Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 12, “Relief Cut,” finally gives viewers the Stellaride-centric episode it feels like we’ve been begging way too long for, and it does so with a decision that works best for the two of them as a couple. When the conversation of kids would come up in the past, Stella’s openness quickly and understandably came with hesitations. A large part of it had to do with her job, and yet we could always tell there was something else underneath. Therefore, it also makes perfect sense that pregnancy isn’t something she’d want, even when she does want a family. Countless women feel this way, and it’s in their right to make the decision that’s best for them.
Keeping all of this in mind, we often see that Stella is inherently a caretaker and, thus, is not only capable of being a guardian to someone, but it’s something she’d want wholeheartedly. However, this doesn’t have to look the way it does on an average person who’s willing to put themselves through the changes and risks of pregnancy. It seems as though some viewers are upset about this decision, yet it’s hard not to see how it’s the right call for Stella and Stellaride as a couple.
In addition, this way, Stella and Kelly also get to give a kid a home, and that’s something we have to acknowledge as the rarely beautiful thing that it is. It’s not just a plot device, but it’s something worthy of praise. The show features a few adoption plots, yet it’s still not enough. Too many people grow up with trauma because they weren’t chosen, and thus, Stellaride’s decision gives at least one kid (if not more) a chance at genuine happiness, love, and safety. In addition, it’s how this conversation is brought up and the fact that we get more insights into Stella’s past that also feels long overdue.
Postpartum depression is no joke, and it’s also something very few shows or movies dive into. We have to acknowledge how it is not only challenging for the person who goes through it but also for those who watch them struggle through it. Without proper conversations surrounding postpartum depression, it allows fear to grow deeper, which is why it’s entirely understandable that Stella doesn’t want to (and maybe even can’t) risk it. When it comes to childbearing—the mother’s choice matters. And no matter how political this topic is, it’s not something I’ll ever sugarcoat here at Lady Geeks. A woman’s choice matters significantly, whether real or fictional, and Stella’s feels incredibly in character.
Further, Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 12, “Relief Cut,” explores some of her remaining grief and how she shuts off in the face of it. It’s subtle, but it’s there, yet the most important detail in this episode is that the Stellaride conversation fully puts their feelings in the center, allowing them to arrive at a compromise that gives them both what they’ve wanted.
Kelly is often great at listening to Stella and considering her feelings, so it’s not the least bit shocking that he fully gets her choice here. Because at the end of the day, he understands Stella Kidd. He knows her better than anyone else, and somewhere in the back of his mind, it feels like he’s known this, too. It works, and it’s a great thing that the show isn’t putting off addressing it anymore.
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Now streaming on NBC and Peacock: What are your thoughts on Stellaride’s decision in Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 12, “Relief Cut?” Let us know in the comments below. (Note: disrespectful comments will be deleted.)
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