Chicago Fire’s Taylor Kinney is One Chicago performer of the week

Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney is One Chicago Center’s Performer of the Week for Nov. 7, for his work in Chicago Fire season 7, episode 7.

This week’s One Chicago Performer of the Week honors go to Taylor Kinney from Chicago Fire, for his performance as Kelly Severide in “What Will Define You.”

Much like last week’s winner Tracy Spiridakos, Taylor Kinney was given plenty of material to work with, because the episode was specifically focused on his character.

And as Severide dealt with the reality of his father’s unexpected death and tried to move forward without him, he reminded One Chicago fans that he’s an undervalued actor.

Chicago Fire tends to write Kelly Severide down certain paths—he’s a brilliant firefighter, but he always seems to make the same poor choices personally (including in the next episode, according to the promo).

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That’s fine, but it means we don’t always get to see the full extent of what Taylor Kinney can do. “What Will Define You” was one of those instances where he was able to show more of Severide than usual and illustrate how he’s evolving.

In fact, that was the theme of the episode—Severide having to move on with his life in the absence of his father, while also re-evaluating his opinion of Benny (Treat Williams) given what Benny did for him and all of Firehouse 51 before he died.

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He played it so well. He didn’t show a lot of emotion and overdo it, because that’s not who Severide is. At the same time, he didn’t gloss over it and we got to see a man at perhaps the most vulnerable he’s ever been. If you thought that seeing him when Anna Turner (Charlotte Sullivan) died in Chicago Fire season 5 was heartbreaking, this was a lot worse.

“What Will Define You” let Taylor Kinney go through a lot of emotions in a relatively short amount of screen time. It wasn’t just about Severide making peace with his father, but also Severide and his mother Jennifer (Kim Delaney), and Severide getting to reunite with his half-sister Katie Nolan (Brittany Curran), plus of course, Stellaride.

This episode actually made the audience feel like Kelly Severide was growing up, albeit in the wake of a terrible tragedy, and showed that he’s a whole lot more than the hotshot lieutenant who can be a little reckless. It focused on his family side, his vulnerable side, and how he had to rethink the way he looked at one of the most important people in his life.

And all of that wouldn’t have been possible if Taylor Kinney hadn’t been able to convey it in his performance. Let’s hope he gets more serious episodes in the future, although hopefully without killing off or injuring anyone else Severide cares about.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 7 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.