History YMMV / ChicagoFire

* CreatorsPet: Gabby Dawson is a terrible paramedic riding a wave of ProtagonistCenteredMorality. Even if we skip the series' frequent use of ArtisticLicenseMedicine, she still commits insubordination repeatedly (that's literally the ''only'' offense that can get a fire department employee fired on the spot), performs medical procedures that are outside of her Scope of Practice (but ends up doing more good than harm), is openly carrying on an inappropriate relationship with her company officer, on one occasion casually destroyed a social worker's cell phone, the list goes on. One episode had her ignoring the expressed wishes of a conscious & oriented elderly woman and taking her to the hospital against her will, which is not just kidnapping, but kidnapping ''under color of authority,'' a '''severe''' violation of the woman's civil rights. She gets presented as heroic for doing this, because "it’s for her own good ([[UnfortunateImplications never mind that the elderly woman happens to be black]]), when she would (and quite frankly ''should'') have been arrested and convicted. [[KarmaHoudini She continued to get away with this]] due to her position of being one of the star characters [[PutOnABus until she left to go help with the reconstruction efforts in Puerto Rico]].

* IdiotPlot: Multiple episodes include a conflict over something in the firehouse or on an incident that simply ''wouldn't ever happen'' in real life. The show applies ArtisticLicense quite liberally.
** Though hardly the only example, the incident between Boden and Deputy Chief Anderson over the extrication of a woman trapped in a car crushed under several sections of concrete is a good example. Literally ''nobody'' on either crew does anything that they should do, and a couple of guys holding a piece of webbing in their hands won't be able to secure a 4,000-pound pipe section against a gentle breeze.
** The sad story of Squad 6.

* CreatorsPet: Gabby Dawson is a terrible paramedic riding a wave of ProtagonistCenteredMorality. Even if we skip the series' frequent use of ArtisticLicenseMedicine, she still commits insubordination repeatedly (that's literally the ''only'' offense that can get a fire department employee fired on the spot), performs medical procedures that are outside of her Scope of Practice (but ends up doing more good than harm), is openly carrying on an inappropriate relationship with her company officer, on one occasion casually destroyed a social worker's cell phone, the list goes on. One episode had her ignoring the expressed wishes of a conscious & oriented elderly woman and taking her to the hospital against her will, which is not just kidnapping, but kidnapping ''under color of authority,'' a '''severe''' violation of the woman's civil rights. She gets presented as heroic for doing this, because "it’s for her own good ([[UnfortunateImplications never mind that the elderly woman happens to be black]]), when she would (and quite frankly ''should'') have been arrested and convicted. [[KarmaHoudini She continues to get away with this]] due to her position of being one of the star characters she gets away with it.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Given that the Office of Fire Investigations ([=OFI=]) is a critical part of any fire department, you’d think it would be an equally critical part of the show. Nevertheless, they only ever appear when they need Severide's help. Many episodes have the firefighters themselves investigate on their own time.
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Casey, especially in the first season and when he and Dawson are having relationship troubles in the third season. He has a habit of lashing out at people and keeping secrets rather than handling issues like an adult, and will often sulk and shoot dirty looks at people who- with perfectly good reason- do not allow him to have his way uncontested. When called out on his actions or when those he lashes out at try to defend themselves, he almost always responds by getting in their faces and screaming that they need to show him respect, completely disregarding his own lack of respect for just about anyone. It doesn't help that the narrative often paints him as perfectly justified in his outbursts.
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: Creator/JeffHephner, as Jeff Clarke, proved to be fairly popular with fans. Enough so that Clarke stuck around after his initial storyline as a RedHerringMole played out and he got more character development than some of the show's regular recurring characters along with his own story arc involving his ex-wife. Shame that he was written out without a proper farewell, although it did fit in with his loner-type characterization. Someone even put together a [[https://www.facebook.com/HephnerasClarke Facebook community]] dedicated to Hephner's performance. He was so popular, in fact, that the character is being brought back on a recurring basis on ''Series/ChicagoMed''.

** Casey/Dawson deserves its own spotlight. The pairing dominates the romantic storyline of the first five seasons, and it's clear the two are into each other. However, Casey starts the series in another relationship, which makes Dawson jealous. Casey ends up breaking up with her, but by that point Dawson is in a relationship with Mills, who's heavily into her. The two would eventually break up with Mills saw how much Dawson pines over Casey, but instead of getting together, the two continue to play cat and mouse with each other. And when they ''do'' get together, they end up keeping secrets and treating each other with kid gloves. Many rejoiced when Dawson left in Season 5, simply because they wouldn't have to deal with the painful pairing again. Casey/Brett was much more welcomed due to the relationship being much healthier.

** One perfect example is in season 5, where [[spoiler:Borelli disregarded orders with a potentially explosive truck and got to close right as it detonated. As the camera pans around his head showing one injured side of his face, we then see [[EyeScream the left half bloodied and melted, his eye lost by nature of the entire side turned to mush.]] ''He lives through this,'' albeit crippled for life.]]

