Change will soon be in the air once again at Firehouse 51. As Chicago Fire returns to kick off a new season, the long-running series will be saying goodbye to two key members of its cast with the departures of Joe Minoso and Dermot Mulroney.
While it seems that fans might get a few episodes to say their goodbyes to Minoso’s character, Joe Cruz, the same cannot be said for Mulroney’s character, Dom Pascal. It has been confirmed that Mulroney will make his final appearance in the season 15 premiere airing on October 7, which will bring his time on the show to an end after just two seasons.
Mulroney joined the cast as a series regular in season 13, taking over as the new chief of Firehouse 51 following the departure of Eamonn Walker’s Chief Wallace Boden. Upon his arrival, Pascal quickly shook things up at the firehouse and found himself at odds with the top leaders in the firehouse. His arrival was not met with much excitement from those within the firehouse or the fans watching at home, but in time we’d come to love Pascal and see a different side of him.
Just when we had been fully won over by Pascal, he got himself fired from the CFD by disobeying a direct order from the FBI during the annual One Chicago crossover event. Pascal’s actions ultimately helped to save the lives of Cruz, Capp, Novak, and all those exposed to the toxin at the heart of the attack on the city but ultimately led to him being dismissed from the CFD for conduct unbecoming.
Given that Mulroney was not announced as exiting the show, many assumed that the show would find a way to bring him back into the mix as the season came to an end, which did happen. The season 15 finale welcomed Mulroney back after a brief leave from the show, with Pascal returning to Chicago to encourage Severide to accept the caption job at Firehouse 51 rather than taking the job with OFI. Unfortunately, it seems his return will be short-lived with Mulroney exiting the show in the premiere.
Details surrounding Mulroney’s exit remain scarce, but NBC has finally given fans their first look at Mulroney’s final appearance via a newly released photo from the Chicago Fire season 15 premiere.
The above photo drops us back into the closing moments from the season 14 finale, when Pascal had accompanied Severide and the team to a warehouse fire. The season ended with Pascal outside with Violet and Novak watching in horror as an explosion occurred, trapping those inside the building and resulting in a ball of flame engulfing those trying to get back down to the ground after fleeing the roof.
It’s hard to know the full context of the photo, but the look on Pascal’s face seems to be one of concern and worry, suggesting that this particular scene occurs as Pascal stands on the sideline waiting for the members of Firehouse 51 to emerge safely from the warehouse fire.
Knowing that it was Pascal’s decision to race into action to help his team that cost him his job in the CFD, we have to wonder if perhaps in this moment Pascal might be considering racing in to help those trapped inside. The placement of his arm at his side suggests that he might be preparing to jump into action and is feeling antsy waiting on the sidelines outside.
Of course, the look could be interpreted as Pascal watching on with pride, potentially seeing Severide take command of the scene. We know that his whole mission in coming back to Chicago was to convince Severide not to take the OFI job and to step in as leader at Firehouse 51, so seeing him take command of the scene would definitely give Pascal a sense of assurance that his instincts about Severide were correct and that he’s the leader that 51 needs. This could then explain why Pascal leaves again, as he can do so knowing that 51 is in good hands with Severide as its acting captain and that he’s no longer needed at 51.
That's an exit storyline that would make perfect sense for Pascal and one that would leave the door open for Mulroney to return down the line for a guest appearance or even a recurring arc.
Chicago Fire season 15 premieres on Wednesday, October 7, at 9/8c on NBC!
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