One Chicago has been selective with its characters. The veterans aren't going anywhere, but they aren't present for every single episode like they used to be, either. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice the way that characters will be absent for a single episode, with little more than a line to explain why and when they'll be back.
Mouch (Christian Stolte) is the latest Chicago Fire character to succumb to this trend. He was missing from "Chaos Theory," with the explanation being that the character was taking a required class at the Fire Service Institute. The character even drew praise from his friend, Herrmann (David Eigenberg), for briefly filling it as acting lieutenant.
Mouch appeared in the One Chicago crossover promo
"Mouch is a natural," Herrmann told Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo). "It was good seeing him get in on the action." Kidd is another character who fell victim to the MIA for an episode trend, as she was gone for the winter premiere. The question on everybody's mind, though, is whether Mouch will be back in time for the anticipated One Chicago crossover on January 29.
The answer? Yes, most certainly. Mouch is front and center during the crossover promo, though not in ways he'd probably like. The promo shows that his wife, Chicago PD vet Trudy Platt (Amy Morton), gets injured on the job. Platt is rushed to the hospital, and a teary-eyed Mouch can be seen looking over his wife.
The character's wife, Platt, is placed in mortal danger
It's a full circle moment for Mouch, who has been on a transformative arc since his brush with death in the Chicago Fire season 11 finale. The character was also rushed to the hospital, with Patt at his side, and he has since vowed to be more productive with his life. He's made good on it. He's exercised, and even passed the lieutenant exam.
It's hard to imagine the Mouch from seasons prior serving as a replacement for Kidd in any serious manner. Yet here we are. We're excited to see more Platt and Mouch screen time, especially since the former hasn't had much to do over the last few seasons, but we sincerely hope that they make it out of the crossover healthily and happily.
Based on One Chicago's track record, we are pretty confident that Platt and Mouch will make it through this, and be strong as ever.