Chicago Fire season 8 character review: Wallace Boden

How was Chicago Fire season 8 for Wallace Boden?

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 Chief Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker).

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What happened in Chicago Fire season 8 for Wallace Boden

The most recent season of Chicago Fire was not the biggest one for Boden. The majority of his screen time during season 8 was in his capacity as the Chief of Firehouse 51, acting in more of a supporting role to the rest of the team.

Now in Boden’s case, being a supporting character still meant getting out on calls and doing some cool stuff (like helping to move an oil tanker). And he had enough on his plate as the boss, whether it was the loss of yet another firefighter or having 51 taken over by a bunch of protesters. So unlike the more administrative characters on the other two One Chicago series, you can’t say that he didn’t have enough to do.

But there wasn’t a big Boden-centric story like there have been in seasons past; perhaps we’ll get one next season.

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What Chicago Fire season 8 means for Wallace Boden

While Boden didn’t have the massive moment that he’s had in other years, Chicago Fire should give Chicago PD and Chicago Med some notes on how to utilize their boss-type characters better. Because even though Boden was mostly running the firehouse, he still had things to do and still felt like a significant part of the show.

Boden’s biggest strength this season was leading Firehouse 51 through a lot of turmoil. Whether it was Otis’s (Yuri Sardarov) death and then struggling to find the right replacement, or having the firehouse taken over by protesters, Boden was always in the middle when there was an issue that needed to be handled or an emotional hurdle to be cleared. He served an important purpose, even if the spotlight wasn’t necessarily on him specifically.

Our Chicago Fire season 9 prognosis for Wallace Boden

Since this season didn’t have a Boden-centric subplot, the natural question is if we’ll see one in Chicago Fire season 9. More of Eamonn Walker is always welcome; he’s an incredible actor. But what stories could be told about Boden that the show hasn’t done, too?

We’ve seen his position at Firehouse 51 threatened numerous times. We’ve seen him contemplate his future when he ran for Fire Commissioner. He’s had family issues. So a lot of the storylines that the show might normally go to, Boden has been through. The writers will have to come up with an idea that doesn’t give fans deja vu.

But if anybody can come up with a good one, these writers can. They’ve shown that they know how to get the most out of Boden’s character no matter what else is going on in the series. If they can show us something new about him next season, that’d be fantastic. Just because he’s the boss doesn’t mean he can’t have stories just as exciting as his subordinates.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 8 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.