Chicago Fire Season 12’s Latest Actor Exit Wastes Its Chance To Have A Better Casey And Severide Replacement

One Chicago is used to changing cast, but Chicago Fire season 12 losing its latest character strips it the chance to replace Severide and Casey.

Chicago Fire season 12’s latest departure robs the show of the opportunity to introduce a better replacement for Kelly Severide and Matt Casey. While the One Chicago inaugural show is technically an ensemble, Taylor Kinney and Jesse Spencer were its original leading actors, with their characters’ respective stories getting the most interest throughout the show’s more than a decade stint on the air. That being said, the show is now entering a new era, and that comes with changes. Chicago Fire season 12 has finished Casey’s overall arc, while Severide is plagued with rumors about him soon leaving Firehouse 51.
Change is constant in One Chicago. Like so many ensemble shows, rotating cast members have been the norm, and it is done both intentionally and unintentionally. As disappointing as it is to see some people leave, it is integral in keeping its narrative fresh and interesting throughout its run. Still, losing the dynamic between Severide and Casey marks the end of an era for the show. For a while, it seemed like there was a plan to replace that missing storytelling element, but Rome Flynn’s exit as Derrick Gibson in Chicago Fire season 12 jeopardizes that.

Gibson And Carver Were Chicago Fire’s Best Serveride And Casey Replacement

Severide And Casey Had Been The Faces Of Chicago Fire.

Granted that Severide remains a member of Firehouse 51, losing Casey means he no longer has his best friend around. Aside from their respective love lives, their friendship was one of the primary dynamics in the first 10 seasons of Chicago Fire, with the pair often spending time together talking about life in and out of work during lull moments on the job. Flynn’s arrival and the subsequent set-up of Gibson and Carver’s friendship made them the perfect Casey and Severide replacement. Unfortunately, before things developed for them, Chicago Fire pulled the plug on their burgeoning relationship with its latest departure.

How Gibson And Carver Could Have Been Better Than Severide And Casey
Gibson And Carver’s Friendship Was Full Of Potential.
There are a couple of ways that Chicago Fire could have built Gibson and Carver as better iterations of Severide and Casey. For starters, One Chicago could have truly developed their friendship from scratch. By the time the show started, Severide and Casey’s relationship was already established, which means that it wasn’t able to fully show the beginnings of their dynamic. Since both Flynn and Lockett were belated additions to Firehouse 51, One Chicago was able to tackle their initial struggles joining an already solid team. This shared experience could have paved the way for a more compelling friendship.

Secondly, Gibson and Carver’s relationship was an opportunity to expand the representation in Chicago Fire. Since Charlie Barnett’s departure as Peter Mills, the first-responder procedural hasn’t had a prominent Black male character aside from Eammon Walker’s Chief Boden. As great as Severide and Casey were, Flynn’s character could have given the show a different storytelling perspective — something that could lead to a deeper relationship with Firehouse 51’s esteemed leader. Unfortunately, the unexpected departure of the actor wastes that opportunity. Currently, Gibson is set to be replaced by Michael Bradway’s Jack Damon in Chicago Fire season 12.