The beloved former chief of Firehouse 51 is returning for an episode on April 16.
Longtime Chicago Fire fans are getting a treat: the return of Boden. That's right: Eamonn Walker is set to appear in an upcoming episode of Chicago Fire as Wallace Boden, a role he played on the first 12 seasons of the show before departing as a series regular. Here's what to know about it.
Eamonn Walker makes his first return as Boden on Chicago Fire
The episode will air Wednesday, April 16 at 9/8c on NBC. Season 13, Episode 18 is called "Post-Mortem," and sees Boden returning on the orders of Commissioner Grissom, who tasked him with analyzing a burned-out house that collapsed with a firefighter inside.
Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman said in a statement, “We’re so excited to have our beloved Chief Boden back, and the episode, titled 'Post-Mortem,' is a thrill ride unlike any we’ve done before. Told with flashbacks and unique POVs, Chief Boden leads our team on a search to discover the how, who, and why of a fierce firefight that ended in disaster."
The Firehouse 51 leadership has changed a few times
When Boden stepped away from his long-held role as Deputy District Chief to run all of CFD, he appointed Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) to take his place. But at the start of Season 13, the gang got a new new Chief: Dom Pascal, played by Dermot Mulroney
Ahead of the Season 13 premiere, NBC Insider chatted with Newman about what the many changes and staff swaps at Firehouse 51 mean. "It is a new era [of Chicago Fire] in lots of ways, though the core family is still together and will need each other to manage the twists and turns ahead," Newman said. "Fans can expect some darker themes, with new challenges, battles, and thrills as things get shaken up at 51!"
"This entire experience on Chicago Fire is brand new for me. I'm also joining a cast that's already here. So I'm really the new guy in a brand new experience," Mulroney said in a 2024 NBC Insider interview. "I've never played a part that will last this long... I'm having the most amazing time in a new process. [I've been acting] a long time—it's so nice to have a new way to look at creating a role, originating a role."
