Chicago Fire: Season One

From Dick Wolf, creator of the Law & Order TV franchise, this more conventional network firehouse show is a sturdy squad drama focusing on men and women in a dangerous profession. Chicago Fire serves up stories that feature daring rescues on the job, romantic complications after hours, eccentric characters bantering, and a competitive animosity between the two units of the house: the truck and rescue squads. Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) leads the truck team—i.e., the boots-on-the-ground firemen who rush into burning buildings, carry out civilians, and douse fires. Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) heads the elite rescue squad, and he holds a grudge against Matthew, blaming him for the death of a colleague. The EMT team (Monica Raymund and Lauren German) pretty much avoid the squad politics (but not the personal problems), and house chief Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker) is the familiar rock of experience and authority. This 2012-13 first season presents a romantic merry-go-round involving the handsome young leads, a subplot involving a corrupt cop, and story threads dealing with various other dramatic issues (ranging from addiction to painkillers to the death of a loved one). Chicago Fire ultimately comes across as a kind of soap opera with some impressive rescue sequences in between. It also plugs in a backdoor pilot for a spinoff series, Chicago PD, during the penultimate episode of the 24 compiled here. Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette and character podcasts. A solid production that nevertheless fails to stand out from the pack, this is a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)