Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 19 Sets Up Another Tragedy For Violet That Can Rival Hawkins’ Death

Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) has already faced tragedy in Chicago Fire. After finding love and a way to be with Chief Evan Hawkins (Jimmy Nicholas), they were ripped apart after Hawkins was killed in the line of duty. It took a long time for Violet to deal with that grief, leading to her being scared to really commit to her relationship with Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) when they started to have fun, leading him to leaving town temporarily ahead of Chicago Fire season 13.

Now that Violet has seen what she’s been missing, she’s decided to give her relationship with Carver another shot. However, things haven’t worked out, with Carver moving on and now dealing with his alcoholism. Yet, the two are continually pulled back together, but this is sure to end in heartbreak for Violet. After all, Lockett is leaving the One Chicago franchise, so this buildup to a relationship is going to be wasted.

Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 19 Brings Violet & Carver Closer Together

Carver Continues To Support Violet In Solving Mysteries

During Chicago Fire season 13, episode 19, Violet was on a mission to figure out who the mysterious medic was treating patients. Carver went on the mission with her, leading to them being threatened with a gun as they knocked on an apartment door. Despite getting answers and knowing that Violet could handle situations on her own, Carver continued to stand by her and help her out.

The two of them are being pulled together in Chicago Fire season 13. While they went on their mission, Violet opened up about how she wanted to call Carver while he took some time off to get his drinking under control, and she even told him that she wrote him a letter. By the end of the episode, there was hope that the two could find their way back to each other, although Carver did turn down a coffee date in favor of an AA meeting.

For now, the two remain friends, but there would be hope of them rekindling their romance if Lockett was sticking around for Chicago Fire season 14. They are happy to support each other in their various ventures, and it’s clear that they still have feelings for each other, so they could have become Chicago Fire‘s next great romance, despite Violet being with someone else right now.

Carver Leaving Chicago Fire Season 13 Means Violet’s Budding Romance Will Be Cut Short

Jake Lockett Is Leaving Chicago Fire

There is just one problem with the entire arc in Chicago Fire season 13 right now. Lockett is leaving Chicago Fire before season 14, so everything that is happening right now is for nothing. There is no payoff to the buildup of this relationship because Lockett won’t be part of the series. For many, the big question is how Carver will end up being written out of the show, as this series could do it one of two ways.

One option is for Carver to walk away, and he could back to Texas to get support from his family and friends there due to his drinking problem. Another way to write him out by walking away is for his drinking to become a safety issue and him being fired. Either way, it means that Carver is alive but is turning his back on Violet and their budding relationship.

The second option would be a way to rival the heartbreak Violet has already faced with Hawkins. Carver could end up dying in the line of duty. Series regulars have been written out through traumatic Chicago Fire deaths before, such as with Shay (Lauren German) and Otis (Yuri Sardarov). Hawkins was the most recent tragic death, and it’s been some years since Firehouse 51 officially lost someone in the line of duty. For Violet to lose two loves in this way would be devastating for us to watch, but it stops us from getting angry at Carver for just leaving.

Why Chicago Fire Is Writing Out Jake Lockett’s Carver After Season 13

Chicago Fire Season 14 Negotiations Are Underway

While Chicago Fire season 14 hasn’t officially been renewed yet, negotiations are happening, and the show continues to be one of the highest-rated NBC shows in the linear ratings, so it appears a given that season 14 will happen. One of the biggest issues is the cost of production, and when Deadline reported that Lockett would be leaving the series, financial reasons were noted.

For many seasons now, the entire Dick Wolf universe has seen various members of their shows cut out of episodes here and there. This allows the cast budget to remain manageable, but it requires negotiations every time new contracts come up. Another way to cut the cast budget is to completely remove an actor and not replace them, which Deadline thinks could be happening with Chicago Fire and may happen with other One Chicago shows.

It is certainly disappointing for us, especially as we see potential storylines form. However, the cost of producing TV is going up and the linear viewership is going down, leading to less advertisement revenue to help. Production studios need to find other ways to save money, and for Chicago Fire, it means cutting some of the ensemble cast.