Chicago Fire season 8 character preview: Kelly Severide

What should happen

If you’re a Kelly Severide fan, you have to feel good at the start of Chicago Fire season 8. He’s back with his girlfriend, he put a huge ghost to rest for his father and in so doing, made peace with his dad being gone. And it’s obvious that Severide won’t be dying in that cliffhanger fire, since Taylor Kinney has a contract through season 8 (aside from being a huge part of the show).

It seems like Severide is in the best place that he’s been in, for a long time. Which naturally begs the question: what’s next for him now that he’s gotten over all the stuff we’ve been waiting years for him to get over?

We’ve been saying this since season 5, but it’s past time to see a more mature and stable Kelly Severide. That doesn’t mean he has to be less fun or exciting; he just doesn’t need to be making questionable decisions and getting into trouble all the time.

With Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) having moved into his place, and all the trouble that Casey’s been facing, this is a perfect season for Chicago Fire to turn the tables. Let Severide become the stabilizing influence and help Casey get through his challenges—and we mean seriously, not by trying to hook Casey up with other women.

Severide is smarter and more caring than the series sometimes shows, and he could give Casey plenty of advice from the experiences he’s had to go through. Plus, it would re-center the show on the core friendship that helped to make it a success originally. So it’d be good for him, and for the show as a whole.