‘Chicago Fire’: 4 Questions We Need Answered in the Season 12 Premiere
Chicago Fire season 11 ended with plenty of personal and professional drama. A sniper attack left Mouch clinging to life. Sylvie Brett adopted a baby girl and was on the receiving end of a proposal from her ex-boyfriend Matt Casey. And Stella Kidd set out to discover what exactly Kelly Severide was doing during his extended absence from the Windy City.
So, what’s next for the crew at Firehouse 51? Fans have been left to speculate for months, thanks to the actors’ and writers’ strikes delaying the show’s return. Now, with the season 12 premiere just weeks away, these are the questions we hope are answered in the first episode.
Is Mouch OK?
Mouch (Christian Stolte) has had brushes with death in the past. But the season 11 finale, when he was rushed to the hospital after being hit with some shrapnel, had us seriously worried about his fate. At first, it seemed like he would make a full recovery. But then, he flatlined.
Will Mouch make it? Stolte has been with Chicago Fire since the beginning. The loss of his character would be a major blow. We’ll have to wait until the season 12 premiere to find out what happens, but chances are Mouch pulls through, especially considering the already confirmed exits of two other characters (more on that below).
Will Brett say yes to Casey’s proposal?
Brettsey might get their happy ending after all. Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) and Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) tried to keep their romance alive after he left Chicago for Portland, Ore., in season 10. But a long-distance relationship was too challenging, and they eventually called it quits.
However, it wasn’t truly over for the pair. After Casey temporarily returned to Chicago in season 11, he stunned Brett (and fans) by asking her to marry him in the season 11 finale.
How will Brett respond to Casey’s marriage proposal? The season 12 premiere will reveal her answer. Our guess: She says yes, though the fact that Sylvie also adopted a baby girl in the season 11 finale might put a wrinkle in her and Casey’s plans. However, given that Killmer has already announced she’s leaving Chicago Fire, a wedding to Casey and a move to Portland may well be in the cards for her.
What’s next for Severide and Kidd?
Chicago Fire got a major shakeup when longtime cast member Taylor Kinney took an unexpected leave of absence early in season 11 to deal with a personal issue. The show explained his absence by having the Kelly Severide character leave Firehouse 51 for a special out-of-state training program.
But his wife, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) eventually discovered that he’d left the training program and signed on with an ATF investigation — without bothering to tell her. At the end of season 11, she left Chicago to track down her husband and bring him back home.
Severide will be back in Chicago Fire Season 12. We hope the new episodes deliver some answers about what he’s been up to in his absence. But a bigger question might be what impact his disappearance has had on his relationship with Stella. We expect to see the couple working through their issues in the upcoming season.
Why is Blake Gallo leaving Firehouse 51?
Kara Killmer isn’t the only Chicago Fire cast member leaving in season 12. Blake Gallo actor Alberto Rosende is also on his way out. The actor’s last episode will be the season 12 premiere. We’ll have to wait and see what prompts Gallo’s exit. But it’s possible the show could pull a bait-and-switch, allowing the in-jeopardy Mouch to live and then killing off Gallo instead. If Gallo is killed off, that could have a major effect on Violet (Hanako Greensmith), the character’s on-again, off-again love interest.
Chicago Fire Season 12 premieres Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. Episodes also stream on Peacock.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
