Of all the first responders on NBC’s action-drama “Chicago Fire,” Taylor Kinney’s Lt. Kelly Severide stands out as one of the show’s most relatable and popular characters, despite also being one of the most taciturn personalities on this One Chicago hit. And while Severide may sometimes come across as simply fulfilling the strong-and-silent-type addition to the show’s proven formula of firefighting heroics and equally fiery personal relationships, he also has his sensitive-bro moments now and then. For instance, his close bond with former Captain Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) found the two men frequently sharing advice on (or commiserating about) the women in their lives.
Concerning Severide’s romantic liaisons, the man has a long and eventful series of temporary hookups and more serious pairings during his time on the show. The truth is, Kinney’s Severide was one of the series’ most active participants in the Chicago dating scene before his recent marriage to fellow firefighter Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) in the Season 10 finale. And while Severide certainly has plenty of high-intensity, on-the-job stress to deal with as a hard-charging alpha-male firefighter, some fans think a personal crisis early in his time on “Chicago Fire” is something that changed the Rescue Truck 3 leader in a fundamental way.
Fans think Leslie Shay’s death on Chicago Fire changed Severide’s persona for the worse
As noted above, Kelly Severide’s love life on “Chicago Fire” spanned the relationship spectrum from casual to committed. But some Chi-Hards think the loss that the firefighter never really recovered from is the death of a non-romantic but incredibly close Firehouse 51 friend, paramedic Leslie Shay (Lauren German), who perished during an arsonist-set blaze on the show’s Season 2 finale.
Posting on the series’ subreddit, “Chicago Fire” fan u/Mundane-Parsnip-7302 points out that long after Shay’s death, Severide hasn’t truly adjusted, despite being newly married to Kidd. They wrote, “It’s weird that now on the show he rarely has these nicer happy moments when he should be in peak happiness.”
Redditor u/NoBusiness51 agreed, chiming in to write, “Honestly, I think since Shay died he’s disconnected from pretty much everyone. I miss him hanging out with people and being happy.” Series fan u/DinoDog95 says they’re longing for the old Severide as well, posting, “I miss that Severide too. The occasional light hearted scene of him here and there really wouldn’t go astray.” Another Redditor concurred that Severide is different since Shay’s death, saying, “He hasn’t looked happy for a long time.” As for Taylor Kinney himself, commenting on the exit of Lauren German and loss of her character on the show, he told TVGuide.com, “She’s a really good actor, and a really, really good friend so there [were] some personal heartstrings there.”
