The Big Picture

• Lieutenant Kelly Severide's return to Chicago Fire after a leave of absence is announced, but it's unclear if it will be permanent.
• Severide's relationship with his wife is strained due to his dishonesty and obsession with arson cases.
• Chicago Fire airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c, alongside Chicago Med and Chicago P.D.

Chicago Fire made a glorious return to our airwaves on January 17, and the long-running NBC series wasted little time in showing off their big reveal with the news that Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) was back in the city following an extended leave of absence from Firehouse 51 to, at least in storyline, help out the Office of Fire Investigation. The actor's return to the series was announced back in October of 2023, following an extended hiatus from the procedural show so that he could deal with a personal matter. Issues resolved, Kinney is back. But discussions have taken place over whether that return will be permanent, as per showrunner Andrea Newman.

The past six months have been a rocky period for Severide, as revealed in the episode. His dishonesty has created an underlying strain in his relationship with his wife, Stella Kidd (played by Miranda Rae Mayo). Furthermore, Severide's deep-seated obsession with working on arson cases remains a contentious issue, continually causing friction between the couple. Is this a sign that Severide may be changing career paths permanently, as some fans have been speculating? According to Hello! Magazine, the conversation has been had, but that Severide is "too critical" a character to be let go.

"We have [considered it] but having lost Severide for a bit [in season 11,] it was a reminder of what a critical part of 51 he is. OFI is a great internal struggle for him. As Kidd says early on in the episode, she considers arson as his 'drug,' and it's an addiction for him and he gets lost in it. It's partly because it's in the blood, his dad was also in OFI, but partly because there's something that just taps into something deep within him when he gets into it. It then becomes a danger zone for him in some ways – but he also loves it and obviously has the skills for it. So that struggle will be a big part of the first few episodes of the season."

When Does 'Chicago Fire' Air?

Despite persistent rumors that NBC executives were contemplating breaking up the famous Wednesday night One Chicago lineup, they decided to keep the existing schedule. This means that, as has been the case since 2014, Chicago Fire will continue to air on Wednesdays at 10/9c, accompanied by Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. Moreover, for viewers who can't catch the live broadcast, all episodes are available for streaming on Peacock the day after they air.

Chicago Fire

The story of firefighters and paramedics in the city of Chicago, both on a personal and professional level. 

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