Ever since his recent promotion, Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte) has taken immense pride in his Lieutenant rank, going above and beyond to ensure the Firehouse 51 crew is good to go. But all of Mouch’s hard work could be in jeopardy as Season 14 of Chicago Fire blazes a jaw-dropping trail.
As a Chicago Fire O.G. and One Chicago gem, viewers have watched Mouch grow from couch-loving comic relief to commanding officer. When the going gets tough, you can bet that Mouch is already moving. As one of the seasoned veterans around the house, Mouch not only excels during high-stakes rescues but has also become a pillar of support among the first responders as he gives valuable advice to those who have come after him. While Mouch’s age has led him to contemplate retirement in recent seasons, he decided that he’s only getting started after landing a promotion and being granted an officer’s rank at Firehouse 51 thanks to his good buddy Chris Herrmann (David Eigenberg) passing the baton.
After so much hard work and infallible commitment to the CFD, Mouch has emerged as one of Firehouse 51’s greatest assets, but all of that was put at risk during Chicago Fire’s fall finale (“Pierce the Vein”). Here’s what happened:
Mouch has been working harder than ever at Firehouse 51
As the CFD continues to undergo major overhauls, firefighters have been floating between houses more frequently, leading to some chaotic organization inside the rigs. This inspired Mouch to try to standardize the organizational processes with his trademarked “Universal Compartment Protocol,” which would create department-wide standards for firetruck organization.
While many of the firefighters rolled their eyes at their Lieutenant’s side project, Mouch remained committed to creating a better system not just for Firehouse 51 but the CFD as a whole. Mouch even brought his “UCP” to Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney), but was told that if he wanted anything on the white shirt’s radar, it would need to be financially beneficial. Regardless, Pascal thanked Mouch for leading Engine 51 with “gusto” before Mouch agreed to keep tinkering with his plan.
Why Mouch’s future at the CFD is in trouble
Meanwhile, Pascal has been chumming up with the Chicago mayor’s Chief of Staff, Annette Davis (Annabeth Gish), and the pair finally got a chance to sit down for a meal together at the end of Fire’s fall finale. They struggled to nail down the date as Davis remained fixated on a potential teachers’ strike on the horizon. At long last, Davis was able to join Pascal for a nice homemade dinner at his home, but she seemed distracted with worry.
Pascal was keen to know what was on Davis’s mind, but she fretted over ruining their nice night together. Davis had received a troubling update and didn’t want to keep it from Pascal after tough choices were made at City Hall.
“We had to avert a teacher strike; we had no choice,” Davis explained. “So I had my budget team look for money to reallocate quickly without starting a new and bigger backlash. We pulled from infrastructure, public works, admin services.”
“There’s no easy way to say this,” Davis continued nervously. “We asked the CFD for a list of rigs that could be permanently decommissioned. One of those rigs is in your battalion.”
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“Which one?” Pascal asked.
“Engine Company 51,” Davis revealed. “I believe the Lieutenant’s name is…”
“Randall McHolland,” Pascal realized, in utter shock at the news he was receiving.
What will happen to Mouch after this massive CFD overhaul? How will this troubling development impact Pascal’s budding romance with Davis? Chihards will have to wait to see, but we’re crossing fingers that Mouch’s glimmering career remains intact.
Watch Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
