What’s next for Stellaride on Chicago Fire? Here are five ways Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd’s relationship could go in the rest of Chicago Fire season 6.
Finally! After almost two seasons of a slow burning attraction between them, Chicago Fire fans got our wish when Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) finally made his feelings for Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) very, very clear to her two weeks ago, and we can now say that Stellaride is a real thing. Again.
We’ve known since Stella arrived at Firehouse 51 that she and Severide had a past, but any future together seemed to always be just out of reach – their romance a victim of bad timing, discounted feelings or other people’s priorities. Whether it was one or the other not being in the right headspace, or both of them having other love interests, these two could never seem to get on the same page even though it was clear that Chicago Fire saw them as being more than each other’s roommmates and BFF’s.
But Stellaride has seemingly found its footing, so where does the show take them now? What does the future hold for Stella and Severide? We’d like to see them enjoy the happiness they never got to explore when they hooked up (and then fizzled out just as quickly) in Chicago Fire season 5, but One Chicago fans know that’s not for certain. There are plenty of ways that Chicago Fire could complicate Stellaride by the time the season ends next month.
To that end, we’re looking at all the possibilities for where Stellaride could go in the rest of Chicago Fire season 6. These are all the potential directions that their story might move next, based on what we know about Severide and Stella’s relationship and what’s ahead for both characters in the remainder of the season.
Which one will ultimately be the right answer? Well, you’ll have to watch to find out – but until then, click through the below slideshow to see what Stella and Severide’s options are.
1. Something else happens to Stella
Severide was finally compelled to confess his true feelings for Stella after she was nearly shot during Chicago Fire‘s two-hour event; the only thing that stopped a bullet going into her heart was her radio. But that doesn’t mean the writers can’t have something else terrible befall her by the end of the season.
One of the most tried and true paths for creating drama in a romantic relationship is to have some kind of bad thing happen to one of the partners, and Stella’s already had her fair share of action in season 6, between almost being shot and her brave rescue effort in “Down Is Better.” She runs right into the action, just like Severide, so she could get into another big scene easily.
Plus, when you factor in that every single cliffhanger in this season of Chicago Fire has involved a loved one potentially being dead, well—it would be no shocker at all if the show ended season 6 on yet another cliffhanger and had Stella be the one at risk. With the focus on Severide and now on Stellaride in the back half of the season, that would be a conclusion that would get people to talk until (hopefully) we come back for season 7!
2. Something happens to Severide again
If one Chicago Fire character has been a magnet for life-threatening situations, it’s Kelly Severide. The most recent cliffhanger in “The F Is For” had him floating unconscious in the river, and that’s just one of the situations that has either threatened his life, injured him, or given the audience a good scare.
So continuing along the lines of our previous argument, fans shouldn’t assume that Severide is out of harm’s way either. In fact, if Fire wants to go the hurt/comfort route, it’s more likely that Kelly is the one getting hurt because it keeps happening to him. In addition, it would be a slightly different tack for the show to take. Last season, we saw Severide’s behavior when his loved one was sick, in the Severanna storyline with Anna Turner (Charlotte Sullivan).
If something happens to Severide, then we would see Stella being there to comfort him and help him, which makes Stellaride different from Severanna. And there’s all kinds of romantic scenes in that loved one in peril story—just look at the Dawsey moments we’ve gotten when Chicago Fire has trapped both Casey and Dawson in separate incidents!
But Severide could be trapped, or just get significantly hurt, or even just make a bad decision that Stella has to help him out of. There are a lot of possibilities with Severide in need of rescue.
3. Severide’s mom messes things up
Tonight’s episode of Chicago Fire introduces Severide’s mom, Jennifer Sheridan, as played by guest star Kim Delaney (Army Wives, NYPD Blue). And the last time one of Severide’s parents met his girlfriend, it didn’t go well—remember how Anna stormed out of the restaurant in tears and told him their relationship was a mistake?
