‘You May Lose Your Fan Favorite’: Chicago Fire’s Eamonn Walker Explained How Serious The Next Crisis Had To Be To Bring In Boden, And I’m Nervous

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Fans of “Chicago Fire” have much to rejoice and a touch of apprehension regarding the upcoming episode slated for April 16 in the 2025 TV lineup. Titled “Post-Mortem,” this episode welcomes back the legendary leader of Firehouse 51, Wallace Boden, portrayed by Eamonn Walker. This marks his first appearance since the Season 12 finale last spring. However, it’s not a casual visit for Boden and Walker hinted at the gravity of the situation facing the beloved characters in an interview with TopMob.

Eamonn Walker’s character, Boden, didn’t depart from Chicago like Casey and Brett did. Instead, the show “Chicago Fire” elevated his role to Deputy Commissioner, keeping him within the Windy City. In this new capacity with the CFD, Boden is once again part of the action. Given the recent loss of Pascal’s wife, the 51 family appears to be in need of guidance. When I asked Walker about how severe a crisis on “Chicago Fire” needs to be for the Deputy Commissioner to intervene, he responded:

Allow me to clarify the urgency of the situation. When Firehouse 51’s team arrives, the fire is still burning, and the gravity of the situation becomes evident as one of their beloved team members, a fan favorite, has been left behind and may not survive. Instead of heading to the firehouse, Chief Boden rushes to the hospital to confront each officer who gave the orders for that specific fire.

This situation isn’t merely a slight deviation requiring an additional water bottle or oxygen from Firetruck 61. It appears someone’s life is genuinely at stake, making “Post-Mortem” as the title of the episode quite fitting! In a recent interview, Walker further emphasized that significant losses could occur with the upcoming episode of Chicago Fire on April 16th.

In this particular episode, there are two potential outcomes: a beloved character might depart, and another could be dismissed by Boden due to his new role as Deputy Commissioner, which means he is no longer the chief. Consequently, the rules have changed for him.

On numerous occasions throughout the series run of “Chicago Fire”, main characters have narrowly escaped death only to find other characters meeting their end. The departures of beloved figures such as Otis and Shay, along with more recent casualties like Hawkins and Monica, make it seem that no character is immune from peril in this show. Eamonn Walker, a longtime cast member, was unable to discuss potential spoilers, but he did express:

In every emergency they confront, firefighters and paramedics face grave risks to their own lives. Regrettably, they lose their lives frequently. While it’s easy to laugh or find humor in portrayals of these situations on TV, the fact remains that each chief is responsible for potentially numerous lives. One misstep could lead to a loss of life. This series aims to present the reality of such dangerous jobs as thrillingly as possible.

The choices made by the chief spark my interest to find out how Boden and Pascal interact with each other. It’s worth noting that the actor revealed he met Dermot Mulroney for the first time on the set of Chicago Fire, which means both actors, as well as their characters, were experiencing something fresh.

The promotional material for the upcoming episode seems to hint at the possibility of flashback scenes being used extensively to depict the events of the week’s emergency. This theory aligns well with the episode’s title, “Post-Mortem”, suggesting a post-event analysis or recap. Give it a glance and see if you agree!

Don’t forget to catch the “Post-Mortem” episode of Chicago Fire on NBC this coming Wednesday, April 16 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, nestled within our popular One Chicago block. You can enjoy all of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med for now, as their renewals for the 2025-2026 TV season are still pending. In the meantime, you can continue tuning in on Wednesday nights or stream these shows with a Peacock subscription.

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2025-04-16 15:09