Dom Pascal’s arrival at Firehouse 52 received a mixed reception in the Chicago Fire Season 13 premiere. From indifference to attempts to make good impressions, there was a variety of reactions. But for Stella Kidd, Pascal had no business in that firehouse, and she disliked everything about how he operated. Miranda Rae Mayo talked to TV Line about this arc and why Stella hesitates with the new chief. She revealed that her characters had ideas about who should have been the new chief and that failing to materialize threw Stella for a loop.
“I mean, here’s the thing: I don’t think Stella was trying to get off on the right foot with whatever new chief came in unless it was Herrmann. Then that would have felt right, but it’s a longer process to become chief, so there’s no way that that was going to happen right away,” the actress talked about her character’s expectations and why they did not happen. She added to the nature of Stella and Pascal’s relationship throughout the season, saying,
“But I think that since they got off on the wrong foot, we witness a tension between them so far throughout the majority of the season because, bottom line, is he will never be Boden to her, and she’s fighting herself in being professional and not letting her personal expectations that are based on the past affect the way that she shows up, day to day.
“I think, ultimately, a lot comes down to leadership, wanting to be a good leader, really wanting to follow in Boden’s footsteps, and I think Stella puts a lot of pressure on herself, and I think she’s experiencing a good amount of turmoil this season in, like, really trying to carry this torch within herself that justifies the belief that Boden had in her and has.”
