Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman has ominously previewed how the Firehouse 51 team will react to their new Chief, Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney), teasing how his presence will alter the series moving forward. Pascal is set to replace Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker) as the team’s new Chief, following their former leader’s promotion to Deputy Commissioner of the whole Chicago Fire Department. The new leader has been described as a friendly firefighter who works well under pressure, having years of experience under his belt after working in Miami for some time.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, though, Newman ominously teased how team members will all have different reactions to Pascal’s arrival in Chicago Fire season 13. However, the showrunner says Boden’s presence is still felt because of the time he’d spent with the team. She also teases the new dynamics of essentially writing a season “without the dad of this family,” hinting at the approach this season takes with its characters. Check out what Newman had to say below:
It’s like Boden raised them. When a new chief starts, everybody’s going to have a different reaction. And some of the reactions are surprising. Boden’s presence is still so much a part of the show, and it always will be, because he was so formative in the way that he put this group together and the way he raised this family up.
There’s still such a core group there and they really do feel like a family and they always have. Bringing new people in is really a joy just as a writer. You get to see new dynamics, you get to see how certain people change, their relationships get shaken up a little bit by this new person coming in. The idea of sitting down and trying to write without the dad of this family, it honestly felt like how you feel as a parent when you’re hoping you raised your kids right.
What Different Team Reactions Mean For Pascal In Chicago Fire Season 13
Some May Not Accept Their New Leader Right Away
Pascal joining Firehouse 51 is going to be a major change for Chicago Fire season 13, whose new leadership will forever change the dynamics of the whole team. This could especially be the case with seasoned team members like Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) and Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), whose longevity will likely make them wary of new leadership coming from halfway across the country. Others, however, might be more open to Boden’s replacement once they get to know him, even if their interactions won’t be the same.Given how new Pascal’s presence will be, his arrival coupled with team dynamics could be a major focus of season 13’s first few episodes. At the same time, Newman’s interview came with images from Chicago Fire season 13, one of which shows the new Chief helping someone after an apparent explosion. It’s possible his behavior during the first hands-on mission he conducts with the team will bring them all closer together, getting even those who are skeptical at first to trust his leadership.
Our Take On Team Reactions To Chief Pascal’s Arrival
Season 13’s First Episodes Will Take Some Getting Used To
Custom image by Nick Bythrow
Even though Pascal is going to prove how dedicated he is to his new position, Newman’s comments indicate not everyone will be accepting of him as their new Chief right away. This could result in some conflict that brings Boden back into the story for a bit, since he’ll be appearing in a recurring role during the new season. However the transition of power plays out, it seems Chicago Fire‘s big change won’t be something its team can accept overnight.
