Facts & Analysis: Hen Begins, Chimney Begins, Bobby Begins.
This analysis will primarily focus on Tommy during these episodes. This will objectively and impartially show facts of what happens during these episodes, and also my personal analysis.
From someone who has watched the show since season 4.
Large recap at the end!
Chimney Begins
Eli is very integrated into this episode. He is friendly with the other guys, but is also a guide for Chimney. He is the reason Chimney becomes a paramedic, but also advises Chimney on how to deal with the other guys.
Tommy: âHey Eli, you forget to tip the delivery guy?â
Tommy is intentionally a jackass at the beginning of this episode as itâs meant to highlight the current workplace culture of the 118 under Captain Gerrard. Gerrard perpetuates and approves this kind of behaviour, and itâs how you get in his good books. Gerrard has very clearly made the 118 a white boys club.
Chimney: âYou just donât like me very much do you?â
Tommy: âIf I thought about you at all, I probably wouldnât.â
At this moment, Chimney is going through the hazing and comments from the others. No one is standing up for him, but Eli gives him some advice and explains why theyâre acting the way they do. With regard to the other firefighters, we donât see Sal at all, so the focus is on Tommy and Gerrard, and obviously Eli.
Eli: âitâs not personal you know. Look in this job, friends die, and funerals are held. Theyâre not going to just give you their friendship until you earn their respect. Theyâre not just protecting you, theyâre protecting themselves.â
Here, Eli has witnessed the previous interaction with Chimney and Tommy, and explains it isnât personal, but the other guys wonât just give Chimney their friendship. Thereâs nothing overt here that suggests Tommy has no interest in being friends with Chim due to his race, as Eli explains it is a trust issue with Chim being the new guy who has yet to prove himself.
Although Tommy âjokingâ that Chimney is an untipped delivery guy has some racist undertones, Eli states the hazing and comments comes from a place of no trust as he is the new guy. Tommy also only makes these comments in the presence of Gerrard, likely looking for his approval and appraisal; just trying to fit in. He is conforming socially and professionally, even in the negative ways. This will be explained more in the Hen Begins section, but this is likely because he is scared of losing his job if he openly goes against Gerrard and also, knowing what we know now, trying to remain safely in the closet. This doesnât excuse his behaviour, and Iâm not trying to, but it does begin to explain it. Anyone openly going against Gerrard would face severe consequences. When Tommy is not an instigator, he is a bystander and does let this behaviour continue (for nowâŚ.).
Here, Tommy and the others are the perfect (and intentional) example of the workplace culture Gerrard has created.
On Chimâs first fire call, heâs sat next to Tommy in the engine who is constantly looking over at him. This is also the call where Kevin dies.
Chimney very suddenly understands Eliâs speech about friends dying and trust.
Chim then runs in after Tommy doesnât respond to the radio and pulls him out of an exploding building, and waits in the hospital afterwards. Whether Chim knows it or not as he does it, this is him trying to prove himself and prove that he can be trusted by the other guys.
Eli visits Tommy in the hospital, evidenced by the visitor badge he wears and the update he gives Chim on his condition, indicating they are friends or friendly.
âKevin died, Eli.â
âAnd Tommy didnât, because of you.â
After Tommyâs stint in the hospital, he builds a bridge with Chimney and apologises.
Itâs worth nothing that although he doesnât explicitly say the words âIâm sorryâ, Iâve always interpreted this scene as an apology, as Tommy and Chimney are seen as friendly afterwards. Chimney has proven that he can be trusted, and Tommy is finally extending his friendship (just as Eli told Chimney he would).
Tommy: âLove Actually, monster trucks, craft beerâ
Chim: âSo youâre back. Howâs that head of yours?â
Tommy: âStill fat, but clearer. You saved my life. Thank youâ
Tommy then shakes Chimneyâs hand and brings him into a hug.
Chim: âThanks Tommyâ
This conversation references an encounter earlier in the episode where Chim asks to build a bridge with Tommy, and says whatever his thing is, heâll make it his thing too, just so they can get along.
Tommy and Eli then stand with Chim, and then stand behind Chim, when he talks to the woman that Kevin saved. Eli and Tommy can be seen together watching the conversation Chim has, with Gerrard stood by the side of the fire truck.
Tommy: âparamedic, huh?â
Eli: âa damn good one.â
Notes on the framing of scenes:
- Eli is also sat with Tommy and Gerrard during scenes.
