Tears were shed in tonight’s Season 12 finale of NBC’s Chicago Fire as actor Eamonn Walker

makes his final appearance as Wallace Boden in a series regular capacity. Just get this out of the

way, the tears were for many happy reasons and some sad because of course, change

is difficult. But, there’s no other way to celebrate Boden than by honoring the character and his achievements which have earned him legions of fans both on and off screen. Producer Dick Wolf sent Deadline an exclusive statement about Walker’s change in status, below. “Eamonn was the first actor cast on Chicago Fire, and we knew once he said yes, that we were off and running. His character Chief Wallace Boden was the undisputed leader of Firehouse 51 and, off-screen, Eamonn has filled the same role with our ensemble cast,” Wolf shared. This episode will surely stand out as a favorite to many for various reasons.

For me, I love that all involved made “Never Say Goodbye” a celebration rather than a tragedy. As with all jobs, people sometimes get new ones, they get a promotion or they seek out other opportunities. And our beloved Boden won’t be far away at all. Now, let’s break down the episode “Never Say Goodbye.” While Boden was unsure at various points whether or not he should run for Deputy Commissioner, the answer would reveal itself just when he needed it the most. The team heads out to a structural collapse where they find six construction workers hanging on for dear life from a detached tower.

Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) help multiple men to safety, leaving only 3 including Berkson, the group’s foreman, who tells Kidd to assist his crew first. Boden volunteers to focus on Berkson, but due to strong winds, the foreman is pushed away from safety before falling into a not fully inflated airbag and partially hitting the pavement. While Boden visits Berkson in the ICU where he’s unconscious and fighting for his life, the former realizes Berkson’s bravery has inspired him and pushed him to reexamine what makes a leader. Later, he tells his team his plans to officially run for Deputy Commissioner.

While this new era with Herrmann at the helm is something to look forward to, I hope he doesn’t get too buttoned up to play pranks on and with Mouch (Christian Stolte). The future is also looking promising for Mouch, who revealed tonight his plans to take the lieutenant’s test. I swear, this episode felt like a high school graduation of sorts where everyone is leveling up and moving forward. They’ve all grown so much across the seasons. Boden’s story amps up as the final moments of the episode grow closer. He’s summoned to Headquarters, where he finds a salty-looking Chief Robinson (Laura Allen) none too pleased.

Talk about the day improving by the minute! In a conference room, he is met by DC Gloria Hill (J. Nicole Brooks) who reveals a visit from Kidd has inspired her to return to Chicago. She then congratulates him on becoming the CFD’s new DC. Everyone is happy about his latest success but will also miss having him steer the ship. Elsewhere, Severide has a pretty big chat with his bride, he thinks it’s time to expand the family with a little Stellaride baby of their own. Kidd is unsure but she didn’t exactly say no either.

And the surprises for Severide didn’t end there. Mysterious newbie Damon (Michael Bradway) catches up with Severide, the man he’s been idolizing since he joined the team. Following Novak’s (Jocelyn Hudon) insistence that Damon be honest with 51 or he’ll never make it, he reveals to Severide that his father’s name was Benny Severide. Not the new baby Severide was wishing for but hey, now he has a new brother. Below is my e-mail Q&A with showrunner Andrea Newman which gives further insight into the episode and what the future holds as the series pushes forward into a new era. I had not seen the finale when I sent questions, so don’t be upset with me for not asking about the Severides.