All signs pointed to Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney). We knew Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker) would be stepping down as chief of Firehouse 51, and Severide was the one who held down the position while Boden went on his leave of absence. Surely, he’d be the logical choice to assume the position full time. Right?
Turns out, we were wrong. Chicago Fire decided to pull a fast one, and have Boden offer the title to Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) instead. It was an unexpected move, and one that caught even Herrmann off guard. But did the character actually accept the offer? Is Herrmann going to be the new chief in season 13, or will he pass it off?
We can say, definitively, that Herrmann is the new chief. The character doesn’t have a big, grand ceremony to ring in his reign, but that was only because the season 12 finale was dedicated to saying goodbye to Boden (despite the fact that he’ll be around in season 13).
While Severide seemed like the more obvious choice, Herrmann actually makes more sense. For one, Herrmann is much more reliable as a daily presence. Severide has spent the last two seasons moving around the country, and being seemingly undecided on where he wants his life to go. If he were to be offered the chief position, that would lock him up for the rest of his career.
Herrmann, on the other hand, is a grinder. He’s been at 51 every day for decades, and he knows what it takes to make everything run smoothly. If he can run a bar, he can definitely run a firehouse. There’s also the matter of Herrmann’s season 12 injury. The premiere episode saw him suffer hearing loss from an explosion, and he transitioned to using a hearing aid.
Herrmann was already getting up there in terms of age, but the hearing injury really cliched the notion that he may be better served giving orders, and making the occasional trek into the field, as opposed to risking his life on a weekly basis. Boden deserved it, and so does Herrmann. We’re curious to see how 51 changes on his watch.