- Tommy and Eli walk alongside each other at Kevinâs funeral
- Tommy is behind Chim as heâs ringing the bell at Kevinâs funeral.
Although small framing, at this point I do think itâs intentional to show that Eli and Tommy will be his friends at the 118- they could have shown any other firefighters behind him and next to him. I believe it also shows that Eli is also a bystander, and he is a good friend of Chimneyâs by season 5 (when we see the reunite in Boston), however he is also accepted by Gerrard.
Weâve intentionally been introduced to Tommy in this episode as a friend, as one of the episode afterwards has Chim calling Tommy for a favour. In this episode alone, Tommy has been shown to grow as a character and become friends with Chimney, although he does display negative behaviours.
Hen Begins
Tommy smiles and asks âwhoâs thisâ when Gerrard introduces them to Hen, and frowns when Gerrard calls her their âdiversity hireâ. He is no longer necessarily an instigator, but more of a bystander. Objectively, also not great, but no one publicly stands up for her, although we do see Chim stand up for her and give her advice in private.
Tommy, just like with Chimney, does not welcome Hen with open arms. He is still standoffish with her and makes jackass comments, although it is also worth nothing he does not say anything racist to her. Knowing what we know from Chimney Begins, Tommy (and the others) are likely waiting for Hen to prove herself, as Chim had to do, before they extend their friendship. With Gerrard barking in their ears that she wonât be able to as a woman, Hen had more to prove than Chimney and probably took more for the others to accept her.
Chim doesnât stop to help her when theyâre all piling their tools into a pile for cleaning. He too is conforming professionally, not wanting to risk his job and stepping out of line. At this time, Chimney has been at the 118 for some years and knows how to not piss Gerrard off, evidenced by the advice he gives to Hen.
Tommy does say âNew york bitchiness is a compliment?â and Chimney calls him out for it. Whether Tommy thought Chimney was insulting her by saying she had an âeast coast vibe to herâ is debatable. Referring back to Tommy trying to conform to Gerrard and gain his approval, this comment might have also been in the same vein, although this isnât explicitly said. Knowing that Tommy is aware in the future of how he acted under Gerrard, it wouldnât be a stretch to also assume he knows itâs wrong at the time, but is more concerned with self preservation than standing up for Hen. Furthermore, knowing that Gerrard is like Tommyâs father, he is probably conditioned to fall in line, even if he knows it is wrong. Not excusing the behaviour, but it might explain why. Hindsight from season 7 can definitely change the way we now interpret some of the interactions in this episode, but absolutely does not take away from Tommy acting like a jackass.
Gerrard explains that he doesnât like women in his firehouse because she wonât be able to pull the men out if theyâre hurt and it puts them in jeopardy. This is a massive exaggeration on Eliâs speech in Chimney Begins where he says that people die, which is why theyre not friends with Chimney yet. Gerrard is the only one who says this, and none of the others are shown to agree with him. However, it did likely have some impact on their hesitancy to be friends with Hen at this time, although we do see this change.
Chimney says to Hen âoh you think theyâre inviting the asian guy round to their houses for beers?â When theyâre privately talking. Chim is to Hen what Eli was to Chim, a guide to the 118. This shows Chimney is still facing some negativity from the rest of the team, but he is no longer eating at a separate table and is friendly with them. He also faces the racism they suffer from Gerrard. It can be argued here that he doesnât mean Tommy as those two are seen to be friendly, although this is ambiguous. It could also be argued that Tommy and Chimney are only friendly in private if Tommy is still trying to remain in Gerrardâs good books, although this is pure speculation. We donât see any interaction between Tommy and Gerrard, so their relationship is up in the air.
Chim does talk to Hen privately but does notably not defend her in public.
After the car collision, Sal and Tommy build a bridge with Hen, saying if theyâd had followed Gerrard they wouldnât have found the patient in time and that Hen is good. This is the first time we hear them go against Gerrard. Furthermore, it shows the positive impact that Hen has had on the 118 and the boys. She has proven herself, and also proven that they donât have to fit into Gerrardâs mould.
Itâs after that collision that Gerrard is removed from the 118 and Hen discovers that people have been making complaints about Gerrard and compliments of Hen.
It is heavily implied that it is Chim, Tommy, and possibly Sal who are making these complaints and compliments as these are the only characters we are explicitly introduced to from the 118. However, Gerrard is still seen harassing her. The fact that the complaints began after Hen joined the 118 highlight the positive impact she had on the firehouse and the team. She fundamentally helped change the 118 for good and also aided in Tommyâs character development. Again, retrospectively, her speech probably had a large impact on him as a closeted gay man.
