Abhiroop Das
Co-created by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’ chronicles the highs and lows of Firehouse 51, comprising a team of firefighters, rescue personnel, and paramedics who will stop at nothing to save lives. Led by battalion chief Dom Pascal, the crew regularly goes against the grain, be it in how they coordinate challenging rescue missions or raise their voice against systemic flaws. In the 14th season of this procedural drama, Dom and company are faced with opposition from within, as a series of layoffs, budget cuts, and staff shifts have made normal functioning more or less impossible. Worse, these pressing conditions directly affect the crew’s performance, prompting characters like Randall McHolland, AKA Mouch, to take a stand, even if it means risking their profession. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Mouch is Being Transferred to a Different Firehouse Against His Will
Mouch’s potential exit from Firehouse 51 has been a hot topic since season 14’s fall finale, and over the following episodes, it erupts into multitudes of subplots, all centered around the city hall’s corrupt operational system. Mouch is one of the many firefighters, paramedics, and other civil servants who are being uprooted from their jobs due to rampant budget cuts and reorganization drives. In some cases, entire engines are being shut down, and their operators are either being relocated or forced into retirement. Mouch, who has been tirelessly working as a firefighter for decades now, is unfortunately given the short end of the stick. Annette Davis reveals that Mouch is expected to go into a premature retirement following the disbandment of Engine 51, which sends the entire crew into a state of frenzy.
Expectedly, both Dom and Mouch refuse to bend the knee and lead an elaborate media campaign to ensure that the injustices against firefighters are brought to light. This plan works out surprisingly well, and Mouch’s story makes it to the front page of several Chicago newspapers. However, this is still far from the pressure tactic that Dom dreamt it would be, as the city hall’s response is even more twisted than before: Mouch is to be transferred to an entirely different firehouse to keep the total headcount per division in check. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Mouch’s character is about to be written out of the story, it does land a significant blow on his overall significance to the narrative.
Given that ‘Chicago Fire’ is entirely centered around the life and troubles of Firehouse 51, it will be very hard for the story to shine a light on Mouch’s day-to-day affairs. Earlier this season, Herrmann took a break from work to deal with the devastating fire accident at his house, and while we got a few episodes centered around his internal troubles, the show quickly returned to its episodic storytelling format, with Herrmann not reappearing for quite some time. As such, for Mouch to feature in future episodes regularly is a hard ask in case he does transfer. However, given Firehouse 51’s strong sense of togetherness, it is likely that they will rally against the system together and find a way to get Mouch back in the core team.
Actor Christian Stolte’s Journey With the Show Isn’t Over Just Yet
As of writing, actor Christian Stolte, who plays Mouch, has not commented on whether he is leaving the cast. However, given the upcoming arcs centered around Mouch’s battle with the system, it is very unlikely that Stolte is saying goodbye to ‘Chicago Fire’ anytime soon. While the show’s trajectory for a potential season 15 cannot be predicted as easily, season 14 is likely to continue with Mouch as a main character. Furthermore, given Dom’s active initiatives to keep Mouch within Firehouse 51, there is a very good chance that this entire arc exists not to set up Stolte’s exit, but to flesh out Mouch’s character and generate intrigue. However, given the circumstances at hand, it is possible that Stolte’s presence in the show will decrease to an extent.
When asked about Mouch’s plotline, Chicago Fire producer Reza Tabrizi told NBC Insider that, “Even though we thought everything was gonna be okay (…) it’s all gonna be on the spot. And we’ll be exploring that.” Stolte himself has opened up about the changes his character has gone through over the years, and how each new script gives him an opportunity to reinvent who Mouch is. “He (Mouch) has shed a lot of what defined him in the first few seasons,” the actor explained, adding, “In this case, I like to proceed with certainty so that the idea in my head is this is where (Mouch) was destined to be.” As such, the chances of Stolte reprising his role in the upcoming episodes are quite high.
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