As season 14 of Chicago Fire heads back to television, there’s plenty to look forward to with everyone involved. One such case involves Hermann, who spent Season 13 contemplating a big exam before ultimately making another decision, something we could see him dealing with when the show returns to NBC.
During the course of Season 13, Captain Christopher Hermann (David Eigenberg) had spent time deciding on whether he wanted to eventually take an exam that would lead to him possibly replacing Chief Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker) as Chief of Firehouse 51. His colleague Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte) also had thoughts about taking the Lieutenant exam.
However, this possible promotion would mean Mouch would have to leave Firehouse 51, something Hermann did not want to see happen. Despite passing the exam, Hermann decided to decline a possible promotion. He stepped down as Captain, and Mouch took over as Lieutenant.
Even though he willingly made this decision, there are still a number of scenarios that could occur that would make this change in leadership difficult for the two men. In a fall preview from TVLine, showrunner Andrea Newman said there will be some adjustments for the two friends, which will see big “challenges to that friendship.”
Hermann will have a lot to contend with after stepping down ahead of Chicago Fire season 14
For Hermann, especially, he will struggle the most, and his own issues outside of work will likely make this more difficult. After being in command for so long, it would make sense that he will have to get used to being the one to take orders again instead of giving them.
Hermann will go through his “most challenging” personal crisis yet, and it will likely be a test of his friendship with Mouch and how much he can be there for him.
Eigenberg recently appeared on Brian Luce’s One Chicago Podcast and discussed his feelings about Hermann’s decision. It came from not just seeing Chief Boden’s belief in him to ascend the throne, but also seeing how Mouch returned from injury because he wanted to be back on the job helping people.
He was quoted as saying, “Hermann’s kind of caught between these two things. And the one thing he never asks himself as the snowball starts rolling down the hill is, ‘Do I want this?’”
It will be one thing for Hermann to make the decision, but another to see the reality of how things will change in terms of the pecking order at work. However, it will be fun for fans to see the shift in dynamic between him and Mouch, and how they work together to overcome possible challenges they face as colleagues and friends.
Chicago Fire returns with the rest of the One Chicago franchise on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 9/8c.