“He Had This Incredible Pressure on Him”: ‘Chicago Fire’ Showrunner Explains Herrmann’s Shocking Season 13 Finale Decision

Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) has been stressed throughout Chicago Fire Season 13. “From the very start, we knew that he had this incredible pressure on him because Boden (Eamonn Walker) had said in the finale last year, you’re the one to take the throne essentially,” Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman explained to TV Insider why that was while discussing Herrmann’s decision to return to being a regular firefighter in the Season 13 finale. “That coming from Boden, who Herrmann worships, is heavy pressure,” she added. The season saw him try to balance this expectation, but since his heart was not in it, he never quite got the hang of it, and it became clear to Pascal (Dermot Mulroney), and later Boden, that Herrmann was not interested in taking over. There was also some external pressure when Mouch decided his days of being attached to the couch were done, which increased pressure for Herrmann, seeing his age-mate that fired up.

“The one thing he never asks himself as the snowball starts rolling down the hill is like, do I want this?” Newman continued. It took someone who did not know him well to realize that Herrmann is a boots-on-the-ground firefighter. “Pascal senses that and sensed that from the start, and so he’s sort of testing him along the way, ‘Try this, come to this event, try leading here.’ During the crossover he said, ‘You don’t get to be boots on the ground, you got to stand here.’ And in that moment Herrmann was like, ‘I can’t. I’ll never forgive myself,'” the showrunner explained. She added:

“So Pascal’s been watching and that was something we wanted to see, is Pascal turning the screws a little bit. And is he doing it for his own purposes or is he doing it to help Herrmann was always the question. And I think that’s what leads all those roads to the finale and the decision that Herrmann makes.”

How Herrmann’s Decision Affects Him Going Into ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 14

The obvious effect on Herrmann after letting go of the aspirations is that he will be more relaxed. However, that might be short-lived because he still has his family to provide for, and a man with that many children can never make enough, let alone take a pay cut. “What Herman will do now that he’s taken a pay cut to make money — because we know he’s not the best with money and finances, so he’s going to try and find all sorts of new ways to make up the difference — and yeah, Mouch is going to feel bad about that and try and help and that sounds,” Newman said, teasing the character’s problems in the new season. Will he take other jobs to compensate for the lost income, or fall for another get-rich-quick scheme?

Tune in to NBC this Fall to watch Chicago Fire Season 14 and see what happens to Christopher. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.