Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 of Chicago Fire Season 9 on NBC, called "My Lucky Day."
Chicago Fire has spent the better part of a decade pitting a firehouse full of firefighters against some of the biggest blazes on the small screen, but "My Lucky Day" focused almost entirely on just two heroes trying to survive in a very small space. It was arguably the closest thing to a classic bottle episode that Chicago Fire has produced, but that doesn't mean that the hour focused on Herrmann and Cruz was on anything resembling a small scale, and it set the stage for some big developments happening next, including a baby bombshell.
Why "My Lucky Day" Counts As A Bottle Episode
When the Truck, Squad, and Engine crews of Firehouse 51 poured into a ten-story storage unit with fire in the walls and a blaze on the tenth floor, Hermann and Cruz decided to take a shortcut up with the building administrator Holly and a workman named Trevor via freight elevator. Unfortunately for them, the fire caused problems with the elevator, which came to an abrupt stop and cables started snapping one by one, with neither Herrmann nor Cruz able to reach anybody with their radios.
Throw in some injuries, flammable liquids, emotional confessions, and Hermann and Cruz only able to helplessly listen as Mouch was seemingly about to die even as they fought to survive the elevator emergency, and this was an intense hour of television that somehow spent most of the episode set in the limited space of the freight elevator and focused on just two series regulars and a pair of guest stars.
Seriously, this episode was epic enough that it didn't even occur to me that it could count as a bottle episode until the end, when Casey and Severide were regaling each other with their off-screen heroics and I realized that so much had happened in such a small space with so few characters. Something that more or less qualifies as a bottle episode doesn't have to be on a small scale, and showrunner Derek Haas previously revealed just how the Chicago Fire crew made the action so epic, saying:
We got a big one [coming up] where we had to build an entire stage for a freight elevator that is caught in a fire. That's a really fun one.
"My Lucky Day" may not have felt like a "really fun" episode in the middle when it seemed like Herrmann, Cruz, and/or Mouch (off-screen) could die, but it stands as a pretty epic experience now that we know everybody is safe and sound! Plus, Cruz warmed up to the news that had him so upset to start the hour, so I would say this stands as a pretty standout episode. So, what about what happens next?
What Comes Next After "My Lucky Day"
The big news out of this episode came courtesy of Cruz, who dropped the bombshell that Chloe told him that she was pregnant that morning before shift. While Cruz might have been overjoyed at the idea of expanding their family at this point in pretty much any other season, the current state of the world that includes everything from political unrest to a literal pandemic left him doubting that now is the right time to bring a child into the world. And Holly wasn't exactly helping with her horror stories of what happened to her sister!
Luckily, Herrmann delivered the pep talks that Cruz needed to hear, first telling the story of the time Cindy fell right onto her belly while pregnant with Lee Henry and turned out to be just fine, and then reminding Cruz that he and Chloe can make the kind of family that will build a great world for any child. Cruz ended the episode clearly feeling a lot better about impending fatherhood, although he had to warn Herrmann not to tell anybody about the pregnancy, since Chloe wanted the secret kept.
As for Herrmann, he ended the episode incredibly relieved that Mouch survived, but not dealing with any life-changing reveals of his own, unless this adventure in the freight elevator has taught him to just take the stairs during any future fire emergencies. "My Lucky Day" also revealed that things haven't gotten any better for Stellaride, with Stella trying to give Severide a wakeup call and Severide assuming the situation that resulted in Stella sleeping at Brett's will blow over. As for Brett, she might not have anybody else sleeping over any time soon unless she gives the cute new firefighter a shot! (Sorry, Casey.)
Find out what happens next on Chicago Fire with new episodes on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, between new episodes of Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. For more of what's on the way in the coming weeks, check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule.
