Steve’s development sees him facing a variety of adversities that beat him up, but end up building his strength. One of his defining traits is that of becoming a parental figure for the kids, particularly Gaten Matarazzo’s Dustin. But this wasn’t the first time Keery got to go full-on dad mode. A long time ago, before Stranger Things, the actor began fleshing out his paternal chops in Chicago Fire in his guest role as Emett. And while he did so in only a couple of episodes, Emmett became the blueprint for Steve – and the former indirectly became a pivotal character for the show.
Joe Keery’s Role As Emmett Paved the Way for His Dad Mode in ‘Stranger Things’
It’s practically a Hollywood rite of passage to have a small role in procedurals like Law & Order or CSI. Keery’s turn to fulfill this tradition was in one of the early seasons of the long-running Chicago Fire. During Season 3, Emmett pops up to rock Mouch’s (Christian Stolte) life, claiming he might be his son. This move is just a tactic, for Emmett’s half-sister Lizzie (Corinne Anderson) is, in fact, Mouch’s daughter. But, since Mouch’s initial reaction is that of avoidance, he fails Emmett’s test – with the latter deeming him unfit of meeting Lizzie.
Joe Keery’s Emmett Is Pivotal for Mouch’s Evolution in ‘Chicago Fire’
While Keery portrayed Emmett in only two episodes of Chicago Fire, there’s a thread that can be followed of the ramifications of his actions. Mouch eventually comes around and proves he’s worthy of meeting Lizzie. Upon meeting Emmett again, he asks for a second chance, and gets Lizzie’s contact. Whereas their father-daughter relationship was developed mostly off-screen, it was a stepping stone for Mouch’s evolution as a main character of the franchise. Also, honoring the interconnectedness of the One Chicago universe, Lizzie shows up briefly as a nurse in Season 4 of Chicago Med as well.
