Dermot Mulroney’s Pascal Gave Severide a Scary Warning on Chicago Fire—About Stella
“I’m not Chief Boden,” Firehouse 51’s new boss, Dom Pascal, said in the Season 13 premiere. “I’m not trying to be.”
The Chicago Fire Season 13 premiere brought the heat as Dermot Mulroney’s Dom Pascal joined the ranks of Firehouse 51 as the squad’s new Battalion Chief.
Pascal had some large shoes to fill following the departure of 51’s longtime chief, Wallace Boden (Eammon Walker). But he was quick to tell the firefighters he planned on running 51 his way.
“Good morning, 51,” Pascal announced as the first responders gathered in the briefing room in Season 13, Episode 1. “As you probably already know, I’m Battalion Chief Dom Pascal. Twenty-seven years on the job. Some things I want to get out of the way up front: I have the utmost respect for Deputy Commissioner Wallace Boden, and it’s truly an honor to be here, at his former seat. But I’m not Chief Boden. I’m not trying to be. I have my own leadership style. I do things my own way, so you should all expect there’ll be some changes at Firehouse 51.”
Before Pascal could detail those changes, 51 got a call about a fire, pausing his speech. “Let’s hit it, team,” Pascal told them as they jumped into action. Breaking into the Firehouse 51 family is never a simple task, and Pascal had his work cut out for him.
Here’s what happened in the premiere:
Firehouse 51 is nervous about the changes Chief Pascal brings
“‘There will be changes.’ Sounds kind of like a threat,” Mouch (Christian Stolte) reflected on the way to the scene of the fire at a smoke shop. Pascal’s debut in the briefing room rubbed several 51 members the wrong way, especially Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), who viewed Boden as a father figure and didn’t appreciate Pascal’s abrasive introduction.
The group’s complaints were silenced after witnessing Pascal’s firefighting finesse at the smoke shop. While butane tanks exploded and projectiles flew toward the team, Pascal didn’t bat an eye as he instantly swept into action. Ditching the protective shield in favor of giving it to another firefighter, Pascal confidently delivered directives to his officers before running into the center of the chaos to help assist civilians.
“I think he’s missing the fear gene,” paramedic Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) exclaimed as she watched Pascal ignore the explosives while helping more people.
Back at the station, Pascal continued to roll out some of the changes he wanted to see at 51. While asking the team to put away their phones during meals was mildly annoying, Stella felt particularly threatened after Pascal told her, Chris Herrmann (David Eigenberg), and Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) that he wanted debriefing meetings with the lieutenants after major calls.
Back at the station, Pascal continued to roll out some of the changes he wanted to see at 51. While asking the team to put away their phones during meals was mildly annoying, Stella felt particularly threatened after Pascal told her, Chris Herrmann (David Eigenberg), and Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) that he wanted debriefing meetings with the lieutenants after major calls.
“Pascal is pulling some serious alpha moves,” Stella complained to Severide before he pulled her into his office.
“You’re not helping yourself by challenging him at the jump,” Severide told her, successfully tempering her annoyance. Stella agreed to be more open-minded, but Pascal’s presence at 51 troubled her.
Chief Pascal called out Stellaride for both working at Firehouse 51
Little did she know, the threats had just begun. Later, during Severide’s debrief with Pascal, the new chief decided to flag something he noticed upon joining Firehouse 51.
“One more thing, I’m looking for general order 96-001,” Pascal said while thumbing through the CFD handbook. “I think you know what this section is. It states immediate family members should not work the same Firehouse in the same shift.”
Severide met Pascal’s eyes nervously.
“Since Lieutenant Kidd doesn’t have your last name, I assume that’s how it stayed under the radar — going on calls with family members,” Pascal said. “That can be trouble. Seems to me you both figured out a way to manage it, considering how long you’ve worked together.”
“Yes, sir,” Severide assured him. “We have it handled.”
“OK, just be aware that’s something I’ll be keeping an eye on,” Pascal warned him.
“Understood,” Severide confirmed.
No one likes it when Stellaride’s relationship comes under fire. Still, Pascal’s warning held two layers of concern: Severide doesn’t just have his wife working at the same firehouse, his half-brother Damon (Michael Bradway) is also part of the 51 crew.
Severide and Stella have figured out a balance of working at the same station, but Severide’s newfound connection with Damon could lead to a conflict of interest. After Severide complained to Joe Cruz (Joe Miñoso) about the exchange, Cruz quickly asked if he mentioned Damon to Pascal. Severide defensively shut Cruz down, telling his friend that Damon wasn’t an issue. Chi-Hards will have to see about that…
Meanwhile, Stella continued to dodge Pascal throughout the shift, refusing to bend to his new playbook. After finally conceding and having her meeting, Severide found Stella pouring herself some tequila once he arrived home. Once Severide asked if his wife was OK, she had a confession to make.
“[Pascal] called me out for avoiding the review, and I pushed back, tried to put him off. I never would have done that to Boden, so you were right; my attitude has been pretty screwed up,” Stella admitted. “I really miss having Boden at 51. The man was more than just my boss. He walked me down the aisle, you know?”
“I know,” Severide said, comforting his wife.
“I know you said give this Pascal guy a chance, and it’s not just because he’s not Boden,” Stella continued. “There is something about him. Makes me nervous somehow.”
“Yeah,” Severide confessed. “There’s something about him that’s a little… off.”
Find out how Pascal joining Firehouse 51 impacts Stellaride’s future by watching Season 13 of Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.