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Given that the Office of Fire Investigations ([=OFI=]) is a critical part of any fire department, you’d think it would be an equally critical part of the show. Nevertheless, the

** One perfect example is in season 5, where [[spoiler:Borelli disregarded orders with a potentially explosive truck and got to close right as it detonated. As the camera pans around his head showing one injured side of his face, we then see [[EyeScream the entire left side bloodied and melted, his eye lost by nature of the entire side turned to mush.]] ''He lives through this,'' albeit crippled for life.]]

* HateSink: [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Gail McLeod]] has the unenviable duty of cutting the Chicago firefighter budget by 10%. Somehow she interprets this as "attempt destroy the careers and lives of Firehouse 51", going to morally and legally dubious methods like spying and manipulation to get any excuse she can to shut them down [[DisproportionateRetribution because Boden disagreed with her on the matter.]] It says a lot that the most humanizing trait she gets is in her introduction, by fully admitting that she doesn't understand what the firefighters go through in their dangerous lives, and all that does is really explain her blind contempt for not getting her way.

* HateSink: [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Gail McLeod]] has the unenviable duty of cutting the Chicago firefighter budget by 10%. Somehow she interprets this as "attempt destroy the careers and lives of Firehouse 51", going to morally and legally dubious methods like spying and manipulation to get any excuse she can to shut them down [[DisproportionateRetribution because Boden disagreed with her on the matter.]]

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Jeff Hephner, as Jeff Clarke, proved to be fairly popular with fans. Enough so that Clarke stuck around after his initial storyline as a RedHerringMole played out and he got more character development than some of the show's regular recurring characters along with his own story arc involving his ex-wife. Shame that he was written out without a proper farewell, although it did fit in with his loner-type characterization. Someone even put together a [[https://www.facebook.com/HephnerasClarke Facebook community]] dedicated to Hephner's performance. He was so popular, in fact, that the character is being brought back on a recurring basis on ''Series/ChicagoMed''.

* CreatorsPet: Gabby Dawson is useful paramedic but riding a wave of ProtagonistCenteredMorality. Even if we skip the series' frequent use of ArtisticLicenseMedicine, she still commits insubordination repeatedly (that's literally the ''only'' offense that can get a fire department employee fired on the spot), performs medical procedures that are outside of her Scope of Practice but ends up doing more good than harm, is openly carrying on a relationship with her company officer, on one occasion casually destroyed a social worker's cell phone, the list goes on.[[KarmaHoudini And she continues to get away with this]] even though she's doing it for the better of the patient but due to her position of being one of the star characters she gets away with it.

* HarsherInHindsight: One episode has the firefighters attempting to rescue someone while being shot at. They all survive. Tragically, the same couldn't be said two months later when a gunman fired on firefighters responding to a house fire in Webster, New York. Four were hit, two fatally.

* LighterAndSofter: Compared to Dick Wolf's [[Series/LawAndOrder other show]]. There is angst and drama, and lots of intense action, as expected in a show about firefighters, but comedic subplots and {{Running Gag}}s are frequent, unlike ''[[Series/LawAndOrder Law and Order]]''.
* MoralEventHorizon: If Detective Voight didn't cross it right off the bat when he attempted to frame a father for a devastating car crash to protect his drunk son, he certainly did with his ongoing campaign of harassment against Casey and his girlfriend, up to planting cocaine in their house.
** It's later HandWaved away in ''Series/ChicagoPD'' with Voight explaining that he was driven to frustration by his son's actions and was lashing out in a misguided attempt to protect Justin.

* UnfortunateImplications: The writers claim they only realized after the fact that by killing off Leslie Shay they had just [[BuryYourGays killed off their only representation of the LGBT community]] (Monica Raymund hadn't come out as bisexual yet). When it was pointed out, they had to put out statements saying that Shay's sexuality hadn't even crossed their minds and that they'd chosen her to be killed because she was connected to the most number of characters so her death would have the biggest impact on the cast.

* CreatorsPet: Gabby Dawson is actually a terrible paramedic riding a wave of ProtagonistCenteredMorality. Even if we skip the series' frequent use of ArtisticLicenseMedicine, she still commits gross insubordination repeatedly (that's literally the ''only'' offense that can get a fire department employee fired on the spot), performs medical procedures that are outside of her Scope of Practice (bye bye paramedic certification, hello ''prison''), is openly carrying on an inappropriate relationship with her company officer, will casually violate the expressed wishes of a conscious and oriented patient (yeah, they have a legal word for that: kidnapping), on one occasion casually destroyed a social worker's cell phone, the list goes on. [[JerkassHasAPoint It's really no wonder the EMS battalion chief is looking for an excuse to get rid of her]], she's literally the worst liability imaginable. [[KarmaHoudini And she continues to get away with it]] for no particular reason except that she's one of the star characters. Nary an episode goes by without other characters [[CharacterShilling talking up how great she is]]--often for doing something stupid or even ''illegal.''

