At the end of Chicago Fire season 12, Chief Boden told Christopher Herrmann that he wanted Herrmann to become the next Chief. That isn’t happening, but it may not be because Herrmann is being sidelined.
Fans were certainly excited to find out that Boden wanted Herrmann to take over as Chief at 51 in Chicago Fire. However, it’s clear that will not be the case.
At the end of Chicago Fire season 12, Boden moved on. He’s heading to HQ, but that wasn’t with some sadness. He’ll miss Firehouse 51, and he wants to make sure it is in good hands. While Severide was the Acting Chief for some time, Boden told Herrmann that he wanted Herrmann to take over. It would require some exams to get Herrmann to Captain and then Chief, but it was possible.
Herrmann was certainly taken aback. We could see the shock on his face, but he didn’t turn down the opportunity. It gave fans hope that Herrmann would end up taking over in Chicago Fire season 13.
There’s a new Chief of Firehouse 51 in Chicago Fire season 13
That’s not happening after all. Dermot Mulroney is joining the series as a series regular. He’ll play the new Fire Chief, Dom Pascal. We now also know that KaDee Strickland will play his estranged wife.
What about Herrmann? This was addressed in a recent report announcing Strickland joining the series. David Eigenberg hinted that this decision won’t involve Herrmann being passed over. Instead, it sounds like Herrmann is the one to turn down the opportunity.
“I want to say he felt like he had the rug pulled from under him because I don’t think [Herrmann] saw what the Chief said to him coming at all.”
Eigenberg shared how Herrmann is a firefighter. While he’s a great leader, he’s one of those who is happy fighting fires. He wants to be on the ground, and that’s not something he would get to do has Chief. He knows that he can do it, but that doesn’t mean he wants to. And there are plenty of firefighters in the real world who are like that—there’s nothing wrong with that.
“With Herrmann, I think he would’ve been content to stay in the firefighter capacity. If they decide to make him an officer, that’s great because he can lead but I don’t know that there was an organically natural progression for the character to go into that position. So we have to see how the writers deal with it.”
Herrmann remaining a Lieutenant is perfect for Chicago Fire
As a Day One fan of the series, I have to say that this is the perfect move. We saw the debate he had with himself when it came to taking the lieutenant exam. He was a little on the fence about that, although some of that was self-doubt.
It’s not like we could see Herrmann become Chief right away. As Boden pointed out, he would need to take the captain exam and then the chief exam. There are a lot of stepping stones to taking over from Chief Boden. It doesn’t make sense for him to suddenly be Chief of Firehouse 51 right away.
Herrmann is also happy being on the ground. He is an excellent role model for some of the younger firefighters. If it wasn’t for Herrmann, Ritter would have quit when he struggled in the stairway of the apartment building fire. Herrmann was willing to talk him through everything and made sure he had a firehouse that would help him and support him.
We need to see more of that leadership in the field. The only way it’s possible is if Herrmann remains on the ground, and we know that’s what Herrmann loves. Eigenberg is right, and I love that it’s going to be Herrmann’s choice not to go for Chief (if that’s the way it plays out). It isn’t right for him to be overlooked when he’s capable but seeing him make a choice that is right for him regardless of what other people think he should do gives him a chance to stand up for himself. We need to see that it’s okay not to always chase promotions.
