Spoilers ahead for Episode 3 of Chicago Fire Season 13, called “All Kinds of Crazy.”
The big cliffhanger from Chicago Fire Season 12 (available streaming with a Peacock subscription) was the reveal that the seemingly shady Damon was actually Severide’s half brother, and he was just keeping secrets to get to know the Squad lieutenant. In “All Kinds of Crazy” in the 2024 TV schedule, though, Damon was just straight shady as he lied to Chief Pascal to suggest that Stella Kidd was a bad officer, which could have resulted in her being sent from 51.
Apparently, the Damon/Severide cliffhanger from last week’s episode wasn’t what we needed to worry about! Fortunately, Pascal didn’t let Kidd’s reaction to him or Truck’s turnover rate sway his opinion after Mouch made sure he had all the information, and Damon was cut from 51 and had to leave… but not before a parting shot at Severide that concerns me. In a confrontation before storming off, Damon told Severide this:
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Trust you? I came to 51 because I wanted to get to know you, learn from you. But you abandoned me the first chance you got. And you were too busy working an arson case than help me out when I needed you the most. You think you put Benny in the past? You are Benny.
Objectively speaking, all of the problems that Damon was complaining about were problems of his own making, since Severide had no obligation to help him with anything, let alone cover for him to Kidd and Pascal. Damon was dishonest from the start, and they’re both adults. If anything, the end of his time at 51 was just one big consequence for a lot of little actions, and just going back into the floater pool doesn’t seem too bad after what he tried to pull by lying about Kidd to the new chief.
That being said, Damon being wrong about what he said doesn’t mean that the parting shot won’t hurt Severide. When I spoke with showrunner Andrea Newman ahead of Season 13, she mentioned that one of the problems facing the good ship Stellaride and the possibility of starting a family was “the fallout of Benny Severide’s son.” When I mentioned that I’d caught some Benny Severide Easter eggs when I rewatched the Season 12 finale, Newman also commented “that’s fun that you got to see all those.”
And in light of all of this, I’m nervous that Severide might start to spiral a bit at the implication that he’s just like his father. While Stella was clear that she’s not ready to start a family, it would still be a bummer if Severide decided that he’s not worthy of being a father because he’s Benny’s son. Severide feeling ready to be a parent was a sign of major growth. How sad would it be if he started second-guessing himself all over again just because of what Damon told him in a fit of pique?
