It seems Joe Minoso won’t be the only cast member exiting Chicago Fire early in season 15. Less than 48 hours after reports broke that Minoso will be leaving the show after 14 seasons, Deadline reports Dermot Mulroney will also be taking a step back from the series and will not return as a series regular in season 15.
Much like Minoso, Mulroney will return for at least an episode or two early in Chicago Fire season 15 to help wrap up his character's storyline. It is not yet known how many episodes Mulroney will appear in, but it would seem likely his final appearance might come in the season 15 premiere.
Mulroney joined the Chicago Fire cast in season 13 in the role of Chief Dom Pascal, who was brought to 51 as its newest chief following the departure of Eamonn Walker's Chief Wallace Boden. While Pascal ruffled a lot of feathers upon his arrival, he quickly earned the respect of the men and women of Firehouse 51 and became a favorite among fans.
In season 14, Mulroney took an unexpected step back from the series late in the season via a storyline that saw Pascal fired from the CFD for conduct unbecoming after he interfered with an FBI investigation during the One Chicago crossover. During his final episode before the hiatus, Pascal left town to take a job in Phoenix working with a former colleague.
The exit felt like a final sendoff for Pascal and left many fans to question whether this temporary hiatus would evolve into a more permanent departure. However, NBC remained steadfast in noting Mulroney had not exited the show, and he would return in the season 14 finale in an episode that seemed to set the stage for his ultimate return to the show.
In the season 14 finale, Pascal returned to Chicago to personally speak with Severide and work to persuade him not to take the OFI job. As Pascal noted, 51 needed Severide, and Pascal encouraged him to take the captain's test for a reason, knowing that 51 needed his leadership and there was no one better to lead the team following his departure.
As the season drew to an end, Pascal joined Severide and the team in responding to the season-ending fire that would put the lives of nearly every member of the firehouse on the line. In fact, Pascal was one of only three characters not impacted by the season-ending cliffhanger, as he was outside alongside Violet and Novak when chaos struck.
There has been speculation that Pascal would jump into action to take command of the scene, and the moment would lead to his return to the CFD. However, it seems that will not be the case given Mulroney's exit.
What is likely to happen is we'll see Pascal in the premiere, and he'll leave town after Severide makes his decision, which now seems almost certain to be to turn down the OFI job in order to look out for 51. We'll find out whether this is indeed the plan when Chicago Fire season 15 premieres on October 7 at 9/8c on NBC!
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