It seems as though there will only be room for either Herrmann or Pascal at Firehouse 51 after the Chicago Fire season 13 finale. At the end of season 12, Boden expressed his desire to have Herrmann be his replacement. However, when season 13 premiered, Dermot Mulroney’s Pascal was hired as Firehouse 51’s chief, while Herrmann was still a lieutenant. As the episodes continued, the original Chicago Fire character passed the captain’s exam and is set to take the chief’s test during the finale. If he passes, the fire station will face a predicament concerning who will be their chief.

Ahead of the Chicago Fire season 13 finale, ScreenRant‘s Rachel Foertsch spoke with showrunner Andrea Newman about what’s to come in the last episode. One of the biggest question marks surrounding the finale pertains to Herrmann’s future at Firehouse 51. So, Newman addressed how the chief conflict will play out at the end of season 13. Check out the Chicago Fire showrunner’s quote below:

ScreenRant: If Herrmann passes the chief’s test, that poses an interesting problem. Is there only room for either him or Pascal at Firehouse 51?

Andrea Newman: Yeah, that’s been the dilemma from the beginning. Somebody is going to have to go, and that’s the mystery that must be solved. From the beginning of this season, the pressure has been on Herrmann because Boden handed him the crown at the end of last season and said, “You’re the next leader here. You just have to take these tests to get there.” Everybody’s been pushing for it, and Mouch needs it to happen for him to get where he wants. And Pascal comes in and he’s testing him and is pushing Herrmann all the time. And the one person who hasn’t stopped and said, “Should I be doing this?” is Herrmann. So that’s really where we’re at heading into the finale, is him not knowing what to do and wanting to support his best friend. And at the same time, they’ve come to be a family with Pascal as well. It’s not so easy to just say, “Oh yeah. We’ll kick that guy to the curb.” Pascal’s got his problems going on, but Herrmann does too.

What Andrea Newman’s Tease Means For Herrmann & Pascal In The Chicago Fire Season 13 Finale

Either Herrmann Or Pascal Will Come Out On Top

The Chicago Fire season 13 characters will face a familiar problem during the finale — who will be their chief going forward? Of course, they will also be dealing with other issues, like Pascal’s attempted murder charge and what Stella decides to do regarding Natalie’s complex living situation. However, Herrmann taking the chief’s exam will also loom large throughout the episode, as Newman teased.

Herrmann has been around since the show’s beginning. So, it would make sense if most of the characters would want him to take over as Firehouse 51’s chief. But that doesn’t mean they don’t care about Pascal. Severide, Novak, and co. have grown to love Pascal and accept him as one of their own since his introduction during the season 13 premiere. Whatever choice is made, there is sure to be conflict, heartbreak, and consequences.

Our Take On Herrmann & Pascal’s Futures In Chicago Fire

Will Herrmann Or Pascal Leave Chicago Fire?

Chicago Fire‘s Firehouse 51 cannot have two chiefs, meaning if Herrmann passes his exam and Pascal stays, Herrmann must transfer to another station. If Herrmann passes and Pascal leaves, Herrmann can finally take over as Firehouse 51’s chief. Or, there is a third option. Herrmann (who, as Newman said, has felt enormous pressure to take all the steps to become a chief throughout season 13) might decide not to take the test.

Even though Herrmann becoming the chief would be an exciting development in his character arc, it would make sense for him to decide not to. That way, both Herrmann and Pascal could theoretically stay. The issue is that this would in turn affect Mouch’s future at Firehouse 51. Ultimately, only time will tell what will happen to Herrmann and Pascal in the season 13 finale. Given how Pascal’s Chicago Fire story is going, though, he might not want to stick around in Chicago for very long, opening the door for Herrmann to become the chief.