Even though Vasquez’s initial character traits mirror those of Carver (and his other predecessors), all hope isn’t lost for him yet. We’ve only

seen him in one episode, after all. Perhaps Vasquez will become more intriguing and unique in the episodes following the Chicago Fire season 14 premiere, proving he’s more than just a duplicate of Carver.

 

 

The good news is that the writers aren’t trying to initiate a romance between Vasquez and Violet. If they did, it would only make viewers wonder why NBC got rid of Carver and replaced him with practically the same character in a different font. Instead, it seems as though Chicago Fire is pairing Vasquez up with a different paramedic, Novak.

 

 

Novak and Vasquez’s romance (which might become a love triangle, if the reports about Novak and Chicago Med‘s Dr. Frost are true) could separate him from the crowd. Additionally, there is obviously more to Vasquez than meets the eye. Chicago Fire still has to answer why strings were pulled to get him to Firehouse 51, which could break this disappointing six-year trend.

 

 

Gallo, who replaced Otis after he died in Chicago Fire season 8, was also a problem for his superiors at Firehouse 51. He had a tendency to disobey orders and be reckless. Flash forward three seasons later, Carver mimicked that behavior. Then, Damon did the same when he disobeyed Kidd and lied about it at the beginning of Chicago Fire season 13.

 

 

Now, Vasquez is continuing the trend of arrogant, reckless, and disobedient Firehouse 51 recruits in Chicago Fire season 14. It’s a shame because Larracuente’s character has a lot of potential. However, instead of garnering much intrigue in his first episode, Vasquez’s introduction just feels like a repeat of Carver’s, Damon’s, and Gallo’s. But there is still time for the show to rectify this mistake.

It was still Carver’s arrogance that bothered Kidd and had them start on shaky terms, though, which is why it’s frustrating to see the original One Chicago TV show tell the same story with Vasquez. It’s even more disappointing to realize that neither Carver nor Vasquez is the first of their kind, as this character trend dates back to season 8.

Unfortunately, Vasquez isn’t the first arrogant recruit to ruffle Kidd’s (or any lieutenant’s) feathers in Chicago Fire. As Ritter and Violet point out in the season 14 premiere, Carver was also trouble for Kidd when he first joined Firehouse 51. Of course, the two of them had a history that only increased the tension between them, as they attended the fire academy together.