Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 18 ‘Post-Mortem’ brings back Wallace Boden, but it’s not all fun and games in the return of Eamonn Walker to the role. It’s still very nice to have him back, and in a way, it’s almost comforting how no one makes a big deal about his return. He, after all, hasn’t even gone that far. He’s still part of this universe. He’s still part of Firehouse 51. He just happens to have an office somewhere else these days.
The episode, which follows a different format than most Chicago Fire episodes, works a little bit as a murder mystery, with the show deliberately obscuring who got hurt until the end of the hour. It’s a great way to tell this story because it adds tension, even if it’s particularly anxiety-inducing on account of that very tension. The show couldn’t tell every story this way, but every once in a while, it’s fun to try a different way of doing things—and particularly great to have Boden around to do so.
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 18 ‘Post-Mortem’ is a series of unfortunate events, people with good intentions coming together for a bad result. What goes wrong? Everything, really. But like Boden explains in the end, it really is no one’s fault. We get the information little by little, but we can see that Severide didn’t do anything that caused what happened to Damon. Neither did Stella nor Herrman. And it doesn’t even seem like the Chief did, either.
Sometimes life just kinda sucks like that. That’s often the lesson of long-running procedural TV, which might just end up being the lesson for Damon if he does have long-term damage from this call. But whatever comes next, Damon doesn’t have to deal with it alone. He’s got a brother. He’s got a sister in law. He’s got an entire Firehouse behind him. And it’s different to face these things with a family than it is to face them without one.
As sucky as the rest is, that’s one of the good things about long-running procedurals. We do get to see families, of blood and of choice, coming together in good and bad moments. And Damon might be new to this family, but if the crowd at his hospital bed at the end of the episode proved, he’s got a lot of people on his side now.
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WHY DID IT HAPPEN?
Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 18 ‘Post-Mortem’ cleverly deconstructs the call with Boden speaking to Severide, Kidd, Herrmann, and Pascal, as we get not just their perspectives on what went wrong, but their perspectives on the last few months. It’s a fun way to catch Boden up, but also to give someone like Boden, an outsider, but one with opinions, a way into the situation. Because, as we’ve discussed, the show has tried very hard to make a square peg fit into a round hole with Pascal, and that just hasn’t happened. And now with the end of the season close, it’s become clear it won’t happen.
So, how does Chicago Fire resolve this? It puts Herrmann against Pascal, with Boden in the middle. Or at least, it puts Herrman’s opinion against Pascal’s, with Boden in the middle trying to figure out what really happened. And the truth, in the end, is that it doesn’t matter. Isn’t that the irony? Because this episode just proves that even if Pascal was right and even if he is a good leader and has everyone’s respect, Firehouse 51 will probably never be home for him. Not really. Not in the way it will be for Herrmann if he ever becomes Chief. And worst of all, Pascal knows it.
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Things I think I think:
- “He’s fighting for his life right now.”
- But who?
- Not even a hello for Boden!
- I DON’T WANT THIS TO BE A MYSTERY. JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED.
- Lil bro pulling strings.
- “It was personal.”
- Carver and Stella talking about rehab was so good.
- And Carver checking in about the Chief was also really good.
- You were not approving equipment repairs, lol.
- I’m not saying if anyone’s a problem is Pascal, but…
- “For you or for everyone?” Oh, Boden with the good question.
- What is Pascal playing at with Boden? If someone spoke to HIM the way he’s speaking to Boden…
- I got a little scared at the “we lost Cruz” of it all.
- “But I’m not Chief.”
- Ooof, this is FUN. Who is right? And, does it even matter, in the grand scheme of things?
- Stella is being very fair about Pascal here, more than he deserves, honestly.
- Aawww, Damon. He’s fine! Or fineish, I guess. They’re surely going to milk this for all it’s worth.
- FOR A MOMENT THERE, I THOUGHT IT WAS CARVER. I was gonna rage. Like, even if he’s apparently leaving (why oh why after setting up the ship), if they killed him off, I was going to be MAD.
- And I’m losing Ritter too? The audacity. CUT PASCAL and you save the money.
- Boden’s like no one’s to blame, lol. Take it or leave it.
- Pascal just looking at the team at the end is ominous.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 18 ‘Post-Mortem’? Share with us in the comments below! And if you have your own opinion on the show, leave a review/rating on our Chicago Fire hub!
Chicago Fire airs on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.
While I love Boden I don’t agree with him: I think Carver and Damon himself are to blame. If carver radioed that he was going back in, Hermann would immediately know that inside was 7 people but only 6 left.
And if Damon radioed that he got separated from his partner as soon as he realised (which he had to realise by the time he moved to the attic) they would knew he was still in the building and when the roof collapsed they would find him quicker. So yeah, both of them forgot how to act on call, definitely their fault