This happens an indeterminate time after she joins the 118, but it would be safe to assume it has been weeks if not months. Knowing this, it means that Tommy (and Sal) have been okay with her and have liked her for some time, evidenced by the fact they have been submitting complaints about Gerrardâs treatment of her for some time. Although we donât see them being friends in the open, they are shown to have disagreed with Gerrardâs methods for some time and are on Henâs side. Even though Hen didnât know it at the time, they were standing up for her in private and trying to make the 118 a better place by ousting Gerrard, likely inspired by Hen.
It is further implied that, likely due to Gerrardâs constant threats of termination if someone disobeys his orders, Tommy, Sal, and even Chim are falling inline with Gerrardâs regime- they wonât go against him in fear of losing their jobs. This is classic self preservation, with Sal and Tommy falling in line socially as well as professionally. Admittedly, Tommy and Sal fall in line more than Chimney, but after Gerrard leaves, theyâre seen being friends, with Tommy seen being close friends with Hen and Chim.
However, while they are seen falling in line professionally and socially at the fire house, in private they are friendly with Chimney and have been submitting complaints about Gerrard and compliments about Hen, indicating they are aware of the bad workplace culture and no longer want to be a part of it. This is a big step in Tommyâs change, and he is no longer a bystander, but actively working on making himself better and standing up for Hen. It took a while, and he could have done it sooner, but that does not distract from the fact he still did it.
Although he physically does not say the words âsorryâ to Hen and Chim, in both begins episodes, he is seen building a bridge and apologising to them, and giving them a handshake/hug.
âYou saved my life, thank youâ
âYouâre goodâ
This is further amplified in Bobby Begins.
As this has been a big topic with the return of Gerrard in season 8, I would like to state that both Eli and Chim advised, essentially, to not cause trouble, keep working, and keep their spirits up, and that is how you survive the 118. None of them, except Hen, explicitly stood up to Gerrard until the end.
Bobby Begins
Hen and Chim are obviously friendly with everyone as Hen is walking around placing bets with everyone. She banters with Tommy, who obviously feels comfortable asking for credit on a bet, and the four of them (Sal, Tommy, Hen, and Chim) end up in a conversation together. In this conversation, theyâre all bantering and laughing together.
This is a MASSIVE shift from the beginning of Hen and Chim Begins- it explicitly shows Tommy, Sal, Hen, and Chim being friends now that Gerrard has gone, which further indicates that Gerrard was the source of the problem, not Tommy or Sal. Objectively, their actions and comments did not help and some were in poor taste.
However, there is 10 years between Chimney begins and Bobby begins, meaning Chimney and Tommy have been working together for 10 years, the majority of that without Gerrard. They have had plenty of time to work through any issues. Furthermore, Tommy (and Sal) were shown to acknowledge that Gerrardâs (and by proxy, their own) behaviour was wrong, and took steps to change that workplace culture.
In the fire truck in the montage of calls, Tommy and Chim are seen laughing together at Bobbyâs lack of direction.
Sal is also prepped in this episode to show that he isnât aligning with Bobbyâs methods, primarily because he wants to be captain, whereas Tommy is just waiting to see that he can trust him. This is consistent for Tommy with the past two begins episodes; Eli says they wont be friends with Chimney until heâs earned their respect as friends die in this line of work and they need to trust each other. This, if you remember, is ultimately what led Tommy to be friends with Chimney, after Chim saved his life.
Sal is openly defiant against Bobby, stating heâs a âpiece of workâ. Tommy chastises Sal and Chimney is visibly displeased at Sal. Tommy, Hen, and Chim are all visibly unhappy with Sal and try to stop him when he goes for Bobby.
Tommy not yet trusting Bobby is primarily seen after Bobby transfers Sal. Believing that he fired Sal, Tommy is hesitant to like Bobby as he believes firing Sal was too harsh, with the same sentiment echoed by Chimney and Hen, until the truth is revealed.
Hen then invites Bobby out, saying âsome of us are going out for drinks⌠join usâ. We then see Chim, Tommy, and Hen out drinking together. This is when Hen reveals that Sal was transferred and Tommy is happy to accept Bobby. The four of them then sit drinking, talking, and laughing. They even show each other all their scars while laughing and getting drunk.
