Chicago Fire delivered a huge tragedy for Violet in Season 11, after giving her just enough time with Hawkins to imagine a long and happy future together. In the weeks since his death, fans have seen Violet lean on everybody from Gallo and Ritter for some hot gossip to Severide with his own tragedies. Brett’s return after her long absence might be what helps Violet most in the long run, however, after the chaos with Emma Jacobs that turned her life upside down in Season 10. Violet and Brett are back in sync in Season 11, and actress Hanako Greensmith opened up about how their partnership has changed after the Emma fiasco.
Emma sent up red flags almost as soon as she joined Firehouse 51 and started lying, although Violet was the only one who realized just how serious the situation was at first. Before too long, the new paramedic found out about her partner’s secret relationship with their chief and started spreading lies about Violet, leading to an impossible situation that even showrunner Andrea Newman referred to as “a real mess.”
Luckily, Brett made good on her plan to return to Chicago after spending some time with Casey in Portland, and while that was bad news for Brettsey shippers, it meant that Violet and Brett could be paramedic partners again. That didn’t mean that Violet was the same person who she’d been before Brett left, however, as Hanako Greensmith shared when she spoke with press earlier in the fall. I asked what their partnership would look like in Season 11 with Brett finally back, and she explained:
Violet is incredibly relieved and grateful, honestly, to have her back. I think she realized that maybe she took a couple of things for granted before Emma Jacobs showed her beautiful mug. But I also think that now there's a new dynamic. Violet has been PIC for a brief amount of time. Although Brett and Violet were already solid equals, I think now there's a really great partnership happening between the two of them. It's very symbiotic, and it's very professional and loving and easy. So that's going to be a really nice comforting thing to see at the start of Season 11.
Most of Violet’s storyline in Season 11 has involved the relationship with Hawkins and then the aftermath of his death, with episodes that have really showcased Hanako Greensmith as an actress. Brett has also had heartache of her own to deal with after the split with Casey, although that split was of course much less tragic than the paramedic chief unexpectedly dying in the field. The relationship that has been steady and supportive from the very beginning of the season? Violet and Brett as a duo.
Violet’s time as paramedic in charge over Emma didn’t result in any kind of power struggle when Brett returned and retook her position as PIC. Brett doesn’t pull rank to get her way, and Violet hasn’t argued about how to treat anybody. Hanako Greensmith promised a partnership between “solid equals” that was “loving and easy” as well as professional, and I think it’s safe to say that Chicago Fire has delivered on that front! Admittedly, if it meant being free from Emma’s toxic influence, Violet would have been trading up even if Brett had come back with a chip on her shoulder.
While Season 11 has dealt more tragedies to Violet than to Brett, poor Brett had a hard time at the end of the head-rolling Halloween episode when faced with one of her worst nightmares: a swarm of clowns. (Albeit, adorable children embracing a circus theme for the spookiest holiday of the year.) Hopefully fans will continue to see the two paramedics working well together!
The preview for the next episode reveals that Stella and Severide will be teaming up while Cruz and Chloe work to keep Javi permanently and some of the other firefighters try to bond with newcomer Carver, so fans will have to tune in to NBC on Wednesday, November 2 to find out what’s in store for Brett and Violet on Chicago Fire. You can also revisit past episodes of Fire streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription now!
