Well, now we’re nervous: Carver’s homecoming on Chicago Fire will come with an unexpected twist.
The firefighter checked into rehab for alcohol addiction in the Feb. 26 episode after a relapse and has been absent ever since. In the meantime, Violet spilled all her complicated feelings in a letter to her sorta ex, but ultimately chose not send it so Carver could focus on his recovery. And who needs snail mail when you can talk in person: Violet recently learned that Carver will be returning next shift.
“Carver will be back in the next few episodes,” showrunner Andrea Newman tells TVLine, “but he’s coming back with a surprise.”
Uh oh, has the firefighter moved on and found love with someone new? (Please don’t let it be another toxic Tori!) Does he have an announcement to make about his future at 51? Or did he simply adopt a dog? (Hey, he was really good with that doggo from the rescue call!)
It’s been a difficult season for Carver, who came back from visiting family in Texas with a former girlfriend. The rekindled romance with bad-influence Tori led to lots of wild nights and mistakes on the job, which got him a reprimand from his lieutenant, Kidd. Tori, eventually, left the Windy City, but Carver’s struggles were far from over: He later found himself at an AA meeting.
Meanwhile, Violet has started dating lawyer Flynn, but might there still be hope for her and Carver? Jake Lockett, who plays the firefighter, told TVLine last November that he believes Carver is still in love with Violet.
“I think it’d be hard not to be after how their relationship went last season,” Lockett said. “I think it’d be hard to walk away from that and, in a couple months, just completely be over something like that. That’s something that, in my opinion, would take a little time.”
