Chicago Fire fans have a lot to celebrate and possibly a bit to fear as well with the next episode of the 2025 TV schedule, airing on April 16. Called "Post-Mortem," the episode brings back none other than longtime Firehouse 51 leader Wallace Boden, with Eamonn Walker reprising his iconic role for the first time since the Season 12 finale last spring. Boden isn't just turning up for a fun visit, however, and Walker spoke with CinemaBlend about just how dire the circumstances are for the crew of fan favorites.
Boden of course didn't leave the Windy City like Casey and Brett did, with Chicago Fire writing out Eamonn Walker by promoting his character out of Firehouse 51 to Deputy Commissioner. It'll be in that capacity in the CFD that Boden is back in the mix. The 51 family already seemed like they could use some guidance after Pascal lost his wife, and when I asked Walker how serious a Chicago Fire crisis has to be for the Deputy Commission to step in, he shared:
Let me tell you exactly how serious it is. The fire is still not out by the time Boden turns up at Firehouse 51 and the reason why he's turned up is because he is aware that a firefighter was left behind, a fan favorite was left behind and could possibly die. And they are on the operating table, and when they actually first meet, Boden goes to the hospital. Doesn't even go to the firehouse. He goes to the hospital to find every single officer that gave out orders for that fire.
This isn't just a case of something going slightly sideways and a firefighter needing an extra bottle of water or some oxygen from Ambo 61. Somebody's life is evidently in very real danger, which really does fit with "Post-Mortem" as the title of the episode! Walker doubled down on hinting that major losses are possible with the Chicago Fire entry on April 16, saying:
It's twofold in this episode. You may lose your fan favorite, and you also may lose someone because they get fired by Boden. Because he's Deputy Commissioner, he's no longer a chief, and the rules are different.
For all the times that Chicago Fire heroes have survived close calls with death, there have also been notable instances of characters being killed off. In light of losses like fan favorites like Otis and Shay as well as more recent deaths like Hawkins and Monica, I noted to the longtime series regular that it can feel like nobody is entirely safe on this show. Eamonn Walker couldn't speak to that without spoiling the episode, but he did elaborate:
What I can speak to is the dangers that firefighters and paramedics face every time they respond first to any given situation. It's very dangerous, and they lose their lives all the time. We can watch these shows, and we can make light, and we can think about the gallows humor, but the truth of the matter is every chief has a bunch of people's lives in his hands. Every decision he makes, [if] he makes the wrong one, somebody dies. That's the reality of the situation. We are showing you that in this episode, and we're making it as exciting as possible.
Walker referring to the decisions made by a chief really makes me curious to see what Boden and Pascal make of each other. The actor confirmed that he met Dermot Mulroney for the very first time on the set of Chicago Fire, so the dynamic was new for the actors as well for the characters.
Some of the effects used in the promo for the episode also make me suspect that a lot of the emergency of the week will be recounted via flashbacks, which would also track with "Post-Mortem" as the title of the episode. Take a look and see for yourself:
Tune in to NBC on Wednesday, April 16 at 9 p.m. ET for the "Post-Mortem" episode of Chicago Fire, as always right in the middle of NBC's hit One Chicago block. It remains to be seen if this will be Eamonn Walker's only episode of Season 13, but at least we can safely guess that Boden isn't the fan favorite who fans need to worry about losing in a fire at this point.
Unfortunately, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med are all still waiting on renewal news for the 2025-2026 TV season. For now, you can just keep watching on Wednesday nights and/or stream next day with a Peacock subscription.
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