The Return of Severide: A Rift in Firehouse 51

The Impact of Severide's Return

Kelly Severide's return in Chicago Fire season 12 brings more problems for him than just dealing with Stella Kidd. Taylor Kinney's last-minute request to go on leave left the Wolf Entertainment writers scrambling to find a way to explain his absence for the remainder of season 11. Ultimately, they found a way to do so, deciding to send Severide on an out-of-state OFI training course. However, while leaving was easy, Severide will soon realize that coming back is more difficult.

Joe Cruz wearing a Chicago One vest in front of fire jackets in Chicago Fire

Per co-showrunner Andrea Newman in a new interview with TV Line, Severide's return to Firehouse 51 will also create a rift between him and Joe Cruz. For context, when Severide abruptly left, Cruz took over Squad, and now that he's back, it'll “bring some new change and tension that will have to be worked out for Cruz and Severide to keep working together.” Chicago Fire season 11 finale saw Kidd taking the next few shifts off to bring her husband back, but while reuniting is great for their marriage, it creates a power structure issue within Severide and Cruz's team.

The Impact on Relationships

Prior to Kinney's unexpected leave of absence, Chicago Fire was supposed to focus on his and Kidd's relationship. The pair had just gotten married — a big step in their relationship, considering their respective past. That was all derailed, made worse by Severide's inability to properly communicate about his plans during his time at the OFI camp. Despite this, there's no doubt that Kidd loves him, so she's going to be more forgiving for his transgressions.

Things are different with Cruz, who was also severely affected by his superior's unexpected leave. As Severide's second in command, he was forced to step up and lead the team. Despite being a capable firefighter, Cruz had to prove so many people wrong about his ability to step into the shoes that Severide left. Ultimately, he proved them wrong, but now that Severide is back at Firehouse 51, it's understandable if Cruz has a grudge about being bumped down to make space for Kinney's character. This conflict impacts the whole Squad, potentially hindering them from doing a great job in Chicago Fire season 12.

Chief Boden's Intervention

Since Cruz and Severide's issue affects Firehouse 51, Chief Boden may decide to get involved, which is perhaps for the better. That way, the issue can be resolved much quicker than just waiting for both men to let it fester. Ideally, this issue should all be cleared up in the first few episodes of Chicago Fire.