The series that kicked off the “One Chicago” franchise has seen its fair share of romances. “Chicago Fire” has well over a dozen memorable characters — some of which have come and gone — and all of them have been involved in some sort of romantic storyline throughout the course of the series. While a good portion of these were something worth rooting for, others were a total disaster to watch unfold. Some “Chicago Fire” couples continue to stand the test of time, while several had only a few episodes worth of story before they fizzled out.
“Chicago Fire” definitely gives “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Med” a run for their money in the romance department — which could be thanks to Mr. Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) — as the series has had more relationships than the others during its tenure. We decided to rank all of these couples from worst to best, and it wasn’t an easy feat. There are some flings missing from the list, as it primarily focuses on stronger relationships, and we’d honestly be here forever if we included every hookup from the show. Take a scroll and see if your favorite “Chicago Fire” couple landed toward the top.
23. Gianna Mackey and Blake Gallo
Season 9, Episode 1 (“Rattle Second City”) introduced Gianna Mackey (Adriyan Rae) to the “Chicago Fire” world as the replacement of Emily Foster (Annie Ilonzeh). She didn’t have too long of a stint on the series, only appearing in nine episodes as she decided to take a paramedic position with another firehouse. Despite having a short go with Firehouse 51, Mackey still got to sneak a little romance in with fireman Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende).
It was evident from the get-go that Mackey had a thing for her co-worker, and she wasn’t shy about expressing her feelings, even if they rattled her friend Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso). The two enjoy flirting, and Gallo even risks his life to save his new friend from an explosion. They eventually hook up in Season 9, Episode 6 (“Blow This Up Somehow”), but everything comes to a halt when Mackey leaves the show just three episodes later. The duo’s chemistry was so-so, but we weren’t given a chance to see enough of them to really cheer them on.
22. Renee Royce and Kelly Severide
Renee Royce (Sarah Shahi) is the perfect trickster. She works her way into Kelly Severide’s life in Season 1, and the two seem to fall in love with one another genuinely. Renee ends up moving to Spain for a job promotion, and despite getting an invitation to come along, Kelly stays in Chicago. He is pretty devastated from the breakup, but Renee comes flying back into his life in the Season 1 finale and tells him that she’s pregnant with his baby.
In the Season 2 premiere, Leslie Shay convinced Kelley that the math doesn’t add up regarding Renee’s pregnancy. When she’s called out on it, Renee finally admits the baby isn’t Kelly’s, and the pair officially break up. It’s not the last we see of her conniving ways, as she tries to work her way back into Kelly’s life in Season 6 when she asks for his help in a court case. Despite being warned by Stella Kid (Miranda Rae Mayo), Renee tries to woo him to back off. At this point in the game, Kelly’s a changed man and only has eyes for Stella. Despite Renee and Kelly starting off on great terms, she becomes a garbage person, which makes their relationship one of the worst in the series.
21. Sylvie Brett and Joe Cruz
Somehow two very lovable people made the most awkward couple in the “One Chicago” universe. Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) and Joe Cruz seem more like brother and sister than they do boyfriend and girlfriend, and during the brief stint that they dated, it was more than awkward to watch. The two formed a deeper bond when Sylvie unknowingly attended a Zumba class hosted by Cruz, but he started to catch feelings.
When Sylvie realized she also had feelings, the two dated briefly in Season 3, but their relationship never felt right, so they ended things. For some reason, the writers and showrunner didn’t want to drop their storyline and had Cruz re-develop feelings for Brett later in Season 6. He never admits it to her but becomes overly jealous of any man who spent time with her, making his character rather insufferable.
20. Violet Mikami and Blake Gallo
Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) joined “Chicago Fire” in Season 8, Episode 10 (“Hold Our Ground”), and we learned she has a history with Blake Gallo. The two attended the fire academy together, and it’s clear they have some sexual tension from the get-go. Once they alleviate that tension, they start dating but soon declare themselves non-exclusive — a stance that always works out.
In a twist that surprised no one, Gallo and Violet’s jealousy causes them to break up. They are one of the most easily forgotten couples in “One Chicago” history, which is no easy feat given that they are also one of the most recent. This duo serves much better as friends than lovers, and we choose to keep their coupling a distant memory. It seems as if a romance was the easiest way to introduce Violet into the show, but she appears to be on to bigger and better things these days (ahem, Hawkins).
19. Clarice Carthage and Leslie Shay
Leslie Shay (Lauren German) and Clarice Carthage (Shiri Appleby) were another “Chicago Fire” couple who had a rich history before Season 1. The duo dated for years, but they were already broken up by the time we met Clarice. The two came face-to-face when Shay responded to a 911 call at Clarice’s baby shower. They start talking again, and eventually, Clarice leaves her husband and moves in with Shay and Kelly Severide.
Clarice gives birth, and shortly after, she and Shay start house hunting for a bigger space where they can raise her baby boy. Clarice’s ex-husband files for sole custody, and instead of fighting him for it, she gives in and chooses to go back to him. She tells Shay at a house viewing, completely devastating the paramedic. The two seemed like they might have a real shot, until Clarice showed her true colors and left Shay in the worst state.
18. Hallie Thomas and Matt Casey
When we first met Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer), he was hiding the fact that his engagement to his fiancée, Hallie Thomas (Teri Reeves), was over. No one at Firehouse 51 knew, but eventually, Gabby Dawson (Monica Raymund) and company caught on. Casey and Hallie had an on-again, off-again relationship for about eight years, but the last that they were on again, they were quite the couple. Hailee is murdered in Season 1 when she accidentally discovers a drug trafficking operation at a clinic she volunteers at, which absolutely guts Casey.
Hallie and Casey were a decent enough couple, but it was always obvious that this relationship was just a roadblock in what would eventually be known as Dawsey. It wasn’t a relationship you could take seriously, because Casey and Dawson were clearly going to end up together — especially with how the show constantly showed off how jealous the latter could get at times.
17. Sylvie Brett and Greg Grainger
Just as there were many speedbumps on the way to Dawsey, there were also many on the way to Brettsey (Sylvie Brett and Matthew Casey). Lieutenant Greg Grainger (Jon-Michael Ecker) was one of them, as he and Brett’s brief fling in Season 9 put Brettsey on hold. This short romance was very much like Brett and Kyle’s — two very good people who just didn’t get the timing right. It could be argued that if it wasn’t for Brett’s feelings for Casey, she and Grainger might have made it down the aisle. The Lieutenant was a very good guy and perfect for Brett in so many ways.
The two split because Grainger noticed Brett could never fully commit to him. He was no dummy and knew that Brett had something for Casey, and he knew that he was never going to be her number one. Thankfully, this breakup led to one of the most beloved couples in “One Chicago” history.
