The bulk of the episode involves Stella Kidd, Kelly Severide and their foster son, Isaiah. It’s becoming a tradition for Chicago Fire to begin and end episodes with Severide and Stella. At Isaiah’s behest, the duo look into the care that his mother Shauna is receiving at a hospital that is not Chicago Med—which starts Stella in particular on a mission to get Shauna proper medical help. This is a really heartwarming story in a few ways. Once again, it’s Stella Kidd to the rescue without hesitation. And it’s equally admirable how Severide also doesn’t think twice. They both are just good people. This is another episode that highlights how Kelly Severide has grown by leaps and bounds. Of course after 14 seasons (or 14 years, as Annette Davis puts it), there’d better be some character development, but Severide has really transformed. And Stella has become the mom of One Chicago, not just Isaiah’s foster mom,

Unfortunately, it seems like Stellaride are going to go down a similar road to the one that Matthew Casey, Gabby Dawson and their Louie traveled first. When Sharon Goodwin tells Stella that the best clinic for Shauna is in Cleveland, that’s a big, flashing sign that Isaiah will end up leaving to be with his mother, and this storyline will end. Chicago Fire has once again taken its main couple through a miscarriage, followed by a foster story with a bittersweet ending. So while this subplot has given viewers a lot of great scenes for Stella and Severide, it’s also fair to ask what the point is in a long-term sense. Is being a foster parent to Isaiah just laying the groundwork for Stellaride to try for another kid of their own?

Severide also has his own business to handle, though, because Chief Dom Pascal wants his lieutenant to meet Annette, whom he believes will be helpful to Firehouse 51. The mayor’s chief of staff then promptly proves him right by assisting when Pascal and Severide hear Violet’s radio calls from a stuck Ambulance 61. It’s great to see that Annette is not going to be written as another stick in the mud political figure; this show has had plenty of those. But it’s even better to see Severide’s versatility once again in action. He’s the leader of Squad 81, he’s a heck of an arson investigator, and he can problem-solve on the fly. His personal life isn’t the only thing that’s developed. Chicago Fire just has to think about how much it wants to carry that forward. Severide has previously been resistant to advancing too high up the career ladder, but he’s in a place in his life now where that would make sense. On a similar note, “Broken Things” is a reminder of how far Violet Mikami has come, from a guest character to Paramedic in Charge in all senses of that term.