I'm a huge fan of Chicago PD having recently binged the entire show start to finish. Chicago PD led me to watch Chicago Fire. (Same producers) So I figured it would be the same high quality. Plus I was eager to see how the PD/FIRE crossover episodes played out on "Fire."
I have several quarrels with season 5, but the one pushing my discontent over the cliff is with the actor playing the foster child, Louie. Actually it's two actors as the character is played by twins. (This is a legal production requirement and usually not a problem.) The twins are adorable, so cute to look at.00 But actors they are not. As a result, the character has exactly one facial expression which is somewhat puzzled or scared. I have yet to see the child smile. There is zero personality coming through. And this rings false as all the other characters sing his praise as the most amazing child ever born. The child delivers very few lines, and when he does they are dubbed... his head is turned away from the camera or he is not on screen.
This show has delivered episodes with excellent performances by child actors in the past. In particular, check out season 4 episode 20, "The Last One for Mom." Maxwell Jenkins, a child actor, plays a central part in this episode. This kid turns in a brilliant performance which will move you to tears. My point is, the Chicago Fire casting Department could have done much better in casting this foster child. Especially since the character appears in so many episodes.
The first four seasons of Fire kept my attention but by season 5, the intensity of the soap opera is working my nerves. I don't mind occasional soapy drama but preferably when it's believable and not too melodramatic. Chicago Fire hit this balance, for the most part, until season 5.
Others writing critiques of this episode have noted the ridiculous aspects of the bone marrow storyline. So I won't elaborate on that point.
Most of the actors on Chicago Fire turn in quality, believable performances. In my opinion, only two of the main characters disappoint. Those are Monica Raymund as Gabrielle Dawson, and the station chief, Wallace Boden played by Eamon Walker.
Superficially, Chief Boden is Central-Casting-Perfect as the gruff yet caring leader of this firefighting family. My only objection is that without the subtitles turned on, I can rarely understand everything the actor is saying. He
speaks in a raspy whisper. Granted this is his actor's vocal style, but I find it frustrating to follow.
Monica Raymund, as Dawson, is not a bad actress but I find her performance less than believable too much of the time. This may be the fault of the writers who swing her character's behaviour in wildly different directions with each new storyline.
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