Chicago Fire winter premiere promo hints at potential danger for Pascal

Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) is still getting acclaimed at Firehouse 51. The newcomer has yet to completely gel with his team, but strides have been made, and veteran members have recognized his good intentions. What remains to be seen, though, is how long Pascal will stick around.

The promo for Chicago Fire winter premiere dropped shortly after the fall finale on Wednesday. It didn't give too much away in terms of plot, but it did place emphasis on Pascal and his leadership. The 51 Chief can be seen giving his team a pep talk before they enter a burning building. Pascal can even be seen leading the charge at the tail end of the promo.

Chief Pascal could potentially be in danger

This got us to wondering. The promo suggests that the blaze gets hectic at one point, and that the lives of those in the building get placed in harm's way. Could we be looking at an instance where the new 51 Chief gets sidelined after a heroic display in the line of duty? The character has been liked, if not outright loved, since his debut in the season 13 premiere.

Here's the thing, though. Chicago Fire may be looking at a case of two many Captains in the firehouse. Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) took the Captain exam alongside his buddy Mouch (Christian Stolte) during the fall finale. The results weren't revealed to the viewer, but if he passed, as we assume he did, then he will have to go to a firehouse with an opening for Chief.

OR he takes over for Pascal, who could wind up in a situation where he is not able to carry out the duties of 51 Chief. We're not saying we want to see the character leave the show for good, and this conflict is actually something that David Eigenberg voiced during a recent TV Line interview:

"Dermot’s been such a wonderful addition. I’m very torn. I honestly don’t know what they’re going to do, and I can say that I don’t want him to go."

Herrmann is also eyeing a Firehouse Chief position

It's a real Sophie's Choice. It's worth pointing out two things, though. One, Herrmann is and always will be more beloved to Chicago Fire fans that Pascal. He's got the seniority, he's got the backstory, that's not really up for negotiation. Two, Dermot Mulroney fits within a certain mold of One Chicago star who doesn't stick around for long.

The franchise has had its fair share of veteran supporting actors and established stars join, including Anne Heche, John C. McGinley, Treat Williams, Carl Weathers, and now, Mulroney. These people have, and had, a big celebrity profile in comparison to the show's main stars.

They also stuck around for shorter periods of time. If history repeats itself, which it often does, than Mulroney will serve as a transitional person between Chief Boden and whoever gets appointed next. Time will tell if this prediction pans out.