We've been waiting all season for Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker) to return. We were promised the character would pop up in season 13 despite leaving Firehouse 51, and we are finally getting our wish with the episode "In the Rubble."
Boden's return will not be a lovefest, however. The timing could not be worse for his successor, Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney). The Chief is still reeling from the death of his wife, and his ability to lead in the field is compromised. Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman claimed that Boden and Pascal's dynamic a little but, but Mulroney went into much more detail during his recent interview with TV Insider.
Dermot Mulroney promises "super intense" scenes
"One of our incidents went really badly, and so we are under investigation, so who has to come and investigate his own house but Deputy Commissioner Boden," the actor stated. "So then they throw down it almost like Sergio Leone or Rashomon even really cinematic. They go really hard on making it a very separate type of episode."
Mulroney described the scenes between Boden and Pascal as "contentious" and "super intense," even by Chicago Fire standards. Part of the reason is because Boden is forced to reexamine Chief Pascal's entire operation, which includes his interactions with the other firefighters. Firefighters who are friends with Boden.
"He goes full inquisitor, really bears down on each of the officers," Mulroney revealed about Boden's character. "Kidd’s interviewed. Herrmann’s accused of mishandling this situation, miscounting... It’s really dire and it’s a super tense episode." Mulroney told the outlet that he's unsure as to where the rest of the season is going, but assures viewers that they are in good hands, creatively speaking.
The conflict will have long term repercussions
"They did such a great job of making Pascal kind of put you off a little bit, but then time after time he kept coming through for his guys," he explained. The actor also highlighted how much enjoyed time on the set with Eamonn Walker. "Eamonn Walker was wonderful because he’s such a warm person," he explained. "But the minute he becomes Boden at his most steely resolve... They pit Pascal’s steel against his and it’s really a great standoff."
Mulroney confirmed that the standoff between Boden and Pascal will not be an isolated incident, either. The actor confirmed that the repercussions of their interactions will be felt throughout the rest of the season 13 and possibility even into the future. Depending, of course, on what happens to Chief Pascal and his career.