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Wallace Boden Jr. is the Deputy District Chief of District 4 with the Chicago Fire Department and one of the main characters of Chicago Fire. He is portrayed by English actor Eamonn Walker.

Biography[]

Wallace Boden was the Battalion Chief of Firehouse 51. He has served in the fire department for over 30 years, working alongside Benny Severide and the late Henry Mills, fathers of Kelly Severide and Peter Mills respectively.

As stated in Haunted House, he was a Firefighter/EMT Candidate at Firehouse 22, but it is unknown if he rose to Captain at that Firehouse or got transferred to another station then back again for his promotion as Captain. As he mentions in A Closer Eye, that before he became Battalion Chief of Firehouse 51 and the 25th Battalion, he was a Captain at Firehouse 22.

At some point in his life, he married a woman named Shonda and he served as a father figure to her son Jimmy who he loved like his own son and never referred to him as a stepson. After the marriage fell through, Wallace maintained contact with Jimmy.

He went on to marry another woman but that marriage fell through as well.

Personality[]

Boden is extremely loyal to the firehouse and the 51 family. At times when Firehouse 51 has come under scrutiny, Boden has fought to protect its integrity. He takes great pride in the firehouse and pushes his men to be their best with a firm but fair attitude. While Boden can come across as severe, he is shown to be open to both give and take advice from his men, especially his two lieutenants, Matt Casey and Kelly Severide, who view him as a mentor and fatherly figure.

History[]

Season 1[]

Boden got close to Ernie, a teenager he saw several times on garbage fire interventions. Thinking the boy may be responsible of those fires, he invited him to the firehouse to investigate with Herrmann's help. It turned up that Ernie was under his uncle Ray's influence and finally died in a fire set by Ray. His death devastated Boden, so much that he beat up Ernie's uncle before the cops stop him. Afterwards, he is reprimanded for his actions by his superiors but stops them mid-way and tells them he's going on furlough. To ease his nerves, he decides to visit his former stepson, Jimmy. After a tense talk with his ex-wife, he tells her that he raised her son since he was three and love him as if he was his own and he needs to see him. Soon Jimmy comes down the stairs in spots Wallace before they share a hug. (Under the Knife, Warm and Dead)

Season 2[]

In A Power Move, when facing a health scare, he visits Gail McLeod and hands his official resignation to a surprised McLeod, having accepted her offer because he loves the house and will do anything to save it.

In Tonight's the Night, the house brings in several people whose homes lost power because of a blackout caused by a drunk driver. Boden accidentally catches Otis with Katie Nolan and walks out uncomfortable. When Otis goes to apologize, he finds Boden kissing Donna, who came to Firehouse 51 to help out and becomes disturbed out by it.

After a date out with her friends, Boden ended things as he believes he is damaged goods.

A few weeks later, he visits her at her school, but she cannot talk as she has a meeting to attend. Later that day, she comes to Firehouse 51 and reveals to Wallace that she is pregnant with his child. Wallace then proposes to Donna, stating that marriage would support her and the baby financially.

Season 3[]

Wallace and Donna have their wedding ceremony in front of Firehouse 51, with Herrmann as the best man and Mills as the clergyman.

Boden Family - Donna Holding Terrance With Wallace

In Santa Bites, he and Donna butt heads on how they will name their baby. Donna wishes to hyphenate their last names, but Wallace refuses, citing tradition. Their argument is interrupted when Donna proceeds to go into labor in the middle of the firehouse and Wallace yells for help, only to discover that Ambulance 61 is out on a call. Newhouse and Boden assist Donna to the Squad 3 truck and they rush to the hospital, lights and sirens blaring, until they hit traffic. Stopped in their tracks, Donna gives birth to their son, Terrance Boden, in the back of the truck. Boden excitedly tells his wife of they are now a family. They eventually arrive at the hospital and as they are going inside, Donna tells Boden they will not hyphenate the name before doctors notice that the baby is turning blue and rush him into the hospital. Terrance in placed on ECMO to help his lungs function as Donna screams after him.

