Warner Bros. Television Distribution, NBC Universal Television Distribution
This week, two characters from my TV watching past have come back to haunt an already fragile Chicago Fire. First up, the doe-eyed younger brother to Elena Gilbert, officially joined the 51st District, trading his Vampire Diaries vamp-hunting, white tank for Chicago’s finest fire fighting gear. Admittedly, Chicago Fire feeds a certain need, however, I don’t know that it has a Jeremy Gilbert level of leeway. Here’s hoping his reservoir goes beyond his former TVD flex-a-thon days. Second up, is the paramedic newcomer, Chili Chilton – formerly Jellybean of Chicago PD, and before that, Becky Sproles, who ushered in the downer days of Friday Night Lights. Not only have these two returned to my screen uninvited, they are also each other's love interest.
Let's make one thing clear, Season 4 of Chicago Fire is even more precarious than usual with the absence of Leslie Shay – which I’m still reluctant to acknowledge. Shay was quality. And she left big shoes to fill. While these two throwback characters seem to have smaller feet, I’ll attempt to trust the Chicago family to make the right call. Here's to shaking off your former selves, Jeremy Gilbert and Becky Sproles. I guess that's something we can all aspire to.