Chicago Fire Season 12 is still an unspecified amount of time away, but there are far too many open questions about the flagship One Chicago series not to start cooking up some Chicago Fire Season 12 theories. Of all the shows in NBC’s hit Dick Wolf franchise, Fire ended last season with the most unfinished business, including yet another unanswered question about the life or death of one of Firehouse 51’s main characters.
But it’s that propensity for drama that makes it harder to come up with predictions or spoilers for the upcoming season. The series likes to regularly mix things up just to keep fans on their toes, and with series co-creator Derek Haas having officially left the program and turned the reins over to co-showrunner Andrea Newman, it truly is a whole new ballgame for viewers.
Here are our Chicago Fire Season 12 theories about how all of the cliffhangers will resolve – and what to expect once they do.
1. Taylor Kinney will return — but not in every episode
Taylor Kinney as Severide in Chicago Fire
The biggest plot twist in Season 11 happened off-screen when Taylor Kinney took a leave of absence. While no Chicago Fire Season 12 spoilers about Kinney’s future have been leaked, the actor’s personal issues kept him away from the series for the remainder of the season, so they were clearly serious. There is no Chicago Fire without Severide, but fans also want the best for Kinney, too.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see a compromise: Kinney comes back for the new season premiere so fans get their Severide fix and Stellaride stays intact but works out a more flexible schedule so he can continue to focus on his off-screen situation. While it will be jarring to see less of Severide, his work as an arson investigator has already provided multiple reasons for him not to be at the firehouse, and having the character part-time is much better than fans enduring a second off-screen breakup in two seasons, especially since Stella and Severide just tied the knot a season ago.
2. Brett will accept Casey’s marriage proposal
Kara Killmer and Jesse Spencer, Chicago Fire
Speaking of absent friends, Chicago Fire viewers still aren’t over the departure of Jesse Spencer—to the point where his character Matthew Casey’s return at the end of Season 11 sparked hopes that Spencer had changed his mind and was returning to the NBC series. That’s not the case, but the actor has spoken openly about being willing to reprise his role when the storyline is right. And it would be a huge letdown for the writers to re-stoke the flames of the Brettsey ship with Casey’s proposal, then put them back out an episode later. Having Brett say yes is finally a win for her after two failed engagements and thanks to Spencer’s continued interest, a storyline that isn’t as difficult to write as it seems. Most importantly, it’s a positive romantic development for viewers after Stellaride’s rocky Season 11 and the wringer the series put poor Cindy Herrmann through.
3. Mouch won’t die, but he will make a big change
Mouch, Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire has threatened Mouch’s future numerous times now. His flatlining in the Season 11 finale “Red Waterfall” wasn’t even the first time the show made viewers think he was dead; he also suffered a heart attack in the Season 5 finale, “My Miracle.” It’s hard to think of the series without fan-favorite Christian Stolte, who provides a major portion of the necessary comic relief (and is one-half of One Chicago’s only crossover relationship, thanks to Mouch’s marriage to Chicago P.D.’s Trudy Platt).
But there are only so many times the writers can reference Mouch’s health before they have to follow through. One of our Chicago Fire Season 12 theories is that if the CFD doesn’t seriously scrutinize Mouch’s fitness, he’ll think hard about his future and find a different role at Firehouse 51 — maybe mentoring young firefighters the way he did with Darren Ritter, or perhaps a part-time job that would still allow for Mouch to be seen regularly. Plus, this would allow for some much-missed Mouch and Trudy scenes when Mouch wants to work more and Trudy sternly reminds him that he’s supposed to be taking it easy.
4. Blake Gallo and Violet Mikami will get back together
Violet Mikami and Blake Gallo, Chicago Fire
Ever since Violet Mikami joined Firehouse 51, Chicago Fire has teased the possibility of her reuniting with her ex-boyfriend Blake Gallo. It’s simply gotten pushed off thanks to the introduction (and quick departure) of Gianna Mackey, and Violet’s heartbreaking romance with the late Evan Hawkins. But there’s no one else in the picture anymore. The story arc of Violet mourning Hawkins’ death came and went, and the two characters were repeatedly shown how much they care for eac
h other even when they’ve just been friends.
The most fun of the Chicago Fire Season 12 theories is that Gallo and Violet will hook up again—but their relationship still won’t be perfect, and their bickering will cause headaches for Ritter, who’ll be caught in the middle. That setup will lend itself to some entertaining comedic scenes throughout the season, making up for the tremendous angst Violet suffered in Season 11.
5. Kylie Estevez will have a Blake Gallo moment
Katelynn Shennett, Chicago Fire
One of Chicago Fire’s ongoing subplots was Kylie Estevez officially working toward becoming a firefighter, which was resolved in Season 11 when she was called to the Academy. After all that setup, Season 12 has to show the audience how Kylie does in her new career, beyond the training part. Fans will want to see her in action. There happens to be a little trend when it comes to introducing new firefighters in the series. Their inexperience shows, but so does their enthusiasm. When Blake Gallo made his first appearance, he stunned the Firehouse 51 team with his bravery. Kylie won’t have as big a debut moment as the daredevil Gallo, but she’ll similarly do something that takes the team by surprise and reminds fans why they spent last season cheering her on.