During Let Him Die, Boden calls his father after the birth of Terrance Boden. Wallace Sr. inquires if Boden and his family will make it on the trip, once Terrance was okay to travel but Boden is not sure. After some days, Boden is elated to hear his son is alright and happily holds him before bringing him to Donna. Boden is then surprised when his father arrives at the hospital, where he finds the family bonding. Boden excitedly lets him join the moment, as his son is shocked to see him after so long.

During Three Bells, Wallace Sr. comes to stay at his son's house, where he shows his son how to take care of Terrance while very excited to finally hold him. Wallace Sr. also refuses to tell his son of how long he is in town. At the end, he reveals he has Stage 4 cancer and is dying.

14 02

In Call It Paradise, Boden struggles to make peace with his father when Wallace Sr. expresses a waning desire to fight his cancer, despite Boden's offer to provide information on an experimental drug. Wallace Sr. turns him down - he would rather live than die. So, with Herrmann's help, he resurrects the semi-annual Winter Luau at Molly's. The party's a huge success, and afterwards Boden and his dad enjoy a drink in private, happy to share each other's company. But later, after Boden puts Terrance to bed, he returns to the living room and discovers his father in the chair, unresponsive - deceased with a family photo album in his hands.

Season 4[]

Boden invited Capt. Dallas Patterson to command Squad 3 after Kelly Severide was demoted from lieutenant to firefighter. Boden and Patterson were later seen playing poker with Sgt. Whitaker of Chicago P.D.

Boden faced legal troubles after a neighbor, Serena Holmes, accused him of home invasion and assault. Holmes had moved into the apartment next to Boden and Donna as a temporary Airbnb tenant and requested Boden's help after locking herself out of the apartment and claiming that she had left the stove on. Boden forced entry into the apartment at her request, only to find the stove off and Holmes acting seductively. She offered him a glass of wine, which he declined before leaving.

Later, a detective with Chicago P.D. confronts Boden at home and says that Holmes claimed that Boden broke into her apartment and assaulted her with a wine bottle. The detective produces photographs that show an obviously battered Holmes. Knowing that he did not commit the crime, Boden enlists the help of Firehouse 51 to uncover the truth.

Boden first suspects that Deputy District Chief Ray Riddle, who had been attempting to remove Boden from his post, may have put Holmes up to the job of sullying Boden's reputation. But with the help of Kelly Severide's ex-girlfriend, attorney Jamie Killian, it is revealed that arsonist Roger Maddox - who was set to go to trial for his crimes, and who was being represented by Killian - had hired Holmes to accuse Boden to discredit him. It is also revealed that Maddox set out to discredit members of the department's Office of Fire Investigation (OFI), including captains Greg Duffy and Suzie Wilder, as well as Dawson who were to testify against Maddox at the trial. After the scheme is uncovered, Maddox is charged for his crimes and is arrested.

Season 5[]

During I Held Her Hand he watches Herrmann keep watch over the house before he sees Donna bring Terrance to the fire house so that he could say good night to his father. Wallace thanks her for this and tells her he will see them at home. When he comes home, Donna tells Wallace someone has been sitting outside their house in a car all day. Wallace angrily marches towards the car to find that it is his stepson, James, whom he introduces to his wife.

In That Day, he and James have breakfast with one of his friends and the latter tells Wallace it might be time to move up.

Boden reconnects with James who later expresses interest in moving in with Donna and Wallace. Wallace tries to figure out why and learns that someone hit his son so he went to beat up James' mother's boyfriend at his work place. It results in him being suspended for a shift. At the end, Shaunda visits to tell him that she had no idea about the abuse and James goes to live with her at his grandmother's house. (Lift Each Other)

Season 6[]

Season 7[]

Season 8[]

Season 9[]

