It’s not just the ensemble of Chicago Fire that has changed over the last 12 seasons as old cast members exited and new ones joined the fray. The NBC drama’s characters, too, have evolved over the years in their job titles, marital statuses and personal arcs.
Below, TVLine is looking back at how the most recent crop of firefighters and paramedics has grown, from personality traits to major life changes, in the time from their first episodes (pictured on the left below) to now (pictured right below). And considering how long the hit #OneChicago show has been on the air, it’s no surprise that there have been some big transformations.
But first, some notes about who’s included and who’s not: In addition to the current cast, we’ve selected a couple of characters who made return appearances last season to offer viewers an update on their lives (Casey) or who only recently exited the series (Brett, Boden). Not featured are all those whom we loved and lost, but you can relive their tragic deaths here. And since we haven’t gotten an update on Gabby Dawson in a long time, we’re just going to assume that she’s still rocking the medical aid work.
Christopher Herrmann (Played by David Eigenberg)
First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1
Herrmann may sometimes come off as a grouch, but the seasons have revealed the soft heart underneath that exterior. From his devotion to his wife and their five kids during her cancer battle and to the way he looks out for the firehouse’s newbies, Herrmann has emerged as a surprisingly stable and open-hearted source of support at 51, which is why Boden suggested Herrmann as his replacement for chief. As a CFD veteran, Herrmann is facing the challenges of age and injury on the job with his partial hearing loss, but he also proves that the best is yet to come with time.
Darren Ritter (Played by Daniel Kyri)
First Episode: Season 7, Episode 2
As a newbie firefighter, Ritter had a lot to learn: He froze during a crucial call, but Mouch saw something in him, and Ritter was recruited to Firehouse 51. Under Mouch and Herrmann’s mentorship, he’s evolved into not only a capable firefighter, but also someone who is comfortable enough to come out to his colleagues — he’s now dating a cop — and someone who can always be relied upon for a caring and thoughtful ear.
Joe Cruz (Played by Joe Miñoso)
First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1
The teddy bear of the firehouse crew, Cruz’s heart has only grown bigger as a married man with a baby boy and an adopted son. While he may be a softie with his loved ones, Cruz has become more assertive at work and found new self-confidence, moving up the ranks to rescue squad, where he served as acting lieutenant and even stood up to Severide.
Kelly Severide (Played by Taylor Kinney)
First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1
As a former ladies’ man, Severide has perhaps come the longest way of any Fire character from his early days of short-lived relationships and flings with Renee, Brittany, Anna and Erin Lindsay, just to name a few. He found his match in wife Stella Kidd and even recently declared that he wants to start a family. How times have changed! And remember how tense things were between Severide and Casey in Season 1, following Andy Darden’s death? Well, that friendship has blossomed into something so strong that Severide was the Best Man at Casey’s wedding. The loss of his best friend Shay also played a big role in Severide’s evolution, sending him on emotional spiral (and toward a quickie marriage with Brittany), but ultimately, helping him to mature. Meanwhile, at work, the rescue squad lieutenant has developed a knack for fire investigation, much like his late father Benny.
Matt Casey (Played by Jesse Spencer)
First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1
Life sure looks different for Casey now compared to Season 1. From the very start of the series, the firefighter has always wanted to be a married family man, but his engagement to Hallie ended when she was tragically caught in a fire at her place of work. Then Casey’s marriage to Gabby Dawson abruptly fell apart when she decided to take a job as an medical aid worker in Puerto Rico. (Before that, Casey briefly got to be a father when he and Gabby temporarily fostered little Louie.) The lieutenant-turned-captain’s dream did finally come true as he married Sylvie Brett and moved with her (and her adopted daughter) to Portland, Oregon, where the couple are currently raising the late Andy Darden’s sons.
