What happened to Jimmy Borrelli on Chicago Fire?

Jimmy Borrelli (Steven R. McQueen) was a memorable presence from the moment he stepped into Firehouse 51. He debuted in the season 4 episode “Let It Burn” after his firefighter brother gagged and tied him up, and it took a bit for the embarrassment of that first impression to wear off.

Over time, Borrelli proves himself to be a reliable, albeit romantic member of the 51 squad. He has flings with several of the other members, and his reluctance to follow transfer orders puts him at odds with Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) for a brief time.

With all this in mind, you may be wondering what happened to Borrelli and why he’s no longer a featured player on Chicago Fire. Here’s a rundown of the character’s fate.

Did Jimmy Borrelli die on Chicago Fire?

Borrelli’s firefighting career came to a screeching halt in the season 5 episode “A Real Wake-Up Call”. The character was still beefing with Chief Boden at the time, and their animosity led to a near fatal accident when he answers a distress call.

All units are called to a multi-vehicle collision, and while Boden warns all firefighters to stay back from the wreckage, Borrelli ignores the order and winds up caught in the subsequent blast. He’s badly burned as a result of the explosion, and while he manages to survive, he does lose sight in his left eye. The injury forces Borrelli into early retirement.

During a 2016 interview with TV Line, Chicago Fire producer Michael Brandt explained that the character was always destined to clash with Boden. “With Jimmy’s character, it just felt like he needed to stand up for what he believed in, but Boden needed to stand up for what he believed in, and those two things couldn’t live together”, he revealed.

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Borrelli hasn’t made an appearance on the show since his season 5 injury. There haven’t been any concrete attempts to bring him back for a guest spot, but that doesn’t mean the door is shut on a return in the future. “Character-wise, you can never burn bridges on a show too badly to not salvage them”, Brandt added.

The actor who plays Borrelli, Steven R. McQueen, has not been hurting for work. He’s appeared in a number of popular TV shows, including Legacies and Medal of Honor, as well as the 2020 TV film The Warrant.

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