During Don't Hang Up, Wallace's wife teaches an online class and he helps her get accommodated. Boden is surprised when Donna uses the standing desk Kylie brought in, something he disliked. He is later brought to speed on a girl being held hostage by gangsters and how she called Stella for help. After Stella gets a hint on the identity of the girl, Boden and Severide stop by the address of the girl and it is confirmed that the girl is real when her mother voices how she and her son were taken because of the brother's activities. She reveals the gang who took them might be near in an abandoned house somewhere on the block. Soon Boden and Kelly start canvassing the nearby houses to locate the Ward siblings before Stella calls and instructs them to turn on the sirens so that way, she could tell whether they were close because Aliyah left the phone on. After a while, the sirens are heard and Stella tells them that they just passed the house. Turning around and reaching the house, Boden tells the gangsters that there is a gas leak that will cause the house to explode but he is seemingly not believed. With no alternative, the two wonder on what to do now before the gangsters come outside paranoid that this may be true. Seeing their fear, Boden instructs them to run and begins counting down how long they have until the explosion. Not wanting to take chances, the gang run off and the Ward siblings come out and are rescued. Driving far from the house, Kelly calls Stella and reveals this news, to her relief.

In No Survivors, Boden considers the post of Deputy District Chief. This is a topic / promotion that happened at the end of Season 6. But, this time it might just happen. This potential promotion would leave the position of Battalion Chief of the 25th Battalion open.

Season 10[]

In Mayday, Wallace Boden has been promoted to Deputy District Chief of District 4. In Two Hundred, the District office has now been moved to Firehouse 51. Previously, it was Firehouse 82 before it closed, causing Firehouse 90 taking its place. However, that firehouse ended up being closed as well. However, Kylie noticed Firehouse 51 was now in the new center of the district map. With this new discovery, she researches the department regulations and guidelines and finds out that the district office has to be the centermost firehouse in the district, in order for the District Chief to get around to each firehouse efficiently. She concludes that geographically, Firehouse 51 is the centermost firehouse in the district. Boden happily returns to Firehouse 51 by the end of the episode.

Season 11[]

Relationships[]

Romantic[]

He mentions he was married twice before Donna. One of his ex-wives is named Shonda, with whom he had a stepson, James, who appeared in season 1 and later in season 5 who he doesn't see much. Shaunda owns a pancake and waffle restaurant on the south side of Chicago that Wallace and his crew often visit.

Donna Robbins[]

In season 2, while intervening on a fire in a building he met one of the residents, Donna Robbins, an elementary school teacher. Being attracted to each other, they started dating until Boden broke off, being afraid of screwing up the relationship like he always does. After a while, he met Donna again and learned that she's pregnant with his child. Soon after, he proposed to Donna, arguing that it would be better for the child since he would be able to support them financially. She turned him down, not convinced by his non-romantic point of view. Confused, Boden goes to Mills for some explanation. He understood that he didn't speak about his feelings clearly. Deciding to redeem himself and, in full uniform, he proposed to Donna (at her job) again, successfully this time. He married her soon after, the same day as her parents years ago. Herrmann was his best man and organized the wedding ceremony in front of firehouse 51 with Mills as clergyman. Donna is having some difficulties with her pregnancy, having a risk of fatal blood loss. At first, she refused to know the baby's gender unlike Boden who'd have liked to know. She revealed to him later that they are expecting a boy. Donna later gave birth to a boy named Terrance Boden.

Ingrid Mills[]

He had an affair with Ingrid Mills, Peter Mills' mother, when she and her husband were separated. As soon as he realized they had still feelings for each other, he stepped back. Mills was very upset when he learned about the affair and remained angry at Boden for a long time.

Friends[]

Benny Severide[]

He and Benny were good friends but they reached a conflict, due to their opposite views on the heroic death of Henry Mills. Benny Severide argued that Mills' death was due to his attempt to impress Boden who was having an affair with his wife.

However, Benny still cared for Boden and they were able to reconcile. When Benny died, Boden paid respects at his funeral. So even with their conflict Boden still paid respects.

Family[]

Wallace Boden, Sr.[]

Boden's father.

Boden was named after his father and they appear to have a good relationship, despite not always seeing eye to eye.

