Lately, “Chicago Fire” has been an emotional rollercoaster for fans of Christian Stolte’s Randall “Mouch” McHolland. The Season 11 finale cliffhanger left viewers worried after the veteran firefighter suffered a grievous injury, but the Season 12 premiere revealed that the Firehouse 51 staple has survived. Mouch isn’t quite out of the woods yet, though, as he’s still dealing with the physical consequences of his wounds, throwing his future as part of the team into doubt. Thankfully, a relatively recent development bodes well for Mouch’s continued presence on “Chicago Fire” — and it comes from a surprising real-life source.
For all of its emphasis on drama and unexpected twists, “Chicago Fire” makes a concerted effort to portray the Chicago Fire Department realistically. As such, there’s a certain real-life law that applies to Mouch and his continued stint as a firefighter — that being the mandatory retirement policy for any firefighter or police officer who reaches the age of 63. As of Season 12, Mouch is roughly 61 years old, meaning that he’s quickly approaching the end of his allotted time as an active firefighter at Firehouse 51.
While mandatory retirement may sound quite worrisome, the retirement policy for Chicago firefighters was amended in late 2023, upping the age limit from 63 to 65. That’s good news for Mouch, who can now legally spend several additional years operating as a firefighter if he so wishes. “Chicago Fire” showrunner Andrea Newman appeared to affirm to The Hollywood Reporter that the series is playing by these real-world rules: “You can be a firefighter at 65 and a lot of these guys and women, they work hard to stay in shape and stay a part of it.”
Mouch’s future is still unclear
While the real-world policy revision allowing Chicago firefighters to remain active until 65 grants Mouch the right to keep operating as he has been, the character’s future at Firehouse 51 is still unclear at the moment. While Mouch is back at work, the fallout from his injury is forcing him to confront his age and his physical ability.
In Andrea Newman’s Hollywood Reporter interview, the showrunner explained that this personal struggle for Mouch — as well as David Eigenberg’s Christopher Herrmann — is explored throughout Season 12. “They are seeing these young guys come in and the questions are, ‘Do I have limitations and if so, what are they? And, will they hamper me on the job? And, what’s the safest thing for everybody?'” Newman said. “But you know, they’re still tough!”
Newman also teased the possibility of Mouch transitioning from his duties as an active firefighter to a support role, allowing him to continue helping Firehouse 51. “They can function that way like Boden [Eamonn Walker], the fire chief of Firehouse 51. It is a little bit of a struggle, but he can do the desk job. But then there are some people that are adrenaline junkies; they are never going to want to hang it up and just move to a desk,” Newman said.
Many “Chicago Fire” fans are curious to see how a Herrmann and Mouch retirement storyline would play out, though whether it happens remains to be seen.
