Chicago Fire is losing another original cast member.
Eamonn Walker, who has starred as Wallace Boden since the series premiere, will be leaving the NBC drama in the Season 12 finale, according to Deadline. It said to be his decision, and there is some good news: According to the report, we don’t have to worry about him dying in a season-ending emergency and he “is expected” to be back on a recurring basis.
This does make it sound like the once Battalion Chief and now Deputy District Chief may very well be the next Deputy Commissioner. He is on the shortlist for the gig, and according to the logline for the May 22 final, “Never Say Goodbye”—in which he’ll appear, following Boden taking time off to help his stepson—he will be making a decision that impacts the race for that position. One way to explain his absence at 51 and keep him in the CFD (where he has maintained an office even with the previous promotion) is if he takes that new job and is brought back for storylines requiring him onscreen; it would allow for Chicago Fire to work around Walker’s availability.
Also coming up in the finale, according to the logline, a tense call brings up painful memories for Carver (Jake Lockett) and Damon (Michael Bradway), plus Mouch (Christian Stolte) struggles to adjust to the new Truck.
Walker will be far from the first original cast member to leave Fire and not even the first exit this season, but his is a major one. The season kicked off with Firehouse 51 saying goodbye to Alberto Rosende‘s Blake Gallo, and soon after that, the first responders saw off Kara Killmer‘s Sylvie Brett, who married Jesse Spencer‘s Matt Casey and moved to Oregon. Spencer was the last original cast member to leave, and with Walker’s exit, that means only Taylor Kinney (who plays Lieutenant Kelly Severide) and David Eigenberg (who plays Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann) from the Season 1 regulars are still part of the main cast. (Stolte and Joe Minoso, who plays Joe Cruz, recurred in the first season.)
How do you think Fire will write out Boden? Let us know in the comments section, below.
Chicago Fire, Wednesdays, 9/8c, NBC
SEE MORE: ‘Chicago Fire’ Shocker: Eamonn Walker Leaving After Season 12
