‘Chicago Fire’ Bids Farewell to Boden in Season 12 Finale (Photos)
A big change is coming to Firehouse 51. Longtime Chicago Fire cast member Eamonn Walker will make his last appearance as a series regular in the show’s May 22 season 12 finale. Unsurprisingly, Deputy Chief Boden’s exit will be an emotional one, based on a teaser for the upcoming episode.
Eamonn Walker says goodbye in ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 12 finale
Chicago Fire’s strike-shortened season 12 has already seen a few major cast shakeups. Kara Killmer (Sylvie Brett) and Alberto Rosende (Blake Gallo) left early in the season, and Jocelyn Hudon joined the show midway through the season as paramedic Lyla Novak.
Now, one of the NBC drama’s longest-serving cast members is on his way out. Walker has decided to leave the show after 12 seasons. Though he’s expected to be back in a recurring capacity in the future, his last episode as a series regular will be “Never Say Goodbye.” (NBC has renewed Chicago Fire for season 13.)
A promo for the episode (via YouTube) shows Boden’s Firehouse 51 crew getting choked up as they prepare to say goodbye to their colleague.
“You made 51 a family, Chief. And this firehouse a home,” says Cruz (Joe Minoso) in the clip.
“You’ve inspired a group of firefighters who know the meaning of bravery,” adds Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo).
A ‘shocking incident’ leads Boden to make a major decision in the ‘Chicago Fire’ finale
What exactly leads Boden to step away from his role at 51? For one, he’s landed on the short list of candidates for the Deputy Fire Commissioner position. He also recently took a leave of absence to help his stepson James, who is fighting to get on his feet after some personal struggles.
Fans will have to tune in to the finale to find out exactly what happens with Boden, but showrunner Andrea Newman says that it’s something big.
“Boden has been managing a lot of change at home (with his stepson James) and at 51, and learned a lot while doing it, including about himself,” she told TV Insider. “A shocking incident in the finale will highlight what it means to him to be a leader, and everyone close to him will be impacted in a huge way by the decision he makes.”
Whatever happens, “Never Say Goodbye” will be a fitting sendoff for Walker, who was “the first character cast in Chicago Fire, in any of the Chicago universes,” Mayo said during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.
The episode is “basically a love letter to our dear Chief Boden,” she explained, adding, “We get to see him in a rescue in a way we never have.”
The Chicago Fire Season 12 finale airs Wednesday, May 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. It streams the next day on Peacock.
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