There’s nothing to say that Severide’s mom will be like Severide’s dad Benny (Treat Williams). In fact, from what’s been confirmed, Jennifer is pretty opposite of her ex-husband and is on good terms with her son. But her arrival could still be disruptive. When parents are introduced into TV relationships, it’s usually not good. Jennifer could decide Stella isn’t good enough for her son, or tell her something that Severide doesn’t want her to know, or just have a problem that causes strain for them (not unlike the drama surrounding Nancy Casey).
Plus, is Stellaride ready for “meet the parents” two episodes after they got back together? We know from this episode’s synopsis that Jennifer’s arrival is a surprise, and it’s just common sense that she’ll meet Stella one way or another. Even if Jennifer herself doesn’t cause anything, her being there could push Stellaride a little too fast, and maybe Stella will get nervous. After all, she did just get out of one relationship with Zach and now she’s already meeting Kelly’s mom?
4. Severide’s ex-girlfriend comes between them
Here’s the one we’re most worried about: Chicago Fire has already revealed that Severide’s first serious love interest, Renee Royce (Sarah Shahi), is returning before the end of season 6. This is the woman he almost left Chicago—and the country—for. The woman who once lied about being pregnant with his baby. It’d be foolish to think her coming back wouldn’t have some effect on his current relationship.
Having an ex make waves is another really common trope in TV shows, and Chicago Fire has done that before; remember how Hallie Thomas (Teri Reeves) came back and rekindled her relationship with Casey when sparks were starting to fly between him and Dawson? On top of that, the Renee character is just built for trouble. She’s already lied once, and even if she comes back for a totally harmless reason, you know she’s going to still have feelings for Severide. She already walked back into his life before, so she didn’t just let him go.
Renee’s return will be a real test for Stellaride. How will Stella react to seeing Severide’s ex? Will she stand up and fight if Renee makes a move? When he fell for Anna, Stella didn’t do anything to stop it; in fact she was supportive of Severanna. So if Renee tries to win Severide back, will Stella back off again? Will Severide be able to withstand her advances? He’s not so great with that (see: Hope Jacquinot and how she threw herself at him).
This is the plot hole we least want to see Stellaride fall into, but it’s also the most likely one. For a complete look back at Renee and all of Severide’s exes, check out our catalogue of Severide’s love interests.
5. They actually get a happy ending
Here’s the conclusion that we’re rooting for. After spending two seasons dancing around the idea of Stellaride, and asking the audience to invest in it, Chicago Fire would be better off if it just let Severide and Stella end Chicago Fire season 6 as a happy couple. There’s that idea that happiness on TV is boring TV, but we disagree; when you’ve held out happiness so long, sometimes the best thing you can do is give the fans what they want.
Almost everything that has happened for both Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd in the last two seasons of Chicago Fire has been about, or somehow connected to, each other. Even when Kelly was with Anna, Stella was still part of that. When Stella almost got booted out of Firehouse 51, it was Severide who helped bring her back (and Severide’s crazy fling Hope who caused it). And they still live together, despite Stella’s protests about finding a new apartment.
Letting them finish the season together would be a nice contrast to the drama that’s currently affecting some of the show’s other couples: Dawsey dealing with the Cordova story, and poor Otis pushing Lily away while he’s in the hospital. And it would be avoiding some of those expected plot twists that we’ve mentioned that are kind of cliche.
There’s enough of a story here with Stellaride finally getting together, and needing to navigate a serious relationship (especially for serial dater Severide). Fingers crossed that these two make it to the finish line, and we can enjoy them enjoying being together—but we’ll see what the rest of Chicago Fire season 6 has in store!
Next: Preview tonight's episode of Chicago Fire
What do you think is next for Stellaride? Leave your predictions for Severide and Stella’s future in the comments, and don’t miss a new Chicago Fire tonight on NBC.
Chicago Fire airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.