Dermot Mulroney’s Chief Dom Pascal is currently consumed by grief in Chicago Fire Season 13. The aftermath of tragically losing his wife, Monica Pascal (KaDee Strickland), has seen the Chief spiral out of control, with his emotional turmoil deepening after discovering he won’t be able to get her justice. Pascal’s growing emotional instability increasingly puts him at risk of making a professional blunder, which will happen in a matter of time. As revealed in the synopsis for Episode 18, “Post Mortem,” a rescue operation overseen by Pascal will turn disastrous, prompting the return of Forehouse 51’s former Chief, Boden (Eamonn Walker), to investigate the matter. Mulroney has now teased an intense encounter with Boden.
A little history exists between the two men as Boden personally selected Pascal as his replacement before he proceeded to assume his newly promoted position as the Chicago Fire Department’s Deputy Commissioner. However, the two are not acquainted, not on a personal level, as Mulroney revealed in his recent interview with MovieWeb that Pascal will be somewhat surprised by the warm reception Boden receives upon return; “I had no concept of how beloved Boden was – Eamonn Walker’s character – as the chief for all those years. So that’s built in, knit into the part of Pascal, who that other guy was.” With Boden’s return putting Pascal on the hot seat in the investigation, Mulroney further teased that this will see them butt heads in an intense clash, adding:
“And it’s been amazing to learn that you see, coming up, Boden comes back at least for one episode, and it’s really a special visit that everyone there was thrilled that he returned. Meaning literally cast, crew, everyone. But the episode is really interesting too, so stay tuned for that. And I got to work really head-to-head with him in some intense scenes. So, they didn’t pull any punches.”
How Might The Outcome of “Post Mortem” Affect Pascal?
Truth be told, dealing Pascal another blow on the show will simply be going overboard. The chief has been through what many cannot endure and is due for some happy moments. While the circumstance of Boden’s return place Pascal at risk of losing his job, depending on the outcome of the investigations, the show could instead likely lean towards the process serving as a wake-up call to how he’s been neglecting himself, choosing to immerse in work, rather than take some much-needed time off.
Mulroney further expressed optimism over the Pascal’s long-term future on the series, adding, “Now, I have my hopes for him, of course. That he weathers this storm, but they sure…I don’t think it’s going to be that easy on him. So, we will see how it goes. It’s really fun to not know.” “Post Mortem” could likely mark a turning point for the Chief and bring to focus fresh details as it explores the dynamic between him and Boden. Showrunner Andrea Newman has teased an unprecedented spectacle in the episode, saying, “Post-Mortem,” is a thrill ride unlike any we’ve done before. Told with flashbacks and unique POVs, Chief Boden leads our team on a search to discover the how, who, and why of a fierce firefight that ended in disaster.”
