Chicago Fire is going through some changes for its 15th season. Original cast member Joe Miñoso is exiting after “a handful of episodes,” Dermot Mulroney is returning just to wrap up his arc, and there’s a new showrunner (Victor Teran replacing Andrea Newman).
Mulroney was present at Flashback Weekend in Chicago over the weekend of August 1 and 2 and addressed his farewell on Fire during a panel. He revealed he’ll be back for one episode, which he finished filming last Tuesday (July 28).
“They write the character off. So, we gave it our all for two seasons,” he said. “They wrote an incredible storyline” that challenged him. “I love every minute. Sad to see it go.”
Mulroney also talked about what the One Chicago series means to first responders and their families. “How meaningful that is … makes it that much more, I don’t say bittersweet, bitter to have to leave that,” he admitted.
Prior to those remarks, Mulroney recalled joining Fire and it being his “first call for straight up network television,” having never done “a full 22 episodes of a character.” (He did Shameless, which had 12-episode seasons.) He shared that he “found it fascinating” to dive into a character and have information come as scripts are written.
“Loved every minute of it, became friends with this incredible crew of people. Some have been there 15 years. Taylor Kinney, the great star of the show, Miranda Rae [Mayo], leading off that an incredible cast,” he recalled.
Mulroney went on to remember his character’s Season 13 arc, with Pascal’s wife being killed in a car accident. “They gave me incredibly challenging scenes,” he said before turning specifically to that storyline. “It’s devastating. But you’re doing it in a movie and guess what? That day’s over, and it’s gone. You shot that scene, and then they end the movie, and that’s the end of it. On TV, guess what? She’s dead next week, too. … And it starts to feel really heavy. And they asked that of me, and I delivered.”
Elizabeth Sisson/NBC
Mulroney sharing that he’s back in one episode suggests that he’ll only be back for the resolution of the Chicago Fire Season 14 finale. Pascal and paramedics Violet (Hanako Greensmith) and Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) were the only ones not inside the building or the ladder alongside it when the fire 51 responded to took a horrific turn. Pascal had said in the finale he was just back to try to sway Severide (Kinney) towards CFD (he’d also been offered a spot at OFI), so once that’s resolved, it’s easy to see him leaving … unless he ends up running into the building to help save the members of 51 and ends up dying as a result.
How do you think Chicago Fire will write out Pascal? Let us know in the comments section below.
Chicago Fire, Season 15 Premiere, Wednesday, October 7, 9/8c, NBC
— Reporting by Karen Ruud