Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) has become a source of frustration for Chicago Fire fans, as the beloved character continues to be absent during key moments of the series. After missing much of Season 11 due to Kinney’s leave of absence for personal reasons, Severide returned for Season 12—only to disappear again. Now, in an upcoming episode, it appears he’ll pull yet another vanishing act, leaving viewers and his on-screen wife, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), exasperated.
The Mystery of Severide’s Midnight Escape
According to TVLine, Chicago Fire Season 12, Episode 11, will feature a puzzling storyline in which Severide goes missing once more. The drama unfolds in the middle of the night when Stella discovers that one of the company’s rigs is gone, with Kelly’s phone left abandoned on the squad table. The eerie setup forces Stella into action as she embarks on a mission to find her husband.
Showrunner Andrea Newman describes the episode as a “self-contained thriller” with Stella portrayed as a “warrior woman” determined to track Severide down. While Newman’s comments suggest that Severide’s disappearance isn’t permanent, the constant back-and-forth is taking a toll on fans who have grown weary of the character’s inconsistent presence.
A Pattern of Absences
This isn’t the first time Chicago Fire has had to navigate around the absences of its central characters. Stella herself was missing for a significant portion of Season 10, as her storyline took her out of town to focus on her Girls on Fire mentorship program. The writers reworked scripts to explain her departure, leaving Kelly visibly frustrated by the lack of communication from his fiancée.
Stella returned just in time for their wedding, but Season 11 flipped the script when Kelly took an extended leave to assist the Chicago Fire Department (CFD). Despite Stella’s support for his decision, she struggled with feelings of loneliness and frustration as his absence grew longer due to an undercover assignment with the ATF.
Season 12 initially seemed to bring some hope for the couple, as Kelly and Stella finally appeared to be on the same page. However, with Kelly’s involvement in yet another dramatic disappearance, fans are once again left wondering when the couple will have a stable and satisfying storyline.
What’s Next for Severide and Stella?
While Newman’s assurance that this is a “self-contained” episode suggests that Kelly’s latest vanishing act won’t lead to a long-term departure, the uncertainty surrounding the character’s future is unsettling for fans. The frequent separations between Stella and Kelly, despite their relatively recent marriage, have been a recurring frustration.
Still, there’s hope that Chicago Fire will resolve these lingering issues and provide the couple with the meaningful screen time they deserve. Whether this will be the start of more stability for Severide or just another brief reprieve before his next disappearance remains to be seen.
Why Fans Are Losing Patience
The constant absences of Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd have left fans yearning for the strong, cohesive narratives that Chicago Fire is known for. While the writers have worked to accommodate real-life circumstances affecting the actors, the frequent disruptions to these beloved characters’ storylines have tested viewers’ patience.
As Season 12 continues, fans are hopeful that Chicago Fire will refocus on its core characters and give Stella and Kelly the on-screen partnership they’ve been waiting for.
