning apartment directly caused by one of the school officials' haters.
While Severide's experience and quick thinking helped all of them survive, Van Meter took the brunt of the fire after he inhaled a lot of smoke, combined with his back being badly burned. Van Meter was eventually taken to Gaffney Medical Center, where he was treated by Dr. Dean Archer, a mainstay of Chicago Med.
Does Van Meter Die In Chicago Fire?
Despite Severide's efforts to try and solve the case, Chicago Fire Season 14, Episode 8 ended with the arson still not resolved and Van Meter's life hanging in the balance after being placed in a medically induced coma.
NBC, though, confirmed in an official synopsis that Van Meter is still alive in Season 14, Episode 9, noting that a longtime member of Firehouse 51 (Van Meter) "remains in peril:"
"A member of the Firehouse 51 family remains in peril; Cruz lends a hand to Severide in the ongoing investigation."
This is a good sign for diehard One Chicago fans, as it has been confirmed that Van Meter survived and will at least appear in the upcoming episode. Season 14, Episode 9 is slated to premiere on NBC on Wednesday, January 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Van Meter (played by Tom Hopper) has been with Chicago Fire's Firehouse 51 since Season 6. He is an arson investigator who has been working closely with Kelly Severide, Chief Boden, and eventually, Chief Pascal in the One Chicago series. Van Meter also served as Severide's father figure, which explains why he is dedicated in solving the case.
Severide Receives Much-Needed Backup to Solve Van Meter's Case
Van Meter's closeness with Severide is a crucial point in this season's storytelling. The fact that they worked together for almost a decade explains why Severide is hellbent on finding the man (or woman) behind the burning apartment. However, Severide's personal vendetta may have been fueled by the fact that he was benched in the investigation due to his reckless approach in trying to find the suspect.
Dr. Archer confirmed that Van Meter was suffering from acute respiratory distress and worrying lung damage, which led him to place him on a ventilator to lessen the symptoms.
Still, Season 14, Episode 9's synopsis confirmed that Severide will receive a much-needed assist from another longtime member of Firehouse 51: Joe Cruz.
In the previous episode, Cruz was absent because he was celebrating his wedding anniversary with his wife, and his return could alter the course of the ongoing investigation. Severide and Cruz teaming up to find the culprit requires a careful approach, considering that the main investigator has already told Severide to back off.
Hopefully, Van Meter lives to fight another day, especially now that another longtime member of Chicago Fire (Mouch) could possibly exit the series after a massive revelation involving the city's budget cuts.
