Chicago Fire Season 12 Introduced The Perfect Replacement For Severide & Casey Even Before Jesse Spencer’s Exit

Kelly Severide and Matt Casey’s perfect team-up replacement is introduced in Chicago Fire season 12 before Jesse Spencer’s final appearance. Despite officially exiting in Chicago Fire season 10, original cast member Spencer continued to return as Casey at Firehouse 51, primarily because of his lingering romance with Sylvie Brett. On the heels of the pair’s wedding in Chicago Fire season 12, episode 6, “Port in the Storm,” Casey no longer has any reason to return to Chicago, at least in the foreseeable future. This effectively ends his pairing with Taylor Kinney’s Severide.

As both pioneering cast members, Kinney and Spencer functioned as the poster actors not just for Chicago Fire but for One Chicago as a whole. They fronted every promotional material and were given the most focus during their stint as a pair in the Dick Wolf-created franchise. They led their respective teams at Firehouse 51, while their personal storylines, particularly romances, were often treated as primary narratives in the ensemble procedural. While they were occasionally competitive, Severide and Casey were great friends, and that was a big asset to the Chicago Fire.

With Casey’s permanent move, it’s the end of an era for Chicago Fire. While Severide remains Rescue Squad 3’s leader, without his oldest pal, the first-responder procedural loses the pair’s dynamic in its storytelling. Luckily for NBC and Wolf Entertainment, Chicago Fire has the perfect replacement for them with Sam Carver and Derrick Gibson. Jake Lockett joined the show not long before Rome Flynn did and, as Firehouse 51’s newest recruits, the pair is already bonding over their shared experience. Depending on how Chicago Fire moves their story forward, they have the potential to be great friends.

In Chicago Fire Season 12, Episode 5, “On The Hook,” Gibson struggles to get comfortable at Firehouse 51, as he is still not used to Chief Boden’s tight-knit team. Carver takes it upon himself to reach out, explaining that he knows what his contemporary is going through, considering that he was once in his place. Eventually, the pair shares a drink, with both men having a vulnerable conversation. Severide and Casey tend to engage in these kinds of talks, and now, their potential successors are having the same bonding activity.

Now, Carver has fully assimilated himself, and it’s commendable that he is trying to make the process easier for Gibson.

Carver’s move to clarify the initial friction between Gibson and the rest of Firehouse 51 is surprising. Not too long ago, he was struggling to get used to his new role with Chief Boden’s team. He particularly had a difficult time dealing with Stella Kidd, who is her superior. Chicago Fire floated the possibility of a romance between the pair, but that didn’t go anywhere. Now, Carver has fully assimilated himself, and it’s commendable that he is trying to make the process easier for Gibson. Had it been someone else, it’s dubious if Gibson had been open.

How Carver And Gibson’s Friendship Sets Up Severide’s Possible Exit

Severide continues to prioritize OFI and being a fire cop.

Aside from its cases, Chicago Fire‘s biggest asset is the relationship among the members of Firehouse 51. There are different friend groups in the show, and Carver and Gibson’s bond has the potential to become one. However, aside from their bond, the pair could also be the next Severide and Gibson, meaning they can be positioned to be Chicago Fire‘s new generation of male leads. This would pave the way for Kinney’s long-rumored exit from One Chicago, which started when the actor unexpectedly took a leave of absence in the middle of season 11.

As an original character, Severide tends to always be the center of attention in Chicago Fire . Not having him around allowed the show to focus on other Firehouse 51 members, which resulted in more diverse storytelling.

Chicago Fire showrunner Gwen Sigan has confirmed that there were previous plans for Kinney to spearhead a brand new One Chicago series. That being said, the idea was eventually scrapped after they realized how much Firehouse 51 needed him. Considering how the show’s storytelling during the actor’s absence, however, this sentiment can be up for debate. As an original character, Severide tends to always be the center of attention in Chicago Fire. Not having him around allowed the show to focus on other Firehouse 51 members, which resulted in more diverse storytelling.

Will Severide Actually Leave Chicago Fire? Taylor Kinney Exit Rumors Explained

Severide’s storyline and Kinney’s recent season 12 absence continue to fuel Chicago Fire exit rumors.

Despite Severide’s return in season 12, Chicago Fire isn’t beating Kinney’s exit rumors. One Chicago used the character’s penchant for arson cases to explain his abrupt departure in season 11. Despite having just gotten married and Kidd going through a near-death experience, he still opted to take on the supposed once-in-a-lifetime training camp for OFI. Kidd and Chief Boden were supportive, but things started to get dicey when he stopped communicating. His wife had to travel out of state and take a couple of shifts off to bring him home. Six months after that incident, it still haunts the couple, with Severide showing no signs of prioritizing Firehouse 51 over wanting to be a fire cop.

Kinney already missed several episodes of Chicago Fire season 12 after he once again took on an arson case, only coming back in time for Casey and Brett’s wedding. However, it’s clear that he just couldn’t give up OFI — even just until he wins Kidd’s trust again. Between that and the lack of any official reason for why Kinney had to leave in the middle of Chicago Fire season 11, theories that Severide’s time in Firehouse 51 is limited are somewhat understandable.

Can Severide & Casey Team Up In Chicago Fire Again?

Casey can always come back to Chicago for professional and personal reasons.

For now, Severide remains a member of Chief Boden’s team. After Casey and Brett’s wedding, it doesn’t seem like there are any plans for him to leave town again. In any case, if he wants to continue being a fire cop moving forward, he could just help OFI from time to time, since Firehouse 51 has been lenient about his requests to skip a couple of shifts. This raises the question, however, about the possibility of Casey and Severide teaming up again. While they did have a heart-to-heart talk before the wedding, they haven’t worked together for a while.

Since Casey is still a firefighter in Portland, Oregon, he can easily still team up with Severide in Chicago. During his return in season 11, Casey stopped a domestic terror attack with Kidd. Severide was in his OFI camp then, so he wasn’t involved. If Casey can find ways to pop back up in the Windy City to collaborate with his former team, then seeing him in tandem with Severide isn’t truly out of the question. In any case, Spencer himself has said that he is always open to coming back if Chicago Fire ever needs him.

Chicago Fire season 12 airs every Wednesday, 9pm ET on NBC.