When his father died, Boden was very upset but took comfort that he died happy.

Terrance Boden[]

Boden's son.

When he learned he was going to be a father, Boden was shocked but immediately wanted to be apart of the child's life. He married Donna so that their child would have a family.

After Terrance was born, Boden lovingly held him. And subsequent seasons he is showing holding Terrence lovingly spending as much time as he can with his son.

Jimmy[]

Jimmy is Boden's former stepson from his previous marriage to Shaunda.

Boden raised him from when he was three and never addressed him as stepson, while seeing him as his own son. Even after the divorce from Shaunda and fathering his own child, he continues to love James who in turn sees him as his father figure.

In Season 5, Wallace tries reaching out to James by calling and soon texts. James later surprise visits Wallace at his home, by sitting in a car all day. He later expresses interest in moving in with Donna, Wallace, and Terrence. Wallace tries to figure out why and learns that someone hit his son so he went to beat up James' mother's boyfriend at his work place. It results in him being suspended for a shift. At the end, Wallace is sad when James decides to leave but respects his decision to look out for his mother. (Lift Each Other)

Abilities[]

  • Skilled Fighter: As a former Navy SEAL, Boden is a skilled fighter. He maintains his skills through boxing and other training. He was able to easily take down Ernie’s uncle single-handedly. He even managed to put a beatdown on Shonda's ex-boyfriend, Todd, after learning of the abuse he was giving James.

Memorable Quotes[]

  • "Leaders lead from the front."
  • (About Jimmy) ”I raised him from the time he was three. Never use the word “stepson” not once.
  • (To Mills): "A crow wanted to be a peacock. So he put on colored feathers, went over to the peacock yard. But the peacocks, they plucked them all away. So the crow, he tried to get back with the crows. They wanted nothing to do with him."
  • (To McLeod and other department officials): "There isn't a single man I've served with who hasn't been brought to his knees by what he's seen on the job."
  • “I’d rather die standing than live on my knees.” Season 4, Episode 6
  • (Often to the members of Firehouse 51)): “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”
  • (To Anderson in Trading in Scuttlebutt): "How are you going to like it when I describe in detail, and on record, how firefighters nearly died...due to your negligence?"

Notes and Trivia[]

  • Former Navy SEAL - "SEAL Trident" appears on his wall in a few episodes.
  • He appeared in the firefighter calendar as "September 1990".
  • He went to New York the day after 9/11 to help.
  • As a child, his father often made him go to concerts to see a blues singer.
  • It is unknown if his second ex-wife will appear.
  • He, Herrmann and Mouch are the three veterans at Firehouse 51.
  • He likes oxtail.
  • Despite his promotion to Deputy District Chief, Biden continues to drive himself in the Deputy District Chief 2-2-6 car, which would be against CFD protocol in real life.

Gallery[]

"The Badass Bosses of Chicago" feature

Appearances[]

