Firehouse 51 is going to hit some rough patches before season 12 ends.

Chicago Fire has really kept fans guessing in season 12. We’ve been guessing about which characters will stick around and which will leave, guessing about who will die in the line of duty, and guessing whether or not Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) will leave Firehouse 51 to pursue a career as an arson investigator.

There has been lots of unpredictability this season, and part of the reason is that there are characters on the fringe of the show who are trying to break 51 up. They were introduced early on in season 12, then seemingly disappeared. The plot for the upcoming episode “Under Pressure,” however, confirms that they are back to wreak havoc on our favorite firefighters.

Chief Robinson will return for Chicago Fire 1212

CHICAGO FIRE — “All the Dark” Episode 12008 — Pictured: (l-r) Laura Allen as Chief Robinson, Eamonn Walker as Chief Wallace Boden — (Photo by: Adrian S Burrows Sr/NBC) /

The characters in question are Jared Lennox (Wesam Keesh) and Chief Robinson (Laura Allen). The former was supposed to be the paramedic who filled in for Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer), but it was clear from the jump that he was there to antagonize Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) and jeopardize her position as PIC.

Lennox was fired from 51 after failing to adhere to protocol (a fitting ending since he tried to get Violet on the same count), but he was merely a pawn for the show’s primary antagonist: Robinson. The chief wants to climb up the ladder of power in the city, and sees Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) and his firehouse as a threat.

Chief Boden is still on a leave of absence

CHICAGO FIRE — “A White Knuckle Panic” Episode 915 — Pictured: Eamonn Walker as Wallace Boden — (Photo by: Adrian S. Burrows Sr./NBC) /

Boden was able to put a stop to Robinson’s foul play, at least for a little bit. Unfortunately, Boden is on a leave of absence, which means Chief Robinson will have an opening to exploit and effectively cause issues for 51. The synopsis for “Under Pressure,” obtained via Spoiler TV, suggests this will be the case:

“”Severide and Violet risk clashing with Paramedic Chief Robinson after Lennox makes a dangerous decision on a call. Capp and Tony attempt to break a world record. Cruz and Chloe’s marriage problems come to a head.””

We have’t really gotten a chance to see Robinson interact with Severide and Kidd, so it’ll be interesting to see how the couple fares against her in Boden’s absence. Hopefully there isn’t too much collateral damage.