Severide is in hot water on Chicago Fire, so Stella did some snooping on their new boss.
Firehouse 51’s interim Battalion Chief Andre Hopkins (Rob Morgan) has a bone to pick with Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) on Chicago Fire, and it’s a tension that’s arrived under a cloud of mystery.
Decades ago, Severide’s late father, Benny, suspended Hopkins for unknown reasons. Ever since, Hopkins has worked his way back up the CFD ladder. Hopkins is a stickler for the rules, chastising Severide and Firehouse 51 for twisting protocol and blurring the bureaucratic lines whenever possible, an echo of Benny’s behavior.
Hopkins’ militant approach to command, added to his multi-decade grudge against Benny, has led to a flurry of hurdles for Severide to navigate, and it all came to a head after Hopkins caught wind of Severide’s history of assisting the Office of Fire Investigation on arson investigations. Knowing Severide never sought approval from headquarters, Hopkins filed for an internal review against Severide for “Dereliction of Duty.”
Severide returned from Captain’s training eager for a promotion, only to learn he was under investigation. But Severide isn’t going down without a fight.
Stella Kidd is fighting fire with fire against Chief Hopkins
Severide wasted no time updating his wife, Lt. Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), on the madness unfurling with Hopkins, who maintained Severide should have gotten authorization from HQ before ever double-dipping with OFI. Stella was floored, but instead of sitting around waiting for a verdict, she decided to do some digging of her own, reaching out to HQ to request top-level files.
While Stella was off on a call, 51’s new assistant Lucy (Jeanine Mason), picked up a call from HQ related to Stella’s inquiry. Stella’s rank didn’t provide access to those files, but with Chief Hopkin’s approval, she could get her hands on them. Lucy felt bad about Severide’s situation, and with her hands on everything that landed on Hopkins’ desk, she was in a unique position to help.
Later that night, Stella headed home from Firehouse 51 and discovered an envelope leaning against her apartment door. After opening it, she was surprised to discover it was the files she’d requested: the original complaint Benny Severide filed against Hopkins. What was Hopkins’ misdemeanor, fans may wonder? “Conduct Unbecoming,” an offense that leaves viewers plenty to chew on.
Chicago Fire Season 14
One Chicago Wednesdays are here!
Fresh off an extended fall hiatus, new Chicago Fire episodes begin airing January 7, 2026 every Wednesday at 9/8c. New episodes are available to stream on Peacock Thursdays at 6 a.m. ET.
Keep up with your favorite firefighters and paramedics Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney), Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg), Joe Cruz (Joe Miñoso), Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte), Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith), Lyla “Lizzie” Novak (Jocelyn Hudon), and Sal Vasquez (Brandon Larracuente) as they navigate the highs and lows of Firehouse 51.
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What does a “Conduct Unbecoming” charge mean?
The official Chicago Fire Department Standards of Conduct cite several rules regarding firefighters’ standards of professionalism, including guidelines on obedience to all laws and orders, prohibition of discrimination and harassment, and a standard for honorable behavior on and off duty.
There are many guidelines and addendums, but those who’ve been following along with Hopkins’ multi-decade grudge against his former superior office may find this section interesting: “Obedience to the orders of a superior in rank must be faithfully observed and any member offending in this regard will be held strictly accountable where the superior officer had the right to give the order, unless the same has been countermanded by the Chief or his or her assistant.”
The true reason behind Hopkins and Benny Severide’s beef has yet to be revealed, but we’ve gathered that Hopkins and Benny didn’t get along during Hopkins’ tenure under him. Chihards can’t wait to unearth the mystery once and for all.