“There Is Something That Comes Up”: Jocelyn Huddon Hints at Novak’s Past in ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 13

Apart from passing glimpses of her character during calls and at the firehouse, much about the new Ambo 51 paramedic, Lizzie Novak (Jocelyn Huddon), is unknown. Chicago Fire has hinted at a complicated past for her but has never explored how complicated it is. That is set to change in upcoming episodes of Chicago Fire Season 13. In an interview with TV Line, Huddon said there are plans to dive into Novak’s past to understand better why she acts and reacts the way she does. “There is something that comes up, eventually, in [Episode] 14 that gives us more of a sneak peek into her past and life and relationships,” the actress said, even though she did not reveal what that is.

In Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 14, “Bar Time,” A surprise visitor from Novak’s past joins Ambo for a late-night ride-along. Herrmann (David Eigenberg) faces a mountain of Chief-level training records and incident reports. Violet (Hanako Greensmith) catches Carver (Jake Lockett) in a lie,” reads the official episode logline, teasing a deeper dive into Novak when someone joins the ambo she works in for a ride-along.

Novak Has a Dark Past, Teases Jocelyn Huddon

Novak has extreme emotional swings, going from a bubbly personality to a deep, dark personality in a split second. While the fun-loving side comes up often, the other side does leer in, especially in challenging calls. Huddon revealed that this might be informed by some dark things that happened to her in the past. She discussed how working with Violet helps balance things out since they might have experienced something similar, saying,

“I think she has a lot of responsibility, and she’s experienced a lot of darkness, too. So I think that’s why, sometimes, my character’s light and flippant in some moments, but it is kind of just to, like, shake it up and change the energy and be like, ‘OK, we’re good.’ We have such a serious job that I think having levity really helps just keep us not so dark.”

Novak has been getting more scenes with other characters, and Huddon admitted that she is partial to her relationship with Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri). “Novak and Ritter together are awesome. They’re both fun. They’re goofy. They’re, like, mischievous. [Laughs] I really like them together,” the actress said. However, she also struck up a special friendship with Chief Pascal (Dermot Mulroney), given that they are both new at the firehouse. “He’s figuring it out, I’ve joined 51, permanently, and we just kind of find support and friendship in each other, and for me, he’s a mentor. I look up to him, and I look to him for guidance. That’s how I approach it,” she said.

Tune in to NBC on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. to watch new episodes of Chicago Fire and see how Novak’s story evolves this season. You can also stream past episodes on Peacock in the US.