Chicago Fire: New photos provide exciting Severide update

Severide is looking at the door. Well, at least we are, because we know that Taylor Kinney is going to be stepping away from Chicago Fire to deal with a matter in his personal life. We don’t yet know when the character will leave, or how he will be written out of the show (temporarily).

Fortunately, the promo photos for the new Chicago Fire episode have been released, and they shed some light on Severide’s current state. The photos, which were provided by NBC, show that the character is still very much in the mix. He appears in several of the photos, alongside Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) and and Brett (Kara Killmer).

This confirms that Severide will not be written out of the show immediately, and will at least be present when Chicago Fire resumes on February 15. Things get even more interesting, however, when you look at some of the other character Severide is interacting with.

One crucial photo shows him conversing with Tom Van Meter (Tim Hopper), who is otherwise known as a Commander and Arson investigator for the Chicago Fire Department’s Office of Fire Investigation (OFI).

We’ve already theorized that Severide’s close relationship with the OFI could be a storyline that allows him to miss a handful of episodes without having to move him out of the city or too far away from his 51 family.

Van Meter’s appearance in the promo photos certainly supports this reading. It’s possible, if there is an abundance of OFI material, that we could see the return of Severide’s old friend, Lt. Wendy Seager (Andy Allo), who we haven’t seen since season 10.

We’re excited to see how the organization fits into the episode, and what the seemingly grim conversation between Severide and Van Meter in the above photo is all about.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 11 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.