Sumith Prasad
Taylor Kinney’s Lieutenant Kelly Severide is one of the most loved characters in NBC’s action series ‘Chicago Fire.’ After Matthew Casey departs from Firehouse 51, which paves the way for Jesse Spencer’s exit from the series, Severide becomes the “main man” at the fire station and Kinney starts to headline the series. Thus, it isn’t a surprise that the viewers are startled to know about the actor’s departure from the series. The fifteenth episode of the eleventh season of the show explains the absence of Kinney’s Severide. If you are eager to know more about the same and the prospects of Kinney’s return to the show, you are at the right place! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Plot Twist: Severide’s Mysterious Text Message
On January 20, 2023, NBC confirmed that Taylor Kinney is taking a leave of absence from ‘Chicago Fire’ to deal with a personal matter. To justify the actor’s unforeseen departure, the writers of the show had to come up with a plot point to explain Severide’s absence in Firehouse 51. The fourteenth episode of the eleventh season ends with Severide showing a message to his wife Stella Kidd, who gets startled seeing the same. In the fifteenth episode of the season, it is revealed that Severide has left Chicago to attend “the best arson investigation training program in the world.”
Due to Severide’s absence, OFI boss Van Meter meets Chief Wallace Boden and explains that the training program is too good for Severide to skip the same. As someone who witnessed Severide’s efficiency in fire-related crimes, Van Meter wants the firefighter to polish his investigative skills to make sure that the former is an unparalleled asset to the CFD. Although Boden doesn’t want one of his best men away from Firehouse 51 for a long while, he accepts the predicament since a well-trained Severide adds value to his fire station when he returns. Stella, however, gets forced to adjust to their long-distance relationship until his return.
Since Stella, Boden, and the rest of the members of Firehouse 51 are expecting Severide’s return, the viewers must be wondering whether Kinney will return to the action drama. Well, here’s what we can share about the same.
Anticipated Comeback: Kinney’s Return to the Series
Taylor Kinney is expected to return to ‘Chicago Fire.’ The actor hasn’t departed from the series permanently since he had only taken a leave of absence from the action drama, which indicates that Kinney’s return has always been a part of the plans. However, neither NBC nor Kinney has announced when the actor will return to the show. The current season is expected to air 5-9 episodes more and only time may tell whether we will see the actor in the eleventh round. If Kinney manages to resolve his personal concerns soon, we can expect him to feature at least in the eleventh-season finale.
The fans can’t be blamed for worrying whether they will never get to see Kinney’s Severide again in ‘Chicago Fire,’ especially since the twelfth season of the show isn’t greenlit by NBC yet. However, considering the performance of the show on the network, the fate of the series may not be a concern. Susan Rovner, the chairman of entertainment content at NBCUniversal TV and streaming, revealed in a February 2023 interview that “good news will come soon” concerning Dick Wolf’s six NBC shows, which include ‘Chicago Fire’ as well. If the show gets renewed for another season, it is highly unlikely that it will be without Kinney.
Integrating Severide back into the narrative of the series will be an easy task for the writers of the series since he can walk into Firehouse 51 after completing the arson investigation training program. Therefore, we can be hopeful that Kinney will return to the series sooner than later.
Read More: Why Did Leslie Shay Leave Chicago Fire? Where is Lauren German Now?
