Chicago Fire season 13 introduced a brand new Firehouse 51 crew chief to replace Wallace Boden, and there’s a lot to learn about him. One Chicago ended its forced summer hiatus after a shortened season due to two Hollywood strikes in 2023. Despite only having 13 episodes, a lot happened in Chicago Fire season 12, including a slew of departures—from veterans to newcomers. Losing Blake Gallo, Sylvie Brett, and Derrick Gibson in such a short amount of time was tough, but nothing compared to saying goodbye to Boden.
Procedurals often feature ensembles, which allows them to go on for long stretches without feeling repetitive and/or exhausting their main stars. Because there are so many characters, the storylines change on a weekly basis. But that also helps keep the show going when cast changes are inevitable. One Chicago has a number of characters who won’t be returning in 2024, including several from Chicago Fire. So while it’s sad to see Boden say goodbye to Firehouse 51, it paves the way for a whole new era of storytelling for the first responder series with the arrival of his replacement — Dom Pascal.
Over the years, Chicago Fire has lost millions of characters for various reasons and in various ways. However, in season 12, Gallo and Brett’s departures were announced in advance, allowing the show to set up their final goodbyes and giving the audience time to prepare for their departures. Boden’s departure, however, wasn’t announced until later in the year. There’s no clear reason for Eammon Walker’s departure, although the season 12 finale of Chicago Fire was able to provide a plausible reason for his departure.
It was no surprise that Boden won to become the first Deputy Fire Commissioner, which meant he had to leave Firehouse 51. Before Walker left, Boden left the office before the Chicago Fire Department elections. He was supposed to be an outsider to the political process, but after realizing that it would be better for him to run and potentially win, he did. It was no surprise that Boden won to become the first Deputy Fire Commissioner, which meant he had to leave Firehouse 51. However, before he secured the position, Boden had Christopher Hermann as his successor, but that did not come to pass.
Boden leaving Chicago Fire and Hermann not being able to secure the requirements to replace him paved the way for the arrival of Dom Pascal, played by Dermot Mulroney. The first episode of season 13, “Monster in the Field,” focuses on establishing him as the new leader of Firehouse 51. Given everything else going on with the other characters, the information revealed about him so far is limited. However, it is clear that he is not Chief Boden.
It has been months since Boden won the election when the first episode of Chicago Fire season 13 begins. Despite this, “Monster in the Field” hardly reveals anything deeper about him. Instead, it focuses on establishing a rough outline of him thanks to a few expository scenes. First, he started his career as a firefighter in Chicago but spent several years in Miami before returning to ChiTown. It is unclear exactly what prompted his move, but based on his tense conversation with his wife, it seems like he was motivated to follow her.
Chicago Fire hasn’t shared why Pascal moved from Chicago to Miami in the first place, but his former colleague’s visit suggests he didn’t have the best farewell when he first left the Windy City. It’s safe to say that this is something that will be revisited in the future, as One Chicago delves deeper into Mulroney’s new character. For now, though, there’s still a lot to learn about Pascal, and the fact that he doesn’t seem to be very approachable to the rest of Firehouse 51 doesn’t help matters. While he’s shown respect for Boden, the new Battalion Chief is also adamant about asserting himself as Kelly Severide and the new leader of the rest. He’s imposed new rules that have divided the rest of Firehouse 51, including no cell phones during lunch breaks so the team can bond. Surprisingly, of all of them, Stella Kidd has the hardest time accepting Pascal as their new leader.
Given the limited time available for Chicago Fire’s season 13 premiere, the jury is still out on Mulroney’s character. However, Pascal is reportedly going to have a different leadership style than Boden. Some hints of this were shown in “Monster in the Field,” as it created subtle tension between him and some of the more veteran members of Firehouse 51. Kidd, Severide, and Herman all had strange encounters with him. Although nothing serious happened after that,
