Chicago Fire Season 13 may have quietly phased out a beloved character following a recent shake-up at Firehouse 51. The first-responder procedural has undergone numerous changes in recent years, with the One Chicago universe experiencing several exits, though Firehouse 51 has arguably felt these losses the most. Fortunately, the cast for Chicago Fire Season 13 has largely stabilized, with only minor ensemble rotations for cost-cutting measures, avoiding any major disruptions—until now.
While personnel changes are an inevitable part of long-running procedurals, with some like NCIS completely overhauling their main cast or Law & Order: SVU losing original characters over time, Chicago Fire Season 13’s latest casualty, Monica Pascal, Chief Dom Pascal’s wife, doesn’t carry the same emotional punch as losing Leslie Shay or Otis Zvonecek. However, an unexpected plot twist involving the return of Jack Damon to the crew suggests the show may have lost another valuable member of Firehouse 51.
After being forced out of his previous firehouse, Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd found a way to help Benny Severide’s secret son, Damon, by convincing Chief Pascal to reassign him to Firehouse 51. Chicago Fire Season 13 initially saw both brothers working there, but Damon’s eagerness to impress Severide led to poor decisions and his subsequent firing. He now appears to be a changed man, even having made amends with his sister-in-law, whom he once tried to sabotage.
However, Damon’s reinstatement to Engine 51 means someone had to be replaced, and that someone appears to be Kylie Estevez. Kylie, who debuted in Chicago Fire Season 8, had recently joined Christopher Herrmann’s team, though her availability for shifts was often inconsistent. Chief Pascal’s decision to bring Damon back to Firehouse 51 effectively leaves Kylie without a permanent spot. Unless a need arises for an absent permanent team member, this development strongly suggests there’s no longer a reason for her character to return.
Interestingly, Chicago Fire had made a significant point of Kylie joining Firehouse 51. After Chief Pascal fired Damon for defying orders, Kidd sought Kylie as a replacement for her team, given their history from the Girls On Fire program. However, Kylie, not wanting her abilities questioned under her “pseudo-sister,” opted for a swap, with Herrmann taking her in while Darren Ritter moved to Truck 81. Since then, Chicago Fire Season 13 seems to have largely overlooked this crucial turning point in her storyline.While not a direct competition, the show’s decision to prioritize Damon ultimately makes sense for Chicago Fire‘s broader narrative. Kylie has been a recurring character in One Chicago for a considerable time, but her role has never expanded to series regular. This lack of a consistent presence meant she rarely had personal storylines demanding significant focus from NBC and Wolf Entertainment.
Conversely, Damon brings a wealth of fresh storytelling opportunities for Chicago Fire Season 13. Beyond being Severide’s brother—a dynamic entirely new for the procedural—he also has a blossoming romance with Lizzie Novak. While One Chicago has featured temporary collaborations between blood relatives (like Jay and Will Halstead), the franchise hasn’t extensively explored brothers working on the same shift within the same show, which is precisely what will happen with Benny Severide’s sons now that Damon is back at Firehouse 51.
Moreover, his rapidly developing relationship with Novak offers a fresh romantic arc. Chicago Fire has seen its share of workplace romances, with varying degrees of success. Every other love story in Chicago Fire Season 13, including Violet Mikami and Sam Carver’s increasingly complex dynamic, is at a different stage. NBC and Wolf Entertainment likely recognize the need for new romantic energy, which Damon provides. Given these factors, it’s understandable why Chicago Fire would choose to keep him over Kylie.
