The eighth season of Chicago Fire is only days away from premiering and paying off on the massive cliffhanger that left the life of pretty much every major character in jeopardy, and fans may be happy to think about an addition to the cast rather than fear about what happened to their favorites. Firehouse 51 is adding a new firefighter to the second shift, meaning some fresh blood in a firehouse packed with veterans like Casey and Severide who have been through hell and back together.
Speaking of Casey and Severide, whose relationship was far more rocky than bromantic in the earlier seasons of Chicago Fire, the newcomer to Firehouse 51 will reportedly be like those two heroes "rolled into one." Fire showrunner Derek Haas chatted with CinemaBlend about what's in store with Season 8, and he said this about the new firefighter:
I will say that, played by Alberto Rosende, this guy named Blake Gallo who, I would describe him as a junior Severide and a junior Casey rolled into one. Kind of both sides of that, meaning he is thoughtful and yet will be the first one to risk his life to save someone else and usually not exactly following orders or regulations to do so if he feels like a life is in the balance. And very untapped energy, almost like a diamond in the rough that Casey realizes, 'If this guy has the kind of leadership that we, meaning Severide, Herrmann, myself and Boden, can exhibit, then we can form this guy into being the next great firefighter.'
Blake Gallo, played by Alberto Rosende of Shadowhunters fame, sounds like he could be the best and worst of both worlds when it comes to the two leading men of Chicago Fire. After all, neither man is without his flaws, even if both are undeniably heroes. Similarities to Casey and Severide could mean that he'll fit right in at 51, although it would be entertaining if Casey and Severide find themselves annoyed with him at times.
Now that Herrmann has been promoted to lieutenant of Engine 51, he is part of the decision-making process as well as Boden, so it won't just be Casey and Severide approving this junior Casey/junior Severide as a new part of Firehouse 51.
Interestingly, there's no news at this point if Blake Gallo will be joining Truck, Squad, or Engine. The explanation for his addition is that 51 has gotten the chance to expand the staff for second shift, with no confirmation of which of the officers gets to add an extra firefighter to his crew.
The description of Gallo as a "junior Severide and a junior Casey rolled into one" may suggest that he's heading to Truck or Squad over Engine. Given that Gallo has also been described as a "young" firefighter, he may not be at the point in his career where he could have reached Squad. Then again, if he's similar to a young Severide, he could have made it that far quickly!
Whether he ends up on Truck, Squad, or Engine, his energy should be helpful to the entire firehouse, so long as there's not too much rough on the diamond. Considering the cliffhanger of Season 7 may well mean the death of one of the Firehouse 51 firefighters, Blake Gallo could be a great way to move on into Season 8.
Chicago Fire Season 8 Is Adding A New Paramedic, But What About Brett?
Some of Derek Haas' comments have given the impression that at least one person from 51 might not survive the ordeal from the Season 7 finale, but we'll have to wait until premiere night to find out for sure.
The big three-show Chicago crossover between Med, Fire, and P.D. will be a little later in the fall than last year's crossover, but all signs point toward an event that is unified and positively cinematic. Chicago Med showrunner Andrew Schneider recently dropped some details about the crossover's story, which will start with an episode of Fire written by Chicago Fire showrunner Derek Haas.
Tune in to NBC on Wednesday, September 25 to catch the season premieres of all three Chicago shows, with Med at 8 p.m. ET (and a new doctor to disrupt some relationships), Fire at 9 p.m. ET to set the stage for some changes, and P.D. (which may feature a whole lot of tension within Intelligence) at 10 p.m. ET.