* LighterAndSofter: Compared to Dick Wolf's [[LawAndOrder other show]]. There is angst and drama, and lots of intense action, as expected in a show about firefighters, but comedic subplots and [RunningGags running gags]] are frequent, unlike [[LawAndOrder Law and Order]]

* UnfortunateImplications: The writers only realized after the fact that by killing off Leslie Shay that they had just [[BuryYourGays killed off their only representation of the LGBT community]] (Monica Raymund hadn't come out as bisexual yet). When it came to their attention, they had to put out statements saying that Shay's sexuality hadn't even crossed their minds and that they'd chosen her to be killed because she was connected to the most number of characters so her death would have the biggest impact on the cast.

* CreatorsPet: Gabby Dawson is actually a terrible paramedic riding a wave of ProtagonistCenteredMorality. Even if we skip the series' frequent use of ArtisticLicenseMedicine, she still commits gross insubordination repeatedly (that's literally the ''only'' offense that can get a fire department employee fired on the spot), performs medical procedures that are outside of her Scope of Practice (bye bye paramedic certification, hello ''prison''), is openly carrying on an inappropriate relationship with her company officer, will casually violate the expressed wishes of a conscious and oriented patient (yeah, they have a legal word for that: kidnapping), on one occasion casually destroyed a social worker's cell phone, the list goes on. [[JerkassHasAPoint It's really no wonder the EMS battalion chief is looking for an excuse to get rid of her]], she's literally the worst liability imaginable. [[KarmaHoudini And she continues to get away with it]] for no particular reason except that she's one of the star characters. Nary an episode goes by without other characters [[CharacterShilling talking up how great she is]]--often for doing something stupid or even ''illegal.'' Several fan forums have declared her a MarySue, and after a later episode has her complain about being assigned to a training class for a day (which anyone with any level of emergency medical certification is required to do every year in order to maintain their certification, for obvious reasons), practically sleep through the class, and then score 100% on the test, it's easy to see why.

* CreatorsPet: Gabby Dawson is actually a terrible paramedic riding a wave of ProtagonistCenteredMorality. Even if we skip the series' frequent use of ArtisticLicenseMedicine, she still commits gross insubordination repeatedly (that's literally the ''only'' offense that can get a fire department employee fired on the spot), performs medical procedures that are outside of her Scope of Practice (bye bye paramedic certification, hello ''prison''), is openly carrying on an inappropriate relationship with her company officer, will casually violate the expressed wishes of a conscious and oriented patient (yeah, they have a legal word for that: kidnapping), on one occasion casually destroyed a social worker's cell phone, the list goes on. [[JerkassHasAPoint It's really no wonder the EMS battalion chief is looking for an excuse to get rid of her]], she's literally the worst liability imaginable. [[KarmaHoudini And she continues to get away with it]] for no particular reason except that she's one of the star characters. Nary an episode goes by without other characters [[CharacterShilling talking up how great she is]]--often for doing something stupid or even ''illegal.'' Several fan forums have declared her a MarySue.

* CreatorsPet: Gabby Dawson is an unusual example in that while she ''is'' sympathetic and generally well-liked by the fan base, she is actually a terrible paramedic riding a wave of ProtagonistCenteredMorality. Even if we skip the series' frequent use of ArtisticLicenseMedicine, she still commits gross insubordination repeatedly (that's literally the ''only'' offense that can get a fire department employee fired on the spot), performs medical procedures that are outside of her Scope of Practice (bye bye paramedic certification, hello ''prison''), is openly carrying on an inappropriate relationship with her company officer, will casually violate the expressed wishes of a conscious and oriented patient (yeah, they have a legal word for that: kidnapping), on one occasion casually destroyed a social worker's cell phone, the list goes on. [[JerkassHasAPoint It's really no wonder the EMS battalion chief is looking for an excuse to get rid of her]], she's literally the worst liability imaginable. [[KarmaHoudini And she continues to get away with it]] for no particular reason except that she's one of the star characters.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Hermann becomes furious when his eldest eldest son, Lee-Henry, is suspended from school for refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance to protest what he perceives to be injustice endemic to American society. But, rather than open up a discussion or even have either Hermann or Lee-Henry present their case on camera, the plot simply has Hermann angrily yell about how America is great and that refusing to say the Pledge in unpatriotic while Lee-Henry sullenly and silently glares. Hermann doesn't do much to help his own case when he later browbeats Lee-Henry's principal into undoing the suspension by completely reversing his opinion and loudly yelling about American values and the freedom of speech. The episode closes with Hermann taking Lee-Henry to a VFW and having the kid meet with injured veterans and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with them.