Season 1
Pilot Mon Amour Professional Courtesy One Minute Hanging On
Rear View Mirror Two Families Leaving the Station It Ain't Easy Merry Christmas, Etc.
God Has Spoken Under the Knife Warm and Dead A Little Taste Nazdarovya!
Viral Better to Lie Fireworks A Coffin That Small Ambition
Retaliation Hit Leaders Lead Let Her Go A Hell of a Ride
Season 2
A Problem House Prove It Defcon 1 A Nuisance Call A Power Move
Joyriding No Regrets Rhymes with Shout You Will Hurt Him Not Like This
Shoved In My Face Out With a Bang Tonight’s the Night Virgin Skin Keep Your Mouth Shut
A Rocket Blasting Off When Things Got Rough Until Your Feet Leave the Ground A Heavy Weight A Dark Day
One More Shot Real Never Waits
Season 3
Always Wow Me Just Drive the Truck Apologies Are Dangerous The Nuclear Option
Madmen and Fools Nobody Touches Anything Chopper Arrest in Transit Santa Bites
Let Him Die Ambush Predator Three Bells Call It Paradise Headlong Toward Disaster
Red Rag the Bull Forgive You Anything Forgiving, Relentless, Unconditional I Am the Apocalypse You Know Where to Find Me
We Called Her Jellybean Category 5 Spartacus
Season 4
Let It Burn A Taste of Panama City I Walk Away Your Day Is Coming Regarding This Wedding
2112 Sharp Elbows When Tortoises Fly Short and Fat The Beating Heart
The Path of Destruction Not Everyone Makes It The Sky is Falling All Hard Parts Bad for the Soul
Two T's What Happened to Courtney? On the Warpath I Will Be Walking The Last One for Mom
Kind of a Crazy Idea Where the Collapse Started Superhero
Season 5
The Hose or the Animal A Real Wake-Up Call Scorched Earth Nobody Else Is Dying Today I Held Her Hand
That Day Lift Each Other One Hundred Some Make It, Some Don’t The People We Meet
Who Lives and Who Dies An Agent of the Machine Trading in Scuttlebutt Purgatory Deathtrap
Telling Her Goodbye Babies and Fools Take a Knee Carry Their Legacy Carry Me
Sixty Days My Miracle
Season 6
It Wasn't Enough Ignite on Contact An Even Bigger Surprise A Breaking Point Devil's Bargain
Down Is Better A Man's Legacy The Whole Point of Being Roommates Foul is Fair Slamigan
Law of the Jungle The F Is For Hiding Not Seeking Looking for a Lifeline The Chance to Forgive
The One That Matters Most Put White on Me When They See Us Coming Where I Want to Be The Strongest Among Us
The Unrivaled Standard One for the Ages The Grand Gesture
Season 7
A Closer Eye Going to War Thirty Percent Sleight of Hand This Isn't Charity A Volatile Mixture
All the Proof What Will Define You The Solution to Everything Always a Catch Inside These Walls
You Choose Make This Right The Plunge It Wasn't About Hockey What I Saw
Fault in Him Move a Wall No Such Thing as Bad Luck Until the Weather Breaks Try Like Hell
The White Whale I'm Not Leaving You
Season 8
Sacred Ground A Real Shot in the Arm Badlands Infection, Part I Buckle Up
What Went Wrong Welcome to Crazytown Seeing Is Believing Best Friend Magic Hold Our Ground
Where We End Up Then Nick Porter Happened A Chicago Welcome Shut It Down Off the Grid
The Tendency of a Drowning Victim Protect a Child I'll Cover You Light Things Up 51's Original Bell
Season 9
Rattle Second City That Kind Of Heat Smash Therapy Funny What Things Remind Us My Lucky Day
Blow This Up Somehow Dead of Winter Escape Route Double Red One Crazy Shift
A Couple Hundred Degrees Natural Born Firefighter Don't Hang Up What Comes Next A White-Knuckle Panic
No Survivors
Season 10
Mayday Head Count Counting Your Breaths The Right Thing Two Hundred
Dead Zone Whom Shall I Fear? What Happened at Whiskey Point? Winterfest Back with a Bang
Fog of War Show of Force Fire Cop An Officer With Grit The Missing Piece
Hot and Fast Keep You Safe What's Inside You Finish What You Started Halfway to the Moon
Last Chance The Magnificent City of Chicago
Season 11
Hold On Tight Every Scar Tells a Story Completely Shattered The Center of the Universe Haunted House
All-Out Mystery Angry Is Easier A Beautiful Life Nemesis Something for the Pain
A Guy I Used to Know How Does It End? The Man of the Moment Run Like Hell Damage Control
Acting Up The First Symptom Danger Is All Around Take a Shot at the King Never, Ever Make a Mistake
Change of Plans Red Waterfall

Crossover Appearances[]

Chicago Med[]

Chicago PD[]

Chicago Justice[]

References[]

  1. 20 years prior to Pilot, he was a Captain at Firehouse 22
  2. https://chicagofire.fandom.com/wiki/DDC_2-2-6
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