See Why Sylvie Brett Is Leaving Chicago Fire — And Photos of Her ‘Perfectly 51’ Wedding to Matt Casey
Sylvie Brett’s time on Chicago Fire is coming to an end. Kara Killmer, who has starred as the fan-favorite paramedic since Season 3, will make her last appearance on tonight’s episode before she exits the show. So, why is Sylvie Brett leaving Chicago Fire and how will Kara Kilmer’s character be written off? Keep reading to find out.
Chicago Fire is NBC’s hit procedural that follows the professional and personal lives of firefighters, rescue personnel, and paramedics of the Chicago Fire Department’s fictional Firehouse 51. Produced by Dick Wolf, the series is the first installment of the One Chicago franchise, which includes the spinoffs Chicago P.D., Chicago Med and the now-canceled Chicago Justice.
Killmer made her Chicago Fire debut in Season 3. She stars as Sylvie Brett, an Ambulance 61 paramedic who transferred to Firehouse 51 to replace the late Leslie Shay. Brett is most known for on-off relationship with Captain Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer), who was a series regular on the show until Season 10.
In November 2023, Variety reported that Killmer will take her final bow as Brett during Season 12, which premiered on Jan. 17, 2024. Below, find all the details on why Sylvie Brett is leaving Chicago Fire, as well as how Killmer’s character will be written off the show.
Why is Sylvie Brett leaving Chicago Fire?
Why is Sylvie Brett leaving Chicago Fire? During the Season 12 premiere, viewers learned that Brett accepted Casey’s proposal; he popped the question during a surprise visit in the Season 11 finale, but the episode ended before we could hear Brett’s answer. She then revealed that their wedding is a month and a half away and will be held in Chicago — fans are getting another Chicago Fire wedding! Shortly after the nuptials, Brett plans on moving to Portland with her adopted daughter Julia to be with Casey, who relocated there during Season 10 to help raise late firefighter Andy Darden’s kids. When Mouch (Christian Stolte) expressed his surprise at Brett moving so soon, she responded: “Matt and I talked it through, and we’ve waited long enough to be together full time.” She also told Mouch that she will “visit all the time,” suggesting that she could return in the future.
Ahead of the Season 12 premiere, executive producer Andrea Newman teased Brett’s exit, telling Variety: “We will find out pretty quickly what Brett’s plans are, but her plans — made with the best of intentions — don’t go as she wants them to.” She added, “So we’ll find out a lot quickly and then things will change; there will be a rollercoaster.”
A trailer for Brett’s final episode was released on Feb. 21, 2024. The clip gave fans their first look at her and Casey’s unconventional wedding, which is going to be held in a commercial fish store. In the teaser, the store has been transformed into a beautiful venue with purple moody lights and white flowers. Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) officiates the ceremony, which Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) serves as the best man and Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) stands beside Brett as her maid-of-honor.
While discussing the episode with TV Insider, Killmer calls the wedding a “a perfectly 51 Brettsey moment.” She added: “I think the fans will be very satisfied.”
Why is Kara Killmer leaving Chicago Fire?
Why is Kara Killmer leaving Chicago Fire? Killmer broke her silence on her departure ahead of her last episode as Sylvie Brett. She told TV Insider: “I think this is definitely the natural conclusion for Sylvie’s character arc.” She continued, “I am so selfishly delighted over the fact that she came to Chicago because she was a jilted bride, left at the altar by her high school boyfriend in Fowlerton, Indiana, and then ends up after 10 years across the aisle from the love of her life and obviously the most eligible bachelor in all of Chicago and Portland. So it’s such a satisfying ending for my character.”
After the news of her exit first broke, Killmer reflecting on her time on the show on Instagram. The actress shared a series of throwback photos shortly after the news of her exit broke. “These are the very first few pictures I took, or was tagged in, when I first came to Chicago. Going up in the Squad 1 basket was my first exposure to the CFD—some of the best firefighters in the country!” Killmer captioned the post. “The view from my very first apartment was absolutely stunning and the beginning of a love affair with the gorgeous city of Chicago!”
Her departure comes not long after her on-screen love interest Jesse Spencer left, and she is likely leaving for similar reasons. Following his Season 10 exit, Spencer told reporters that he felt it was time to start a new chapter, per TVLine. “I realized I’ve been doing TV for a long time. I added it up, and I think this year is my 18th year of network television,” Spencer said, referencing his time on Fox’s medical drama House and his time on Chicago Fire. “I called [showrunner] Derek [Haas] and broke him the news, said I thought it was time to leave the show, and he agreed that we should at least get Casey to 200 episodes.” He continued, “It was a difficult decision because I’ve loved the show from the start, but there are other things that I would like to do in the future, and there’s some family that I need to take care of, and 18 years is a long time.”
Killmer has been married to Andrew Cheney since 2016, so it’s possible that she wants to focus on her marriage and family life, similar to Spencer.
