Ever since Chicago Fire fans discovered that mainstay Taylor Kinney planned to take a leave of absence from the series, rumors have been flying. How will it go down? What will happen to his character, Kelly Severide? And when can we expect it all to happen? While there have been no concrete answers just yet, the most recent episode of Chicago Fire may have hinted at what's to come for the character and his eventual exit.
As things currently stand, Severide will almost undoubtedly have to be written out of the series entirely. There's no real way to simply explain away his absence in a manner that's believable, unless he has some reason to be gone for an extended period of time. What if there were someone he need to visit and catch up with for a while? It seems like that might very well be what the writers had in mind, at least according to what went down in the newest episode.
As of episode 13, which aired on Feb. 15, Firehouse 51 helped Herrman set up a school fundraiser. Each member of the squad was tasked with making a basket that would eventually be sold at auction in a bid to raise money for the school. The team decides to go to Molly's as they work on completing their baskets.
It's a great opportunity for Severide to chat with paramedic Brett (Kara Killmer) while the pair focus most of their attention on workinig on their baskets. Their conversation rolls around to Casey (Jesse Spencer), who Severide admits he hasn't caught up with in some time: "longer" than he'd like to admit.
This could be an innocent conversation, a moment in time the writers decided to focus on to give us more time with Severide and Brett. Or, as many have speculated, it could be the out Severide needs for Kinney to leave the show. Fans believe Severide may leave town to visit Casey in Oregon.
From there, the trip could spiral into something much larger that requires Severide's attention for a longer duration. The possibilities seem endless, and all of them could leave Kinney open to remaining absent from the show, communicating via texts, phone calls, etc.
There's no telling whether this might be the exact way Kinney ends up leaving the show to take his break, but it certainly seems as though all the pieces fit. We'll have to wait and see what happens.
