Is Sam Carver Leaving Chicago Fire for Good?
Chicago Fire season 13, episode 5, “Birds of Prey” may have written Sam Carver off for good. As one of the newer cast members of One Chicago, Jake Lockett has spent the last few years getting used to working at Firehouse 51. Barring a few hiccups, both professional and personal, he seems to have settled in perfectly with the tight-knit group. There have been a few instances in the past where it seemed like he might finally leave. So it’s sad that Carver may finally be leaving Firehouse 51 after Chicago Fire season 13, episode 5.
In “Birds of Prey,” Firehouse 51 has a lot of cases to solve. Kelly Severide and Wallace Boden’s replacement, Dom Pascal, investigate a fire, Mouch McHolland deals with a bird strike at the Firehouse, while Violet Mikami and Lyla Novak take a man with stitches to the Med. That said, Carver’s personal storyline may be the most interesting, as he continues to fall apart over his ongoing relationship with Tori. After dragging his feet all day, he’s finally reprimanded for his misbehavior, leading to what could be his last shift at Firehouse 51.
A few episodes in, Stella Kidd has noticed how much Carver has changed at work since returning from his last leave. With Pascal following Truck 81 after her team left, Kelly Severide’s wife can’t afford to make any more mistakes in succession at this point. So, Carver’s lack of dedication to every shift naturally becomes a problem. However, all those parties and drinks every night to hang out with his girlfriends finally catch up with him in Chicago Fire season 13, episode 6. Kidd finally runs out of patience and sends Carver home in the middle of his shift.
By giving Carver a tool he forgot at home because of a late night out with his girlfriends, she urges him to leave Firehouse 51 and move to Austin, where there are more fire stations that are more suitable for their lifestyle.
While Kidd doesn’t outright fire his right-hand man for being lazy, Tori’s comments earlier in the episode may resonate with him. By giving Carver a tool he forgot at home because of a late night out with his girlfriends, she urges him to leave Firehouse 51 and move to Austin, where there are more fire stations that are more suitable for their lifestyle. Carver has denied it, but after what just happened between him and Kidd, he may start to seriously consider Tori’s suggestion. If so, the Chicago Fire cast may have just lost another character.
Carver has been on the verge of leaving One Chicago many times before. In the Chicago Fire season 12 finale, he once again took a leave of absence after a heartbreaking conversation with Violet about their situation. He eventually returned, but when he did, it was clear that he had changed. He had become a party animal and an irresponsible member of the group. All things considered, Kidd’s dismissal of Carver makes sense, but in the larger context, it could be a result of all the times he’s almost left over the past few years.
Fortunately, this incident was yet another one of Carver’s tricks. Chicago Fire recently promoted Jake Lockett to a series regular role, after only having a recurring role for the first few years, despite appearing in a majority of episodes. The terms of his contract are not public, but considering this, it’s safe to say that NBC and Wolf Entertainment have long-term plans for the character. This means that Carver will eventually reprise his role on Firehouse 51 and Truck 81. When that will happen, however, remains unclear.
At this point, One Chicago is used to spinning itself off. While it’s sad to say goodbye to many fan-favorite characters, the series has used this to keep its shows fresh and exciting. That said, it’s no secret that Chicago Fire has lost a number of key cast members over the past few years—including two original cast members, Chief Boden and Matt Casey. That’s not to mention the departure of some longtime Firehouse 51 staffers like Blake Gallo and Sylvie Brett.
It’s also worth noting that Carver’s removal means Chicago Fire will have to cut short his romance with Violet even before anything happens.
