Taylor Kinney Leaving Chicago Fire Means the Show Can Reinvent Itself
Taylor Kinney’s leave of absence from Chicago Fire matters, but also offers a chance for characters other than Kelly Severide to have the spotlight.
Taylor Kinney’s leave of absence from Chicago Fire is meaningful because he’s an original cast member. However, fans need to view this change as a positive one because it can change the NBC show’s myopic approach to storytelling. Chicago Fire has often revolved storylines around Kinney’s character Kelly Severide and Matthew Casey, as well their respective romances. That made a certain degree of sense since Severide and Casey’s dynamic was the core of the show. But after Casey’s departure in Season 10 and now Severide leaving temporarily, the series can refresh its ensemble.
Kinney’s exit can be a good thing if written well — considering that Severide’s poor decision-making and complicated personal life have often been the center of much of Chicago Fire‘s drama. Neither he nor his relationship with Stella Kidd will be at the heart of the show’s conflict, forcing the writers to look elsewhere for stories. And spending some time off-screen could be a welcome opportunity for the character of Kelly Severide, too.
Taylor Kinney Leaving Chicago Fire Can Give Severide a Break
The Chicago Fire Season 11 premiere “Hold on Tight” highlighted Severide’s distinct lack of character development when he put his needs ahead of a police investigation and destroyed it. Severide was always the fractious rebel to Casey’s more stalwart and reliable persona — but without Casey at Firehouse 51, Severide lost that contrast which made him exciting and watchable. The introduction of the even more impulsive and reckless Sam Carver gave the show two loose cannons in one firehouse, so who is Kelly Severide outside of that personality trait? Audiences mostly know him for taking risks or through his equally dramatic relationships with other characters, be it Stella or his tension with his late father.
Chicago Fire has given Severide a history of problems to overcome. His early addiction to painkillers was followed swiftly by his going AWOL after his best friend Leslie Shay died. He was once demoted from Lieutenant and has almost been killed several times. His love life was even more tumultuous before Severide’s marriage to Stella, with a string of love interests including a Vegas marriage and a girlfriend who was also killed off. A worthy exit for his character can avoid any further negative ramifications for him — and give the writers a chance to figure out new stories for Severide when he returns.
Without Taylor Kinney, Chicago Fire Can Focus on Underused Characters
Taylor Kinney’s absence also means Chicago Fire can focus on its other characters. Other leads like Sylvie Brett and Violet Mikami have been underwritten, so having both Severide and Casey out of the picture requires that Season 11 push different characters forward. Kinney’s exit offers the show an opportunity to decipher how it fits together without both of the leads it was so clearly built around. This is critical, because there may come a time — now or in the future — when Kinney decides to leave for good. The series has to know what to do without him.
Chicago Fire can now afford to proliferate otherwise diminished storylines. An exploration of the characters surrounding Severide can be exciting for the writers, as well as the audience, who have the chance to form opinions on characters who haven’t been seen as much or given more surface-level plotlines. Especially with Chicago Fire co-creator Derek Haas also leaving, this is the chance to experiment and see what works and what doesn’t before any future and more permanent shakeups.