Battalion Chief Dom Pascal’s position in the Chicago Fire Department is in serious jeopardy after last week’s One Chicago crossover.
During the special event, Pascal refused to stand down, as instructed by the FBI, and instead entered a crime scene, knowing time was of the essence. He was able to secure a device that led CPD to crucial information that helped identify the chemical agent responsible for killing an entire plane of passengers. That intel, in turn, allowed the Med crew to create an antidote and save the lives of Firehouse 51 firefighters Cruz and Capp and paramedic Novak, who were also exposed to the chemical agent and hospitalized. But that win came with a loss for Pascal, who was arrested by the FBI for obstructing a federal investigation.
The chief’s choice will “absolutely” have ramifications for him as the season unfolds, showrunner Andrea Newman tells Soaps.com. “He’s made this enormous sacrifice, really, for 51, and it’s been a journey for him with this group at 51, getting closer to them when he was the outsider when he came in, and now he’s close enough that he’s willing to do this.”
After the scrutiny that came from the rescue call that went wrong a couple episodes ago, Pascal already “comes into the crossover a little on the ropes. He’s gotten in trouble leading up to it,” Newman notes. So his decision to disobey the FBI’s orders “is really putting him on a rocky road, and he will have to face the consequences of it, for sure.”
Those consequences will likely play into the setup for Pascal’s upcoming absence: As reported in January, the character will appear in the March 11 episode, after which his portrayer Dermot Mulroney will take a break through the end of the season. While Pascal is MIA, Battalion Chief Hopkins, played by Rob Morgan (Stranger Things), will step in, beginning with Episode 16. Hopkins is described as having “a long, haunted past in overseeing several Chicago firehouses and is quick to assert authority over his colleagues,” per Deadline. He will recur in four episodes, including the season finale.
As for Pascal, “whether or not he can fight his way back to 51, if that’s the right place for him or not, is going to become a big question going forward,” Newman previews.
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.