Chicago Fire, with just the right blend of heartfelt drama, high-stakes action, and tension-relieving humor, has held fans captive for a solid decade. Now on its 10th season, the cast of Chicago Fire has shifted, as beloved characters have taken their leave from Firehouse 51, or sacrificed their life for it.
Although some of the 51 crew has remained the same since season 1, certainly the list of main characters for Chicago Fire has evolved. Still, old or new, the main characters of season 10 deliver a wide range of personality types, providing fans with some memorable quotes.
Blake Gallo
"I Lost My Entire Family In That Fire. But The Thing Is, I Heard My Little Sister Call My Name From Across The Hall, And I Was So Scared That I Ran For The Closet. To This Day I'll Never Know If I Could Have Saved Her, Maybe I Could Have Saved Them All."
Blake Gallo's character is deeply shaped by the childhood trauma of being the only member of his family to survive a house fire, a fact he shares with Casey in season 8, episode 6, "What Went Wrong." The guilt he carries from this tragedy drives him to take excessive risk and resort to reckless behavior when he deems it necessary to save a life. This life altering event has also given him a well of empathy for fire victims and a tendency toward hero worship of fellow firefighters, a combination that makes him a loyal, although sometimes emotionally unpredictable member of 51.
Darren Ritter
"If There's One Thing I Know About This Place, It's That You Can Be Yourself Here. In Fact, You Have To Be."
Darren Ritter shares this sentiment with Blake Gallo in episode 6 of season 8, to help him find his place at Firehouse 51. Although he's talking about 51 as a whole, this does an excellent job of summarizing Ritter himself.
Ritter's kind, gentle, and honest nature has a tendency to disarm people, allowing them to open up and share who they really are. He's observant of those around him, catching onto subtle emotional nuances and seeing through people's walls. He has discovered in 51, a place where people can be themselves, and that really speaks to his personal code of ethics.
Stella Kidd
"I Wasn't Much For Easy-Bake Ovens Growing Up. I Was Out In The Backyard Getting My Hands Dirty."
Lieutenant Stella Kidd is a woman who proves again and again that she's quite capable of excelling in a job that's been traditionally given to men with overwhelming bias. She's proud to be a woman who breaks societal "norms," expressing that she's never been into what society expects her to be into, preferring to embrace who she really is.
As this quote from season 9, episode 13, "Don't Hang Up," metaphorically suggests, her path hasn't been easy and she's had to work hard to get where she is. Unafraid to get her hands dirty, the difficult road only makes her more determined.
Sylvie Brett
"Sacrificing Your Body For Love Is Pretty Darn Chivalrous."
In season 5, episode 5, "I Held Her Hand," Sylvie Brett says this to comfort a teenage boy who's fallen from a tree while attempting to ask a girl to prom in a memorable way. Brett, however, could have easily been talking about herself. As a paramedic, Sylvie is constantly putting her body in harms way as an expression of her love for humanity and her devotion to her life-saving profession. Brett has been held at gunpoint, knifepoint, and in various other hostile situations, while staying calm and focused, providing medical attention to the person in need, willing to sacrifice her body for theirs. She's also a bit of a hopeless romantic, a trait that shines through with the tone of this line.
Joe Cruz
"You Don't Have To Be Perfect, Mack. No One Expects That Except You. It's Okay To Be Scared And Screw Up. Both Of Those Things Are Going To Happen A Lot On This Job. You Just Learn To Manage And Move On."
When Joe Cruz says this to Gianna Macky, in season 9, episode 2, "That Kind of Heat," he could have easily been giving the advice to himself. Above anything, Cruz cares about being someone that others can depend upon, and he has a tendency to be really hard on himself when he doesn't live up to his own high standards. Compassionate and kind, Cruz is first to recognize when other's need to ease up on themselves, probably because it's the best advice he could give himself.
Randall "Mouch" McHolland
"I'm Gonna Keep It Short And Sweet. I Just Wanna Say, 51 Is The Best Place In The World. I Love You Guys."
Randall McHolland, AKA Mouch, is one of the most empathetic and observant characters in Firehouse 51. First to try and fix any internal conflicts, Mouch is a reliable friend and a structural pillar for the 51 community. Unlike several of his colleagues, Mouch tends to do some of his more memorable work outside of the public eye, helping his firehouse family stay the course. Mouch being awarded the firefighters Award of Valor in season 9, episode 15, "A White-Knuckle Panic," was not only well deserved for the amazing save he made in the previous episode, but for his everyday expression of love and duty toward his 51 family.
Christopher Hermann
"It's My Job As An Old Firefighter To Teach The Young Firefighters How To Become Old Ones."
If there is one thing Christopher Herrmann is proud to call himself other than a firefighter, it's a father. When he's not at 51 or tending to his second job as owner of Molly's bar, he's at home with his wife and five children. Often, his knack for fatherly advice bleeds out into his role as Lieutenant in charge of Engine 51. When Herrmann says these words to Gabby Dawson in season 3, episode 6, "Madmen and Fools," he's expressing the fundamental elements of who he is: father, firefighter, mentor.
Kelly Severide
"You Deserve A Better Man Than Me. So I've Decided, I've Decided I'm Going To Be The Man You Deserve."
Lieutenant Kelly Severide is a man who cares deeply, but often struggle with healthy emotional expression. His father, who was also a firefighter, cheated on Severide's mom and eventually abandoned them for a new family. This childhood trauma left Severide with a low sense of self-worth when it comes to romantic relationships. Nothing scares Severide more than the idea of becoming like his father, so he keeps his love interests at a distance to avoid the possibility. But all the avoidance in the world couldn't stop the love he feels for Stella Kidd. With this one quote, delivered to Kidd in the season 7 finally, Severide speaks to his awareness that in trying to be unlike his father, he was becoming more like him. In deciding to be the man Stella Kidd deserves, Severide embodies his need to be a better man than his father.
Matthew Casey
"There Is No Greater Love Than To Lay Down One's Life For Another."
Although this quote carries a quality that could be attributed to many characters from Firehouse 51, Captain Matthew Casey lives and breathes this mindset. Casey will go out of his way to put the needs of others over his own in any situation. Casey speaks these words to Griffin Darden in season 2, episode 6, "Joyriding," to help the boy process the death of his father, who was a fellow firefighter at Firehouse 51 and Casey's best friend. In season 10, Casey proves these are words he lives by, when he sacrifices his station at Firehouse 51 and risks his loving relationship with Sylvie Brett, in order to move to Oregon and become guardian to Griffin and his brother Ben, who are now at-risk teens, their mom incarcerated due to repeated drunk-driving incidents. Casey literally lays down his life in Chicago, a life he loves, to give his deceased best friend's children the support they need.
Wallace Boden
"Leaders Lead From The Front."
Throughout the seasons, if there's one character fan's can consistently count on to impart inspiring and insightful words of wisdom, it's Wallace Boden. Long-time chief of Firehouse 51 and now Battalion chief, Boden is a firm-but-fair leader and a resounding moral compass for the entire Chicago Fire Department, consistently leading by example. Though there are many quotes to choose from, this simple one-liner from season 1, episode 3, "Professional Courtesy," perfectly encompasses Chief Boden's personality as a leader.