Going into the Chicago Fire season 11 finale, fans knew that Taylor Kinney,

who plays Kelly Severide, wouldn’t appear,

but the final episode seemed to set the stage for the character’s return to Chicago in season 12. Kinney took an unexpected leave of absence from the NBC series in the middle of season 11 to deal with a personal matter, but the actor nor the network set a timetable for his return. So, it’s unclear when or if Severide will walk through the doors of Firehouse 51 again.

Severide has been a key player in Chicago Fire since the pilot, which premiered in 2012. It would be devastating to lose him right after they lost Matt Casey in season 10 (even though it appears that Casey might be sticking around in Chicago for a bit after proposing to Sylvie Brett). The good news is that the Chicago Fire season 11 finale didn’t close the door on Severide coming back, and it even teased his eventual return to the show, but the writers must follow through this time.

Chicago Fire Sets Up Severide’s Return For Season 12

After learning that Severide was no longer at the OFI training camp in Chicago Fire season 11, episode 21, Stella Kidd, his wife, called him to find out where he was and why he didn’t tell her about his change in scenery. Since the show couldn’t get Kinney back for the finale, this conversation happened offscreen, so the viewers only got a secondhand record of it while Stella was talking to Brett and Violet Mikami. Stella explained that Severide informed her that the ATF investigation he was a part of happened so fast that he didn’t have time to call her (which seems suspicious, to say the least). Plus, he was vague about when he would be back home.

As the finale went on, Stella became more and more worried that Severide wouldn’t return. During a talk with Chief Boden, he revealed that Severide’s father was a “wanderer,” and Stella (surprisingly and unfairly) feared that her husband was just like his dad. So, at the end of the hour, she took a few personal days, packed up her things, and left Chicago to find Severide and bring him back home. It’s unclear whether her strategy will work, but Stella is nothing if not determined. If anyone could convince Severide to come back to Firehouse 51, it’s Stella.

Season 12 will likely begin with Stella on her journey to find Severide (if Kinney does return to the show) or Stella back at Firehouse 51 empty-handed (if the actor decides to leave). The series wouldn’t and shouldn’t skip ahead to the married couple back together without showing them weathering the storm. Severide and Stella still have problems to work out. The only way the Chicago Fire season 12 premiere doesn’t include Stella finding Severide is if Kinney officially exits the show. But the way that they wrote the finale implies that Severide will eventually make his way back to Chicago Fire.

The Extended Hiatus Could Help Bring Taylor Kinney Back For Chicago Fire Season 12

The good news is that there is a lot of time for NBC and the Chicago Fire producers to convince Kinney to return for season 12. The writers’ strike began on May 2 and is still ongoing as of the writing of this article. Production on the NBC series is paused, so no one is currently working on season 12, and it’s unclear how long the strike will last. Regardless, there is bound to be an extended hiatus for Chicago Fire, meaning the new episodes likely won’t be ready in time for the typical September/October premiere.

All the One Chicago shows are penciled in for their usual Wednesday time slots in NBC’s fall 2023 schedule, but that is bound to change as the writers’ strike continues. It’s more likely that the series won’t premiere until 2024. However, that depends on how long the work stoppage continues. Nevertheless, the expanded break between seasons gives Kinney more time to contemplate his future and whether he wants it to include Chicago Fire or not. Hopefully, for the fans’ sake (and Severide and Stella’s marriage), the actor will return for season 12, as the season 11 finale suggested.

If Severide Doesn’t Return, That Would Be The End For Him And Stella

Since Severide and Stella’s relationship had problems before he abruptly left for OFI training camp in Chicago Fire season 11, it’s likely that their marriage wouldn’t survive if he never comes back to Firehouse 51. Their story is similar to Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton’s in Chicago PD, and fans know how their relationship ended. So, if Severide and Stella don’t want to become like Halstead and Upton, Severide needs to return in season 12. As it turns out, distance does not make the heart grow fonder.

Severide and Stella’s romance is undoubtedly one of the most popular ones among viewers. They have been rooting for them to become a couple since she was first introduced in season 4. Even though it took Severide and Stella some time to officially get together and stay together, they seemed like they were finally happy when they got married during the season 10 finale. Of course, marriage always comes with problems, as fans saw in season 11. But if Stella is successful in convincing Severide to come home in Chicago Fire season 12, their relationship will undoubtedly survive.