‘Chicago Fire’ EP Teases Boden’s “Fraught” Return to the Station

Boden Wallace (Eamonn Walker) is temporarily returning to Firehouse 51. While Chicago Fire viewers and firehouse members will be happy to see since the departed at the end of Season 12, the atmosphere will be “fraught,” Chicago Fire‘s showrunner Andrea Newman told TV Insider. Boden has been sent to investigate what went wrong during a fire rescue that the new chief, Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney), was in charge of. Still reeling from losing his wife, Pascal might be on edge more than usual and the investigation does not make him happy. Newman teased a tense reunion, saying:

“Boden hand-picked Pascal for this (theoretically temporary) job of Chief at 51, but when they meet in a future episode, it’s very fraught: Boden is heading an investigation into what went wrong during a tragic firefight that Pascal was in charge of. So it’s contentious — Boden grilling Pascal about his every decision, and how things went as wrong as they did. That episode will define the relationship in some pretty emotional and complex ways.”

Why and When Boden Is Returning to ‘Chicago Fire’

The character returns for a single episode scheduled to air on Wednesday, April 16. In Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 18, “Post-Mortem,” Boden is “tasked by Commissioner Grissom (Gary Cole) to run a post-incident analysis following a house fire that collapsed with a firefighter inside.” This description reveals why he’s not returning permanently since this review is routine for his new job in the CFD brass. Newman teased the episode, saying:

“We’re so excited to have our beloved Chief Boden back, and the episode, titled “Post-Mortem,” is a thrill ride unlike any we’ve done before. Told with flashbacks and unique POVs, Chief Boden leads our team on a search to discover the how, who, and why of a fierce firefight that ended in disaster.”

One Chicago goes on a two-week hiatus, returning on March 26. A sneak peek of Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 16, “In the Rubble” teases the fallout from Monica Pascal’s (KaDee Strickland) death. Dom is in denial but once reality settles in, he decides to make the man he thinks responsible for the accident that killed her pay. He begins operating in autopilot, putting himself and other firefighters in danger. It’s not a surprise that something goes wrong and CFD sends Boden to investigate.

Tune in to NBC on March 26 to catch a new episode of Chicago Fire. Stream past episodes on Paramount+ in the US. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.