Warning! Spoilers ahead for Chicago Fire season 11 The string of fakeout deaths in Chicago
Fire for Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd needs to stop. Firehouse 51 isn’t exactly the best place to
start a romance, proven by the myriad of heartbreaks its members have endured in the past.
This is what makes Severide and Kidd’s relationship so much more impressive as they remain stronger than ever, even deciding to make a lifelong commitment by marrying each other. Sadly, the One Chicago show is seemingly running out of ideas for their collective storyline as Chicago Fire just repeated a tired trope when it comes to Severide and Kidd — the fakeout death. After their long engagement which was filled with going back and forth regarding the matter, Severide and Kidd finally tied the knot in the Chicago Fire season 10 finale. Instead of leaving things there, however, NBC opted for a dramatic cliffhanger when the newlyweds were about to be ambushed on their honeymoon. Throughout the break, Severide and Kidd’s fate was in limbo, only to have the whole incident quickly resolved in the Chicago Fire season 11 premiere.
Not long after that, the series is once again pulling the same ruse, which is ultimately proving frustrating for viewers. Chicago Fire’s Severide & Kidd Fakeouts Are Ruining Them After their horrifying honeymoon experience, Kidd and Severide, with the support of the rest of Firehouse 51, returned to work and quickly settled back into their old routine. This somehow makes sense, considering how strong-willed and dedicated the pair is to their job. NBC explored other aspects of their relationship, including why Kidd and Severide can’t have children yet, up until the Chicago Fire season 11 fall finale, which once again ended with the possibility of Truck 81’s Lieutenant dying following a rescue mission gone wrong. Much like what happened during their honeymoon, however, Kidd came out of it just fine, bar having to undergo surgery and mandatory downtime.
Firefighting is a dangerous job, and Kidd’s latest run-in with death is totally believable. However, Chicago Fire can’t keep subjecting her and Severide to the same experience just to keep viewers engaged. This lowers the stakes, as audiences could eventually be desensitized to seeing them unconscious or being rushed to the hospital. Ultimately, it seems this narrative is repeated so that Severide and Kidd are saved from breaking upSeveride and Kidd are saved from breaking up, which is something that several other Firehouse 51 couples have gone through in Chicago Fire season 11 alone to sustain narrative drama. For example, Sylvie Brett and Matt Casey split up, while Violet Mikami dealt with Chief Hawkins’ death. How Chicago Fire Can Make Severide & Kidd’s Story Interesting Again Luckily, there are a couple of ways to make Severide and Kidd’s story interesting again without killing or breaking them up. As Firehouse 51’s main love line, the chances of dissolving their partnership are low to none, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t go through trials and tribulations. An unexpected incident, like an unplanned pregnancy, could shake up their arc in a way that could also highlight just how strong their bond is. Otherwise, Chicago Fire can just further explore the impact of all these near-death experiences has been on them instead of glossing them over as this helps humanize both of them.
