Chicago Fire may have just suffered a devastating death in the form of Monica Pascal (KaDee Strickland), but the series is not through with fans. The upcoming episode, "Post Mortem," has been largely sold on the strength of returning character Wallace Boden, but the actor who plays Boden, Eamonn Walker, let the cat out of the bag during a recent Deadline interview.
Walker revealed that a Chicago Fire "favorite" was going to be in danger throughout the episode, and that his character's involvement will be predicated on what happens to this firefighter. He didn't make it clear which firefighter was at risk, despite Deadline's best attempts to get the inside scoop. "Yeah, I can’t tell you," Walker asserted. "Nice try, though. It’s somebody you know and love... You might even freak out."
Herrmann seems the most likely candidate
We can't knock Walker for playing his cards close to the chest. The promo photos for the episode, however, tell a slightly more specific story. We get to see Wallace Boden back in action, and looking stoic as he dishes out orders to the likes of Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), but it's an action photo of a particular firefighter that has us theorizing.
The photo in question is of Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg). The veteran firefighter can be seen braving an intense building fire, and Deadline even makes note of the fact that the photo may be a spoiler. "[It] may reveal the firefighter left behind," the outlet noted. "We are shooketh." Check it out below.
Herrmann definitely fits the bill when it comes to fan "favorite" character. He has been part of the show since day one, and he was also pegged as Boden's replacement before the latter left in the season 12 finale. Herrmann and Boden are long time friends, and the notion of Herrmann getting injured or possibily even dying is going to shake the former 51 chief to his core.
Eamonn Walker teased the fate of a series "favorite"
It's telling that Eamonn Walker specifically touches on the Boden and Herrmann dynamic in his Deadline interview. He may have, inadvertently, given away the game by noting how the notion of death puts firehouse politics into perspective. Politics that have largely revolved around Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) getting the chief gig over Herrmann.
"The immediacy of somebody possibly dying is what takes precedent, and so he’s come to find out whose fault it is," the actor stated. "Whatever relationships, politics, or promotions going on before, this situation right now could change all of that for everyone—none of that matters."
NBC knows what they're doing. The network has been cagey about revealing spoilers in the past, and have even cut promos in an effort to throw us off, and set us up to believe one thing when another is actually true. We will see if our predicted target, Herrmann, turns out to be accurate. Either way, we hope the character comes out of "Post Mortem" intact.