Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) is in a bad way. The character suffered the loss of a lifetime during the episode "Too Close." The night he was supposed to celebrate his wedding anniversary, Monica Pascal (KaDee Strickland) was killed in a massive car accident.
The episode ended with the character in tears, and understandably so. Pascal has been an even keeled character for most of season 13, but a loss so severe would get to anybody. We completely understand his grief. It's his aggression in the promo for the next Chicago Fire episode that has us concerned.
Pascal seeks revenge for his wife's death
The promo opens with Pascal being told that nobody was to blame for his wife's death. The look on his face makes it clear he doesn't care what his superiors have to say. We then see the Chief going after the man responsible for the car accident that claimed Monica, and accosts him in front of his family. "You killed my wife!," he yells, as the man walks away.
Pascal's behavior proves to be a red flag for just about everybody around him. Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) points out that the Chief is getting a little bit "obsessive," and Herrmann (David Eigenberg) corners Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) with a valid question: "If he keeps showing up to work like that, what do we do?"
Severide doesn't have an answer. The veteran firefighter looks off in the distance, conflicted on how to go about dealing with Pascal's trauma. It's also worth noting that Pascal's unpredictable behavior is not just putting civilians at risk, but himself as well. One brief clip sees the Chief attempting to climb atop a structure before slipping and dangling off.
The 51 Chief gets careless on the job
Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) and Lyla Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) can both be seen gasping from below while they watch their formerly capable Chief hold on for dear life. We know that Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker), Pascal's predecessor, is returning to Chicago Fire for a standalone episode.
Pascal's current condition leads us to wonder what Boden will think of him, and whether he will be forced to consider a possible replacement. Boden already pushed for Herrmann to be made the new 51 chief before he left, so there may be seem built in apprehension against Pascal.
That said, we sincerely hope the character is able to turn things around and get back on track. He's proven himself to be a capable and reliable leader in the field, and it would be a shame to see him go off the deep end for good.
Chicago Fire returns Wednesday, March 26 on NBC.