Chicago Fire season 8 character review: Matthew Casey

What it means

One Chicago viewers have differing opinions on what’s best for Casey. Some want him to get back together with Dawson, while others want to see him with Brett, and still others aren’t interested in either relationship. But whichever camp you’re in, the one thing we can all agree on is Chicago Fire season 9 needs to pick a direction already.

The show spent a whole season slow-burning a Casey and Brett romance, then swerved away from it when she got engaged. Then it seemed the writers would get back to it this season, only to bring back Dawson. And just when Dawson left, then there were more hints about Brett. Casey as a character seems completely aloof about Brett’s potential feelings for him, and obviously he’s got unresolved feelings for his ex-wife, and he can’t live in that land of confusion for another season. Just as importantly, the audience can’t be confused for another season.

We’re used to seeing Casey much more confident about his decisions, and the show also doesn’t want to go so far into his personal life that it forgets he’s also an excellent firefighter and a leader of Firehouse 51. Picking a personal direction would also free up time for him to have more to do in other arenas. He still has plenty of challenges as a Captain, and there’s always a life-threatening situation to throw him into. Is he really over almost getting killed for the umpteenth time? He did crack a little when that happened last season, but that’s never really been revisited.