Chicago Fire: Chief Boden's Screen Time Has Dwindled & Fans Aren't Happy
Chi-Hards tuning in every week to the first responder action on NBC's "Chicago Fire" definitely have a place in their hearts for Deputy Battalion Chief Wallace Boden, played by British actor Eamonn Walker since the series debuted in 2012. Stern and demanding of the squad members at Firehouse 51, Walker's long-time firefighting veteran Boden is also generous and unfailingly fair when it comes to sorting out both professional and personal issues with his team.
While Boden is often called on to put emotion aside and make the hard choices any fire chief in his position faces, he can also display sensitivity and compassion when his firehouse family needs that kind of support. For instance, after firefighter Otis Zvonecek (Yuri Sardarov) gives his life to save others during a catastrophic blaze, Boden arranges for a memorial statue and plaque to be installed at the firehouse in his memory. And when Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) needs someone to walk her down the aisle during her Season 10 wedding with Lt. Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), Boden steps up to play surrogate father of the bride.
So, when "Chicago Fire" fan u/FlimsyManagement sensed what they perceived to be a decline in the character's screen presence, they began a discussion on the show's subreddit titled, "I miss Boden." Other viewers were more than eager to jump in and say "me too."
Chicago Fire fans think the show would benefit from more Boden
Concerned that the series was suffering from what they see as a lack of Wallace Boden storylines lately, the original poster in the Reddit thread above complained, "He went from being in every episode to maybe 1, every so often. We see so little of him and I miss when he was properly folded into the house." They went on to say that in addition to Boden's reduced screen time, the additional absences of former Captain Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) and Kelly Severide were part of a broader issue affecting the whole One Chicago universe. In this respect, they said that they "feel like all the Chicago shows have peaked and are losing the spark that kept them going."
Redditor u/Physical-Energy-3942 also lamented the loss of synergy between the chief and members of his crew, saying "I miss Casey, boden and Severide together." And the truth is, fandom desire for more moments featuring Eamonn Walker's beloved character goes back even further — two years ago, u/irishspice attracted plenty of pro-Boden sentiment with a "Chicago Fire" subreddit discussion titled, "This show seriously needs more Chief Boden. A LOT more!" Meanwhile, u/headfullofpain joined the same conversation to say they'd also apparently be open to seeing more of Walker's Boden, declaring, "I find him so freaking attractive. Especially when he smiles."