One Chicago stars who were written off their shows

Teri Reeves, Steven R. McQueen and Dora Madison

Who they played: Dr. Hallie Thomas, Jimmy Borrelli and Jessica “Chili” Chilton on Chicago Fire, respectively.

When they were written out: Hallie didn’t even make it through the first season, while Jimmy was promoted from recurring to series regular in season 4 only to be dropped early in season 5, and his love interest Chili was only credited as a main cast member for a mere 14 episodes in season 4.

What happened to their characters: After her relationship with Casey went back and forth and back again, Hallie was killed in a fire at her clinic during season 1. Jimmy made a mistake in the field that left him maimed and unable to continue as a firefighter in the opening story arc of the fifth season. Chili was the only one who was physically unharmed, but was fired over her own mistake after battling a drinking problem.

Why it happened: All three of these characters were technically One Chicago series regulars, but it always felt like none of them were actually going to be main characters. Hallie was the only character in the original Chicago Fire cast who didn’t work at the firehouse, and by mid-season 1 the show was already all in on a Casey-Dawson romance.

As for Jimmy and Chili, they served their purpose for respective stories and then, like Mills, were also moved aside. Michael Brandt called the former’s exit “driven by the story” and Olmstead said that Chili was let go to surprise viewers.