Pascal’s Warning To Severide In Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 9 Makes Him A Hypocrite

Season 13 of Chicago Fire offered a surprising moment in which Pascal came across as a hypocrite. The new season has advanced a number of key storylines, including the working relationship between key Chicago Fire characters Kelly Severide and Chief Dom Pascal. While Severide questions Pascal’s character, both men work well together after they take down a corrupt cop involved with ghost guns. However, in episode 9, when Captain Tom Van Meter meets with Severide and asks him to be a substitute teacher for an OFI (Office of Fire Investigation) class, Pascal is disappointed that Van Meter didn’t approach him about Severide’s gig first.

Severide is a versatile firefighter who balances his work with Firehouse 51 and OFI because he is skilled at putting out fires and investigating arson cases. In the past, former firehouse Chief Boden would approve of Severide working with Van Meter and OFI. However, now that Pascal is Chief, he wants to be kept in the loop about Severide’s work with OFI and warns Kelly about tackling too much work to ensure he can maintain his duties at Firehouse 51.

Pascal Warns Severide About Taking On Too Much With His OFI Teaching Gig

Pascal Worries Severide Is Overworking Himself

While Pascal is getting used to his position at Firehouse 51, he’s still trying to maintain control by monitoring everyone’s work ethic, including Severide’s gig with OFI. When Pascal sees Severide preparing materials for his class, he looks concerned because he doesn’t want Severide to be distracted or too occupied that OFI will keep him away from responsibilities at Firehouse 51. This refers back to Pascal’s first appearance on the show when he introduces himself and tells the crew “I’m not Chief Boden,” expecting to run Firehouse 51 his way with everyone on board.

Pascal is also worried about Severide’s OFI teaching gig because this may result in Severide being away from Firehouse 51 for long periods. If there are major fires to put out or Pascal needs Severide’s expertise and analysis during arson cases, Pascal may want Severide to be his right-hand man because there’s no one he trusts more. Pascal’s conversation with Van Meter highlights how much both characters value what Severide brings to the table as a firefighter.

How Pascal’s Warning Contradicts His Previous Stance About Severide & OFI

Pascal Is A Controlling Leader With Questionable Expectations

Despite Pascal’s concern over Severide’s workload, his warning contradicts his prior statements about Severide and OFI. Earlier this season, Pascal mentioned how Severide is the best in arson cases, which raises the question of why he isn’t more supportive of the lieutenant. This could be because Pascal is still questioning Severide’s commitment to Firehouse 51 since there have been times when he’s been away for long stretches to work with OFI.

Pascal’s worrisome behavior may also hint at his mysterious past, including his experience as a firefighter in Miami. Perhaps Pascal was stern and controlling towards the firefighters in Miami by questioning their work and monitoring their duties to ensure they were doing their jobs correctly. This could be how Pascal wants to run Firehouse 51 as well. Considering how some characters like Van Meter are familiar with Pascal and his time in Miami, the new Firehouse 51 chief may not have a lot of friends because he may be demanding and untrustworthy towards his coworkers.

Why His Relationship With Severide Is Key To Pascal’s Success In Firehouse 51

Pascal Needs Severide’s Trust To Get Through To The Firehouse

Pascal understands that he is an outsider among the family of firefighters in Firehouse 51. He may believe that if he intends to gain the trust of the firehouse, he will need Severide by his side since Kelly is their defacto leader. If Severide supports Pascal, everyone at 51 will likely follow and support the new Chief. Kelly and Pascal have proven they can work together on complex fire and arson cases. Perhaps Pascal can work closely with others at 51 to maintain a healthy relationship with the crew.

After Herrmann and Mouch pass the captain and lieutenant exams respectively, Pascal also realizes that he needs to prove himself as a competent leader, since he may not have much time with Firehouse 51. If Pascal were to pass the captain job to Herrmann in Chicago Fire, it’s possible that he could still stay at 51 and work with Severide on more arson cases after their previous success in catching a corrupt cop. But first, Pascal needs to be on the same page with Severide and the firehouse to ensure they can coexist.