Find out why the Windy City fan favorite was missing during Chicago Fire‘s latest episode.
Season 14 of Chicago Fire has been a thrilling watch for fans of Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte) as the seasoned Lieutenant starts spreading his officer wings at Firehouse 51. But eagle-eyed Chihards may have noticed Mouch was missing from Chicago Fire‘s October 15 episode, wondering when the beloved firefighter will return.
Mouch has been crushing it as a newly minted Lieutenant at Firehouse 51, thriving in his new post. From Mouch’s comic relief to his heartfelt connections around the firehouse, anytime he’s M.I.A., viewers are quick to notice — but fret not, Chihards. Mouch will return to television screens soon.
Find out why Mouch wasn’t with his Firehouse 51 colleagues on Season 14, Episode 3 (“In the Blood”), below.
Where was Mouch McHolland on Chicago Fire this week?
It didn’t take long for Chicago Fire fans to learn that Mouch wouldn’t be joining in on Firehouse 51’s latest rescue. At the top of the episode, Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) called for a meeting to reveal that the CFD Deputy District Chief had pulled Engine 51 from service that week. This last-minute removal had led to Mouch’s absence from his Windy City post.
“Apparently, the brains down at HQ bumped Mouch and his team from the schedule with less than two hours’ notice,” an irritated Pascal informed the concerned firefighters. “Trust me, nobody’s more fired up about this than I am. But, to be fair, they did warn us that we’d be having brownouts. So just gonna have to keep rolling with the punches as we always do.”
There you have it, folks. Mouch will return to Firehouse 51 soon.
Christian Stole says playing Mouch for 14 years is a “hard-won honor”
Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman and Stolte spoke with NBC Insider about Mouch’s incredible evolution on the show, growing from the “part-man-part-couch” firefighter to a confident Lieutenant of the CFD. With 14 years of history at the Windy City firehouse, Stolte remains stoked “every time a new script lands.”
“It isn’t quite like I’m playing a new character now, but it is a different iteration of [Mouch]. He has shed a lot of what defined him in the first few seasons,” he explained. “In this case, I like to proceed with certainty so that the idea in my head is this is where [Mouch] was destined to be. I have to have utter certainty that I belong here as an officer, that I know what I’m doing as a leader. And, like I say, it is almost like getting to play a new part, you know? But in the skin of the old guy.”
The 62-year-old added, “It’s very, very rewarding because in a way, I’m happy for him. It’s a weird feeling, but I’m happy for him. I’m glad he got what he wanted here.”
“It’s a rare dual thing to be able to have the scope that we have on this show and to be able to look back and remember Mouch from Episode 1 and look at Mouch in Season 14 Episode 1,” Newman told NBC Insider. “As a writer, it’s a real gift to be able to change a character, grow a character, evolve a character, see different things, and when you have an actor like this, and you’re watching the evolution come to life in this way that is emotional and forms the story, it’s really a treat.”
“It is a hard-won honor to be able to play that,” Stolte said.
Watch Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
