Chicago Fire: Is Herrmann a perpetual troublemaker?
Let’s face it, when Chicago Fire season 10 mentioned that a character “breaks protocol” in this episode, it was no surprise that the character was Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg).
In “Head Count,” Herrmann made a desperate decision to ask Ambulance 61 to re-route to an accident scene after he discovered a dying boy inside a wrecked car. The problem was what he didn’t do; he’d already called for an ambulance, and forgot to tell dispatch not to send them once 61 was on the way. This earned him the ire of the new chief paramedic (that guy’s going to be fun to deal with all season), and Herrmann took a write-up to protect Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) for getting in trouble.
Relatively speaking, this is minor compared to the numerous risky decisions members of Firehouse 51 have had to make over the last nine years. So that made this plot feel a little weird, that an accidental omission during the course of saving a child’s life would be treated so severely. But what Herrmann did, and how he stood by it, was another example of how he’s always stirring things up at the firehouse. It also displayed how the firehouse is better for it.
In contrast to Chicago Med, Herrmann serves a different function on Chicago Fire. He’s the itinerant veteran who pushes everyone else to do better, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not. He’s not being reckless with lives or trying to get ahead himself. It was a shock enough to him when he finally made Lieutenant. He’s never quit fighting, no matter how jaded he gets or how long he’s been on the job, and that’s what makes him so great to watch. David Eigenberg has always been spot-on perfect in the role, adding that extra spark of impudence to Chicago Fire, and the show wouldn’t be the same without him.
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