'Chicago Fire' Showrunner on the Cliffhangers and Emotional Twists in the Season 12 Finale
Christian Stolte, Michael Bradway, Jake Lockett, Miranda Rae Mayo
It’s been previously revealed that Eamonn Walker is exiting his role as Chief Wallace Boden from Chicago Fire at the end of this season—at least as a fulltime series regular —and he has been missing from the last few episodes with Lt. Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) stepping in as acting chief—and not happily— in his absence.
But tonight, Boden is back, and he is making a decision that will impact the race for Deputy Commissioner. He is already at odds with Paramedic Chief Jude Robinson (Laura Allen), who wants the job, but we know if she is hired as Deputy Commissioner, she would take apart Firehouse 51. She’s definitely not a fan. If we’re lucky, Boden will throw his hat in the ring and get appointed, which is why he would exit Firehouse 51, but still could make an occasional appearance in Season 13.
“Boden’s definitely got a journey in the finale going up against Chief Robinson and having to make big choices,” showrunner Andrea Newman tells Parade. “He knows no matter what step he takes, whether it’s supporting her or going against her in some way, that there’ll be fallout from it. You can’t just go up against that kind of bear and not pay a price. So, there will be shake ups for sure in the finale, and a couple of figurative bombs dropped at the end.”
Photo by: Adrian S Burrows Sr/NBC
What that translates to is everybody won’t be in the same place at the very end literally and figuratively that they were at in the start and there will be changes in relationships, so the show is going to have some cliffhangers.
“But it’s not all cliffhanger,” Newman reassures. “There are a couple of cliffhangers and then there are a couple of stories that are really locked down and take emotional twists and turns and have a landing."
Related: Kelly Severide and Violet Mikami are 'Under Pressure' from Chief Robinson on Chicago Fire
Also, in the "Never Say Goodbye" episode—and we hope the title is a hint that Boden won’t be gone completely—a tense call brings up painful memories for Carver (Jake Lockett) and the newest addition to 51, Damon (Michael Bradway). While it’s hard to imagine those two having any connection, according to Newman, there is something they do share.
Photo by: Adrian S Burrows Sr/NBC
“What they have in common is that they both have a little bit of a dark side, and they end up getting in big trouble together, and there’s fallout for them on that front,” Newman teases. “They actually end up on the same side, but they are in deep trouble.”
That sounds like it could result in one of the shakeups that Newman mentioned earlier. Maybe Damon, who hasn’t been that popular since transferring into Firehouse 51, will find his stay at an end.
Related: Kelly Severide Mysteriously Disappears Along with the Firehouse 51 Truck on Chicago Fire
In semi-good news, the new truck finally arrives. Semi-good because its arrival doesn't go smoothly. Mouch (Christian Stolte) has trouble adjusting to it. Maybe an example of old dogs learning new tricks.
“For Mouch, it’s not exactly the truck that he drove before and it becomes symbolic for him in the way that the whole season has thematically seen change as a big part of it, and dealing with change,” Newman says. “He has a bit of a freakout on the truck that turns out to have really nothing to do with the truck at all.”
The Chicago Fire season 12 finale airs tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
