What is happening in Firehouse 51? Deadline reveals that Eamonn Walker will be leaving at the end of the current season of Chicago Fire. The news comes after the latest episode, which saw Chief Boden out for the firehouse, raising concerns about what was happening in his life. The character won’t be killed off, so Walker will be able to return to the show in a recurring capacity in the future. Details about what prompted this decision will be revealed in the season finale, which airs on May 22.
Chief Boden is one of Chicago Fire‘s most beloved characters. He is a tough man, a quality he uses to protect his people and the firehouse. Boden has climbed the leadership ladder beginning as Battalion Chief of Battalion 25. He was recently promoted to Deputy District Chief and is now up for promotion to Deputy Fire Chief. The promotions haven’t been without their issues, and the latest has put him at odds with Paramedic Chief Robinson (Laura Allen). The latest episode saw Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) take over responsibilities in Boden’s absence, and if Boden makes it to the top of Fire Brass, it would mean less time at the firehouse. He got ahead of this problem before by moving his office to the firehouse but this might not cut it this time around.
‘Chicago Fire’ Undergoes Changes
Chicago Fire has seen some changes in the past few seasons, with several cast members exiting the show. At the beginning of the season, Alberto Rosende left the series as his character moved from Chicago to be closer to his recently discovered family. Several episodes later, Kara Killmer was written out as she moved to Oregon to be with her newly wedded husband, Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer). Rome Flynn was tapped to replace Rosende. He played firefighter Gibson before leaving the series after six episodes. The wider One Chicago has seen series regulars get reduced screen time to keep production costs low, with more cast exits on the horizon, especially on Chicago P.D., Eamonn was one of the remaining original Chicago Fire series regulars, and his exit leaves Kinney as the longest-appearing cast member on the show.
The current firehouse lineup features Walker as Deputy District Chief Wallace Boden; Kinney as Lieutenant Kelly Severide, leading Squad 3; Miranda Rae Mayo as Lieutenant Stella Kidd in charge of Truck 81; Hanako Greensmith as Paramedic Violet Mikami in charge of Ambulance 61; David Eigenberg as Christopher Hermann, a veteran firefighter on Engine 51; Christian Stolte as Randall “Mouch” McHolland, a firefighter on Truck 81; Joe Minoso as Joe Cruz, a firefighter on Squad 3; and Daniel Kyri as Darren Ritter, a firefighter on Truck 81. Recurring cast members include Jocelyn Huddon as Paramedic Novak, Michael Bradway as Firefighter James Damon, Randy Flagler as Capp, Robyn Coffin as Cindy Hermann, and Anthony Ferraris as Tony Ferraris.
What Else Has Eamonn Walker Been In?
Walker is best known for his roles in Chicago Fire as Chief Wallace Boden and Kareem Said in HBO’s prison drama OZ. Other credits include John Othello in the TV movie Othello, and ER as Dr. Stephen Dakarai. He was also the first Black actor to play the role of Othello onstage at the Globe Theater in 2007.
In this Thursday’s Chicago Fire episode, Severide and the rig go missing and the firehouse springs into action to find him. Ritter tries to keep his worlds separate when his secret boyfriend works on Severide’s case. The official logline for the season finale teases Boden’s choice, while other characters deal with some issues:
“Boden makes a decision that impacts the race for Deputy Commissioner. A tense call brings up painful memories for Carver ( Jake Lockett ) and Damon ( Michael Bradway ). Mouch ( Christian Stolte ) struggles to adjust to the new Truck.”
What’s Next on ‘Chicago Fire?’
In this Thursday’s episode, the show changes its tone when Severide and the rig go missing in the middle of the night. Unknown intruders enter the firehouse and steal Engine 51 with Severide in it. The firehouse realizes that something is amiss when the only thing they can find is Severide’s phone. Stella and the rest of the firehouse spring into action to find him. Daniel Kyri talked about the thrilling episode that finds Severide in the middle of a criminal den. He talked about Severide’s attempt to return home, saying,
“I’ll hint at the fact that we do see Severide in some very high stakes situations because as the viewers, we don’t lose track of him in this story. Whatever the scenario is with the missing truck and him being away from the firehouse, we get to see him try to make his way back home, and things get dangerous!”
Ritter finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place when his secret police boyfriend takes over Severide’s case, Ritter has been hiding his boyfriend from the rest of the firehouse to avoid dealing with the soft beef that exists between cops and firefighters. Kyri talked about this arc, saying,
“His name is Officer Dwayne Monroe [Samuel B. Jackson], and he gets embroiled in this mystery when he’s called in to investigate what happened at Firehouse 51 and help the team track down the missing truck and Severide. It’s a cool moment of worlds colliding for Ritter. It’s common knowledge that among first responders, there’s a bit of sibling rivalry between the CPD and the CFD. [Laughs] By nature of that rivalry, they try to keep their relationship under wraps. There’s a little bit of self-contained and thrilling chaos for Ritter in those moments. There’s some fun to be had.”
The season finale of Chicago Fire airs on May 22. Past seasons are streaming now on Peacock.
