Chicago Fire fans were left unimpressed following Wednesday night’s episode, which revealed a shocking update on Taylor Kinney’s character, Lieutenant Kelly Severide.
The actor is currently taking a leave of absence from the show, with his character having left Firehouse 51 for a prestigious OFI training camp in Alabama in episode 15.
However, in the latest instalment, which is the penultimate episode of season 11, it emerged that Severide was no longer in Alabama and had agreed to help investigate a big arson case after impressing the instructors on his course.
Severide’s decision to leave Alabama was discovered by Joe Cruz, who was informed by one of the academy’s leaders. When he asked Severide’s wife, Stella Kidd [Miranda Rae Mayo], why no one had told him, it quickly became apparent that Stella had no idea of her husband’s movements.
Taking to Twitter, fans complained about the storyline. One person wrote: “Severide not telling Stella about his extension is NOT like him at all. How do the writers not even know their own characters!?” while another added: “I can’t do this no more it’s not funny where is Severide and why did he not tell his wife????”
Is Taylor Kinney returning to Chicago Fire?
NBC recently announced that Taylor will not return for the season 11 finale. While we know that the show will be back for a 12th series, the 41-year-old’s role in the drama has yet to be addressed.
We do know, however, that the main cast will appear in fewer episodes than usual due to budget cuts. Deadline reported that the franchise’s producers, Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment, had reached an agreement with NBC on budgets that will keep the shows on air for another season.
Miranda Rae Mayo plays Stella Kidd in the drama
While Taylor hasn’t been seen on screen recently, he has been pictured out and about with his girlfriend Ashley Cruger. The couple were spotted at the 2023 MotoGP VIP Experience & Charity Giving event in April, which was Taylor’s first red carpet appearance since leaving Chicago Fire.
The Chicago Fire season 11 finale airs on Wednesday 24 May. The synopsis for the episode, which is titled ‘Red Waterfall’, reads: “Brett waits for life-changing news; Herrmann encounters a psychic with a grave warning on a call; Kidd finds a new lead on the Homeland Security case.”
Fans can also expect to see the return of Captain Matt Casey actor Jesse Spencer, who will make a special guest appearance in the finale.
The Australian actor, who played Matt Casey for ten seasons, made a comeback earlier in the season. Speaking about whether he would return to the show, he told TV Line: “I never say never. When I left the show, I talked to [co-showrunner] Derek [Haas] and everybody and said, ‘Listen, if it makes sense to bring me in for a storyline that you think would be appropriate for Casey to come in for, I’m happy to pop in for an episode’.
