Sam Carver’s furlough is ending, and when it does, he will return with a bigger storyline in Chicago Fire Season 13. TV Line reports that Jake Lockett has been upgraded to series regular for the upcoming season, clearing up any concerns about Carver’s future on the show. Lockett made his Chicago Fire debut in Season 11 as the troubled firefighter looking to fill in a spot on Truck 81. The shifty recruit rubbed shoulders with his superiors and proved hard to deal with before his Lieutenant focused on him and learned that he had a tough childhood and was triggered by certain cases. Carver eventually came to love being part of Firehouse 51 and took on a mentorship role when Derrick Gibson (Rome Flynn), a new recruit with a similar past, joined the Firehouse.
Carver had been missing from the later episodes of Chicago Fire Season 12, given that Lockett was not a series regular. The explanation was that he was on furlough, and Stella hoped he would return soon. Upgrading Lockett to a series regular comes as several other series regulars departed in Season 12, opening up spots in the firehouse. Jocelyn Huddon, who first appeared in Season 12 as Paramedic Novak, was also upgraded to series regular for Season 13.
This upgrade allows the series to explore Carver deeper, including some of the hanging arcs. Carver started a relationship with Violet, and the upcoming season will explore how their feelings evolve. Will they take it to the next step, or is Carver still caught up in his feelings for Stella? Seeing Derrick struggle with his past also brought up some feelings for Carver, which are to be explored coupled with his behavior in Season 11 when he revealed his childhood tribulations.
Firehouse 51 Gets a New Chief in ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 13
New faces will also be present besides the familiar faces to be featured heavily in Season 13. Dermot Mulroney is Dom Pascal, Firehouse 51’s new chief. He takes over from Wallace Boden, who left the firehouse for other duties in the CFD as Deputy Commissioner. Eamonn Walker departed in the Season 12 finale but is expected to pop by occasionally if the story allows for it. Dom Pascal is a Chicago Fire Department veteran, having gotten his start there before moving to Miami, where he’s been chief for the past several years. KaDee Strickland was cast to play Dom’s estranged wife, Monica Pascal.
