Chicago Fire season 8 character review: Mouch

How was Chicago Fire season 8 for Mouch? We’re looking back at how Chicago Fire’s latest season went for Christian Stolte’s character.

As we continue to look back on Chicago Fire season 7, we’re breaking down the season for each of the show’s characters.

Did your favorite character have a good season or a bad season? What were their strong points and were there any weaknesses? Was the character affected by the show’s writing, or vice versa? Where could they go from here?

Check out our detailed character breakdown, and let us know your thoughts on how this season was for each character in the comments.

In this article, we’re profiling Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte).

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What happened to Mouch in Chicago Fire season 8

Most of what audiences saw from Mouch this season was his usual comic relief. Early in the season, he became a new partner in Molly’s, but that meant so did his wife Trudy Platt (Amy Morton). We have yet to see the full comedic effect of that.

But the show also gave him one very serious subplot that Christian Stolte was magnificent in. In “Hold Our Ground,” Mouch went above and beyond to deliver a letter that had stuck to his boot after he responded to a mail truck fire. It was the last letter that a fallen soldier had written to his wife.

While Mouch is always good for a laugh, that’s not all he’s good for, and he also made us cry.

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What Chicago Fire season 8 means for Mouch

Much like his partner-in-crime Herrmann, Mouch is a character who doesn’t change much each season. Aside from him contemplating retirement awhile back, there’s not much that really shifts in his world; he’s just happy to come to work every day and come home to Trudy at night.

Given that, there’s likely not going to be anything huge he’ll take away from this season. He may wind up with a huge headache later on if Chicago Fire continues to pursue the subplot of him now owning a portion of Molly’s, but when he returns for season 9 it should be business as usual for our favorite half-man, half-couch firefighter.

While some folks might find that boring, it fits well into character with how steady Mouch is. His function on the show is to inject some levity and support other characters, and Mouch as a person keeps things light and supports his co-workers at every turn (unless he’s disagreeing with them).

Our Chicago Fire season 9 prognosis for Mouch

The one big question for Mouch going into next season is how much Derek Haas and the writing staff want to play with the Molly’s subplot. If the show wants to revisit that and make it part of an episode or two, there’s a ton of material. It’s very, very easy to imagine Herrmann and Trudy in a huge blow-up over some business decision—with poor Mouch literally caught in the middle. If the show doesn’t do more with that story in season 9, it’ll be a missed opportunity.

Another thing to consider, although it’s not necessarily about him directly, is his marriage. Fans have seen more of Trudy when she’s with Mouch on Chicago Fire than we have on Chicago PD, and that’s a waste of Amy Morton. If PD isn’t going to use her, how about having some sort of ongoing Trudy and Mouch story on Fire? Could they consider starting a family? Could you imagine Mouch and Trudy as parents? Or the ridiculous parenting advice they’d get from everyone else?

Mouch is never going to have the lion’s share of screen time on this show, but there are a few ways that the writers could have even more fun with him next season if they want to invest the time.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 7 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.