Fans of NBC’s Chicago Fire are just a week away from seeing the return of beloved actor Eamonn Walker as Wallace Boden, and Deadline is giving you an exclusive first look at the action-packed episode with teasers from the actor below.
In “Post Mortem,” airing Wednesday, April 16, at 9/8c, Boden is tasked by Commissioner Grissom with analyzing the aftermath of a house fire that collapsed with a firefighter inside.
This will be the first time Walker, at age 51, has returned to the series since he left in the Season 12 finale after being promoted from Battalion Chief to First Deputy Commissioner of the Chicago Fire Department.
“It was a really intense episode,” Walker told Deadline in a recent chat. “I’ll tell you this: there’s someone left behind in the fire, and that person is a firefighter. That’s not allowed and should never happen. And because they’re left behind, we’re probably going to lose them by the end of the episode. That’s one of the things you love.”
More on that and how he felt about returning to the character he’s played since the series debuted in 2012 in the Q&A below.
EAMONN WALKER: We’re not playing with you. That’s not called playing with you. We love the fact that you’re so emotional and you don’t want any more! [LAUGHS] Within an hour of a firefighter being left behind and that moment happening, an investigation begins. So Deputy Commissioner Boden has to go to Fire Station 51 and let all the officers and the chief know that they’re under investigation, and we have to be prepared in case we lose this guy. Chances are, a head will roll.
DEADLINE: Who’s the firefighter left behind?
EW: Is that what you want to know? Well, I can’t tell you. But try. [LAUGHTER] That’s someone you know and love. You might even freak out.
DEADLINE: Can Boden swoop in and save the day?
EW: It’s not his job this time.
EW: Boden lives inside me. My problem is keeping Boden out. [LAUGHTER] It’s great to be back. It’s great to be in uniform. I miss everyone terribly, and the welcome I’ve gotten has been unparalleled. I feel very honored as an actor to have a cast, crew, and production room come out and welcome you home. That’s what happened, and then we got to work. And we got to work the way we always do. We knew that this was a very special episode. The writing in this episode was amazing, and the filming of this episode was unusual for an episode of Chicago Fire. I think you have more than just an episode.
DEADLINE: Boden has been away for a while, and a lot has happened. The person Boden has chosen to succeed him is Hermann (David Eigenberg), who’s now up for the chief exam. Will he consider any of that?
EW: In his current situation, none of that matters. You know, the fact that someone could die right away is the most important thing, and so he’s here to figure out whose fault it is. Whatever relationships, politics, or promotions have been going on before, the current situation can change all of that for everyone—none of that matters. And you know, Boden is investigating his old favorite house, so he has to tread very carefully. He’s a top guy who’s been on the line before. We’ve seen over 15 to 20 episodes where someone comes back and gives Boden a hard time for the way he does his job. This time it was Pascal [Dermot Mulroney], and I was the one who got involved. In my case, it was always a deputy, a deputy sheriff, or someone above the sheriff who got involved. There was only one person above me, and that was the sheriff. I was the deputy sheriff going in to find out why a firefighter was left in the fire. There’s nothing more intense than that.
DEADLINE: Would you say he’s been aware of all that’s been going on, though? What has Boden been up to off-camera?
EW: You don’t think that as Commissioner of the Chicago Fire Department, I don’t know what’s going on in Firehouse 51? [LAUGHS] As far as what he’s been up to off-screen, he’s being deputy commissioner and learning what that job is and how different it is to being a chief. When you first met him, he had control of five fire houses, although you never saw them, or you might have seen one or two. Then, he went to Deputy District Chief, and then he had a whole district, and now he’s got the whole Chicago Fire Department, so all of Chicago is under his wing. He knows the reputation he received for having a favorite with Firehouse 51, and he can’t afford to have that as Deputy Commissioner. He’s coming in to do his job and not get caught up on the fact that somebody’s in hospital. If Boden does his job properly and the right person is discovered to be at fault, you will lose them too because they’ll be fired.
DEADLINE: We haven’t even seen your episode yet, but we’re ready for you to secure a date for another appearance. Was this a one and done?
EW: The truth of the matter is, if they write it, I will always come back and do it if I can be here. It’s a wonderful thing to be part of the Chicago Fire family. We support each other in so many ways that people can’t even possibly imagine, on and off the screen. So I’m very grateful.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Deadline selected the two exclusive photos in this story after speaking to Walker. The one below may reveal the firefighter left behind and why Walker was so emphatic about how stressed fans should be about what’s ahead. Walker is right, we are shooketh.
Chicago Fire is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.
