Chicago firewhich began in 2012, aired the first episode of its thirteenth season on September 25. Set at Fire Station 51, Chicago fire focuses on the firefighters and paramedics of Truck 81, Engine 51, Squad 3, and Ambulance 61 and how they serve the city of Chicago and navigate their personal lives. The first of three One Chicago shows, Chicago fire, sets the standard for this trio of procedurals and will likely continue to do so next season.
Chicago fireThe thirteenth season, however, does not come without changes. Fan-favorite paramedic Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) left midway through season 12, and Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker), who led the team at Firehouse 51 for all 12 seasons, took on a new role all inside the CFD. Great leaders remain in place at Firehouse 51, including Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), who runs Squad 3; Lieutenant Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), who supervises Truck 81; Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg), who leads Engine 51; and Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith), who is the paramedic in charge of Ambo 61, but Boden's departure left a spot open at the district level and in season 13, episode 1, “A Monster in the Field”, audiences finally started learning more about who would fill it.
What happened to Wallace Boden?
began Wallace Boden Chicago fire as battalion chief of Fire Station 51 and eventually became deputy district chief of CFD District 4, which included 51. After working with the 51 squad for years, Boden had become a mentor and family member for almost everyone. He encouraged Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) to become a Captain and supported Severide when he wanted to spend some time working for Arson Investigations. It was Boden who first thought Kidd would make a great lieutenant, and he suggested she follow the path and gave her all the support she needed to start Girls on Fire, his program that recruits young women into the CFD. Boden even walked Kidd down the aisle when she and Severide got married, which further solidified their bond.
In season 12, episode 12, “Under Pressure”, Boden learned that Chief of Paramedics Danya Robinson (Laura Allen), who had been nothing but trouble to 51 earlier in the season, was pursuing the open position of deputy commissioner. Concerned that Robinson might change things at CFD for the worse, Boden threw his hat in the ring for the position and, to his surprise, received the job. Season 12, Episode 13, “Never Say Goodbye,” was a beautiful tribute to the character AND made room for Boden to return, if only for one episode.
Who is Dom Pascal?
With Boden in a higher position, District 4 needed a new leader. Enter Dom Pascal, played by Dermot Mulroney, who started out as a firefighter with the CFD before moving to Miami. Pascal has 27 years on the job and spent 10 years with Miami Fire-Rescue before returning to Chicago, though no one is sure why he returned. At the end of the episode, audiences meet Pascal's wife, Monica (KaDee Strickland, best known for Private practice), with whom he seems to have a somewhat tense relationship. It seems that part of the reason for his return has to do with his wife, who had already chastised him for working too hard in “The Monster on the Field.” She may have let him into their house at the end of the episode, but it's obvious their problems are far from over.
Pascal makes an interesting impression on the Firehouse 51 team. They already don't like Kidd much just because he's not Boden, and while Severide and Herrmann do a great job showing the team how to respect the chain of command, there are plenty of firefighters who they are still unsure about Pascal and some of its changes. (Cell phones in the bin during meals?! How dare him.) He manages to win over some people, though, especially when he enters a fire without any additional protection from falling debris from the sky – which he instructed every member of his team to make sure they have – and when he supported Violet and paramedic Lyla Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) when they wanted to follow a young girl who was the victim of a car accident. It's obvious that his presence will be quite polarizing for the team, at least at first.
Where did fans see Dermot Mulroney?
Chicago fire Fans have likely seen Dermot Mulroney, the actor who plays Pascal, just about everywhere: Since he started acting in 1986, Mulroney has taken on nearly 150 different roles. He is best known for several romantic comedies made in the 90s and early 00s, including My best friend's wedding (1997), in which he starred alongside Julia Roberts, and The date of the wedding (2005), where he played a male escort hired by Debra Messing's character to accompany her to a wedding. He also played the role of Everett Stone The Family Stone (2005) with Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson and Rachel McAdams, among others, and his most recent romantic comedy was Anyone but you (2023), the Netflix film with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell.
Dermot Mulroney has had a legendary career, but there's one role he's never played: the role of Dylan McDermott. For about 30 years the two actors were often confused, usually just because of their similar names. Although they have been mistaken for each other, even jokingly, the two men have never been together in a film or television show. The closest they got to it was that both men had roles
American horror story
but Mulroney was in season 7 and McDermott was in seasons 1, 2, 8, and 9. Maybe one day, fans will get to see them together on screen, if only to point out that they're not the same. Man.
Mulroney's career in television has also been incredibly solid, and he often appears as a main character's father or boyfriend for only a few episodes. In 2003, it appeared on Friends for three episodes as Gavin Mitchell, the man who appears to have taken over from Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) before she went on maternity leave. Mulroney guest starred in four episodes of the first season of New girl as Jess Day's (Zooey Deschanel) boyfriend and also returned for episodes of seasons 2 and 7, and from 2015 to 2017 he played Sean Pierce, Fiona Gallagher's (Emmy Rossum) boyfriend, in Shameless. Fans of Station 19 they'll also recognize him as Greg Tanner, the father of police officer Ryan Tanner (Alberto Abrezza), and he had a particularly memorable 4-episode stint as John Wesley Seasons in the first season of The precious stones of the righteous. Mulroney's wide and varied career proves that he is a talented actor, and only the first episode of Chicago fireSeason 13 proves he'll bring all that talent with him to Chicago.
What will Chief Pascal bring to Barracks 51 in Season 13?
With only one episode under their belt so far Chicago fireIn season 13, there's a lot that fans don't know about Dom Pascal. He promised to make changes to Firehouse 51, which fans have already started seeing in season 13, episode 1, “A Monster in the Field.” “You will thank me,” Pascal said at one point about the changes he was making. “It's either that or you'll decide I'm an asshole.” Pascal clearly has his own way of doing things, and both Severide and Kidd have already noticed that something is wrong. They're not wrong.
During the portion of “A Monster in the Field”, Lieutenant Stephen Vale (Phil Donlon) stops to see Pascal. Their conversation is short, but it tells the audience that there is something Pascal is hiding. “I heard what happened in Miami,” Vale says. “Are you OK?” Pascal says yes, but Vale doesn't believe him, he even tries to tell him that he heard differently, but Pascal obviously doesn't want to talk about it. It's never good when a character enters the scene Chicago fire hides a secret, especially when it comes to work. The public will have to wait and see what Pascal is hiding and how the team will continue to handle it, but one thing is crystal clear: Dom Pascal is causing a stir at Barracks 51 and the repercussions will likely last all season long.
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC and can be streamed the next day on Peacock.