Warning! SPOILERS ahead for Chicago Fire season 13, episode 16, "In The Rubble."

I'll be surprised if Boden (Eamonn Walker) returns to Firehouse 51 for any reason other than cleaning up the mess that Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) makes in Chicago Fire season 13, he clashed with Kidd and Severide because of his desire to run a tighter ship than Boden did, but his behavior in "In The Rubble" undermined any progress he had made in that area. Furthermore, transferring Damon back in will likely make matters worse.

Pascal is deep in the throes of grief after Chicago Fire's Violet tells him about Monica's death. This leads him to act uncharacteristically impulsively, putting himself and others in the firehouse at risk. When Severide confronts him about his erratic behavior, which esclates to stalking the man he blames for his wife's death, Pascal finally sees what he's been doing and apologizes. However, he also makes the head-scratching decision to allow Damon to transfer back in despite his reservations about it — and those of his crew.

Pascal Decided To Bring Back Damon While He Was Amid His Grief Over Monica's Death

It Seemed Like A Last-Minute Decision After A String Of Similar Bad Choices

Pascal has a harder time dealing with his grief than he its throughout Chicago Med season 10, episode 16. Although he claims that his two weeks' leave has done him so good, Pascal is triggered when the crew is called to the scene of a workplace accident and makes the uncharacteristic decision to risk his life to rescue a victim. This impulsive and risky behavior raises eyebrows among the crew. Unfortunately, it also leads to a string of other questionable choices.

Thus, by the time Pascal decides to greenlight Damon's return, he's been self-destructing for most of the episode. No one is willing to confront him until his behavior gets so severe that they have no choice. Pascal okays Damon's return after Severide calls Pascal out on stalking the driver who killed Monica. While Pascal's decision could be read as giving Severide's half-brother another chance because Severide did something for him, it's equally likely that he thinks Severide won't escalate his complaints up the chain of command if Pascal does him this favor.

Chief Boden Returning Could Be To Fix Any Possible Fallout From Pascal's Decision

Boden Will Appear In Chicago Fire Episode 18

Chicago Fire's Chief Boden will return on April 16, 2025, in a story where he arrives at Firehouse 51 after the fact to investigate why a house collapsed, trapping a firefighter inside during an intense call. I'm excited about this story for several reasons. Among other things, Firehouse 51 must be responsible for this disastrous call if Boden is starting his investigation there. Thus, Pascal will be held able for any missteps Boden discovers during his investigation, including hiring somebody who has a history of reckless behavior during rescues.

If Damon continues to act recklessly, it can only lead to the tragic circumstances Boden must investigate.

The disaster in Chicago Fire season 13, episode 18 seems like the natural consequence of Pascal's judgment continuing to be clouded by his grief. Specifically, rehiring Damon could lead to problems that wouldn't occur otherwise. Damon's transfer was the result of his refusal to follow orders during rescue missions and his attempt to lie his way out of trouble after a call went badly because of it. If Damon continues to act recklessly, it can only lead to the tragic circumstances Boden must investigate — and Pascal is partially to blame because he rehired Damon without thinking things through.

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