This scene in particular establishes them as friends who now do hang out outside of work, in contrast to Hen begins where Chimney says âyou think theyâre inviting the Asian guy to their houses to drink beer?â. The three of them are sticking together as friends. All of Tommyâs character development has led up to this point: he is no longer an instigator, no longer a bystander, but a friend. He stood up for them and stood by them, following them into changing the 118 and the horrid culture Gerrard had created. They trust each other and are friends here.
Tommy, Chim, Hen, and Bobby then sit at the top of the dinner table together at the station, once again smiling and talking.
Their friendship is once again showcased when Tommy transfers to the 217, and Hen and Chim surprise him with balloons and a cake.
Recap
Tommy in particular is a symbol of the impact Hen, Chimney, and Bobby had on the 118. He is the personification of the changes the 118 went through. From an oppressive boys club, to a friendly and trusting house. Tommy himself goes through massive change at the 118 thanks to Chim, Hen, and Bobby. Tommy is not the point of the Begins episodes, but he is a symbol of the change the 118 went through and I have always believed that is fully intentional- they show the change through this person.
As stated, we see them become a group of friends after Gerrard leaves. Tommy also becomes aware about how Gerrard influenced him. We see this in his conversation with Buck, where he states that Gerrard was like the father he already had and Gerrard did not make him a better person. He is obviously aware of the type of person he used to be and doesnât attempt to hide it, evidenced by his conversation with Buck. It also cannot be assumed that any of the other characters dislike him or hold a grudge either due to his friendship with them in season 7.
Chimney even mentions Tommy in 3x16: Buck is troubled by the fact that Red has no friends and lost touch with the other firefighters from the 134. Eddie asks Hen and Chim if theyâre still in contact with the other guys they used to work with.
Hen: âum, I donât know if weâd call some of them friendsâ
Chim: âYeah, I spoke with Tommy last year⌠I was calling to ask for a favour, butâŚâ
Chim is referencing when he calls Tommy in season 2 (shortly after he is stabbed) to inform him of the Doheney Park (?) fire and asks if the still works at the 217⌠Tommy then flies over and dumps water on the fire, saving Eddieâs life.
Hen acknowledges here that they werenât friends with all the guys who used to work at the 118, hinting at the poor treatment Hen and Chim faced, but Chim makes is clear with his statement that Tommy does not fall under this category. They might not be friends anymore, but theyâre on good terms, good enough for Chim to still have his phone number in 2023, and good enough for Tommy to trust Chimneyâs instincts twice and use âborrowedâ municipal equipment.
In season 8, we also see the 118 conforming (or in Buckâs case, struggling to conform) to Gerrardâs captaincy. They arenât falling in line like they did in 2005, but they know not to cause any trouble and just say âyes sirâ. They are also not publicly standing up for Buck when Gerrard berates him. To me, this is the biggest sign that they all know the best way to survive Gerrard is to say yes, keep your head down, and not cause trouble. This is likely what Tommy and Sal also had to do in 2005. Although they did take it a step further and make jackass comments, they were falling in line to protect themselves, just like Hen, Chim, and Eddie are doing in season 8, which they state in 8x01. They know now, just like they knew ~20 years ago, that standing up against Gerrard would have severe consequences.
No one is asking you to like how Tommy acts at the beginning of Hen and Chim begins: he is purposefully written as a jackass at the beginning to display the workplace environment Gerrard has created. However, it is objectively ignorant to continue on as if he has had no character development. It is intentionally written and shown that he fundamentally changed as a person thanks to Chimney and Hen, and Gerrardâs departure. By Bobby Begins, Tommy is ingrained with Hen and Chim and they are close friends. It is shown in both Chimney Begins and Hen Begins that he made up with them and became friends with them both. Those are scenes that are in the episode.
You donât have to forgive him, but you have to acknowledge that the characters have. If we fast forward to season 7 and Tommyâs return, youâll see:
Bobby saying that Tommy is good people and good for Buck.
Chimney saying that Tommy is so cool.
Hen smiling when Buck and Tommy arrived at Chimneyâs hospital wedding.
Those are not the reactions of people disliking Tommy or holding a grudge.
I donât like how he is written at the beginning of the begins episodes either, but I understand it is intentionally written that way, and that it is also intentionally written to show he has been forgiven and is now friends with everyone. That was half the point of the begins episodes- to show the positive impact that Hen, Chim, and Bobby had on the 118 and the other firefighters working there.


















