For over a decade, Chicago Fire has excelled at capturing the intense camaraderie and interconnected lives of the professionals at Firehouse 51. Every promotion, tragedy, or celebratory gathering is typically a full-house event, relying on the entire ensemble to react, mourn, or cheer together. This shared experience is the core of the One Chicago franchise’s success.
However, as Season 13 drew to a close and major, foundational changes were taking place, one crucial character’s absence in a pivotal episode stood out as particularly bizarre and narratively confusing, especially in light of the massive shift their character would soon undertake. That character is Chief Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker), and his near-silent role and non-attendance in key Season 13 moments—including Episode 20—felt like a glaring omission that failed to honor his decades of dedication to Firehouse 51 and the impending conclusion of his tenure.
The problem wasn’t just that Boden was absent from an episode; it was that he was inexplicably missing during a time when Firehouse 51 was experiencing some of its most profound internal shifts and emotional tests, directly undermining the importance of his own leadership legacy.
The Pre-Departure Problem: Boden’s Season 13 Understatement
By the end of Season 13, the writing was already on the wall: after twelve seasons of anchoring Firehouse 51, Eamonn Walker was stepping back from his role as Chief Wallace Boden. This departure was a tectonic shift, marking the loss of the last remaining authority figure from the original series’ core structure.
Given that Boden’s exit storyline—his promotion out of Firehouse 51 into a higher, administrative role—was imminent, the final episodes of Season 13 should have been a celebration of his leadership, his mentorship, and his deep connection to his crew. Instead, Boden often felt like a ghost in his own firehouse.
Missing the Defining Moments
Episode 20, often a crucial setup for the finale, typically features the kind of character-driven, high-stakes drama that requires the Chief’s guidance. The Chief of Firehouse 51 is not just an administrator; he is the moral compass and the final word on major decisions impacting the crew.
In the face of complex crises involving Engine, Truck, and Ambulance teams—and the burgeoning drama surrounding other departing or newly-minted characters—Boden’s lack of a visible, impactful presence was illogical:
- The Emotional Distance: A character like Boden, who views his crew as his family, would have been highly visible, offering counsel and support during internal crises. His absence signaled a bizarre detachment just as he was preparing to leave them.
- The Passing of the Torch: A proper send-off arc should feature Boden actively preparing the firehouse for his absence. We should have seen him having meaningful, one-on-one scenes with Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), and Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg), discussing the future and offering final words of wisdom. Instead, these moments of necessary emotional handover were largely absent.
His withdrawal during a crucial pre-finale episode made it feel as though the writers were struggling to integrate the gravity of his impending exit with the ongoing case-of-the-week demands.
The Narrative Conflict: The Chief’s Duty vs. The Actor’s Exit
The most likely explanation for this bizarre absence lies in the real-world demands of long-running television production and the actor’s contract. When an actor signals a desire to reduce their commitment or exit a show, production must often adjust by limiting their screen time, even if it creates narrative inconsistencies.
However, for a character of Boden’s magnitude, this strategy backfired, creating a confusing tonal shift:
- Undermining the Promotion: Boden’s eventual departure was due to a promotion—an upward movement that reflects the success and respect he commands. By sidelining him in the final episodes, the show inadvertently made his final days at 51 feel insignificant, rather than momentous. It suggested he was already mentally checked out, a character choice that goes against everything fans know about the fiercely loyal Chief.
- The ‘Invisible’ Leader: The narrative failed to show how the Leader spent his final days leading. The story needed to focus on Boden’s emotional process of leaving his family, but his physical absence from the main action made it seem like the show was writing him out by simple omission rather than through a climactic, deserved farewell.
The true legacy of a leader is often measured by their presence during challenging times. By largely keeping the Chief off-screen in the run-up to his exit, Chicago Fire failed to leverage the dramatic potential of a powerful farewell.
The Domino Effect: How Boden’s Absence Hurts Others
The omission of Boden’s character in Episode 20 and the preceding episodes also negatively impacts the storylines of the characters he leaves behind.
The Herrmann Problem
The biggest fallout concerns Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg). Herrmann, a character with deep respect for Boden, was actively grappling with his own career trajectory and the thought of taking a Chief’s exam or making major changes. Boden is the one person Herrmann would seek counsel from—the ultimate sounding board. Yet, Herrmann’s career turmoil played out largely in isolation, missing the opportunity for a powerful, climactic scene with his beloved Chief about duty, family, and the future of Firehouse 51.
The Severide/Kidd Dynamic
Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd represent the next generation of leadership, often turning to Boden for advice on both professional and deeply personal matters. As they faced their own major life decisions (including the emotional adoption journey and the return of Severide’s arson investigation focus), Boden’s wisdom would have been invaluable. His relative absence minimized the depth of his mentorship, making their final moments with him feel less earned when they finally occurred.
The Imperative of the Farewell
While Chicago Fire ultimately gave Boden a respectable, celebratory send-off in the finale—a tribute that was necessary—the lead-up was structurally weak. The bizarre absence of such a foundational character in critical moments of Season 13, Episode 20 included, stands as a missed opportunity.
The longevity of a series is built on emotional continuity. When characters depart, especially foundational ones, the farewell must be treated with the narrative gravity they deserve. It requires tension, shared memories, and a tangible passing of the torch. By minimizing Boden’s presence, the show risked signaling that the Chief’s legacy was less important than the immediate plot.
For Season 14, the impact of Boden’s physical departure will be undeniable. But the long-term impact of his bizarre Season 13 absence is that fans were robbed of a truly robust and fitting farewell to the man who defined the heart of Firehouse 51 for over a decade.
