Chicago Fire winter premiere: Is Stella Kidd still alive?

We were all going into the Chicago Fire winter premiere with baited breath. The previous episode saw Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) attempt to handle a bomb, only to have it go off and bring down the house they were standing in.

Severide (Taylor Kinney), Herrmann (David Eigenberg), and the rest of us at home had to watch at a distance, uncertain as to whether either firefighter would make it out of the wreckage alive. Did Kidd die? Did she suffer major injuries in the latest episode? Spoilers for “Something for the Pain” ahead!

Did Stella Kidd survive the explosion on Chicago Fire?

The episode starts with a recap, before cutting to the immediate aftermath of the explosion. Severide leads the charge into the demolished building and finds Kidd crumpled up in the corner. He doesn’t get an answer when he calls out her name, which only furthers his sense of panic. He then gets a pained reaction from her when she comes to.

After checking to make sure all of Kidd’s vitals are okay, Severide notices that she’s taken some shrapnel in her side, and is bleeding out under her firefighter uniform. The former is then rushed out on a stretcher, with both Brett (Kara Killmer) and Violet (Hanako Greensmith) assuring her that she will make it.

It’s about as grim an opening as Chicago Fire has given us in years. The action picks up at the hospital following the title credits, and an emotionally spent Severide comes out to the waiting room to assure the rest of the 51 squad that Kidd is going to undergo surgery to remove the shrapnel. He adds that she will likely make a full recovery and not suffer any internal damage.

We eventually get to hear from Kidd herself when she wakes up from the surgery. She’s in immediate pain, but she appears alert as ever and asks Severide what medication she’s been prescribed.

Watch One Chicago on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

After their initial exchange, Kidd asks her husband if he’s been in the hospital room all day, to which he responds, “I’m not going anywhere.” It’s a wonderful scene between the couple, and one that speaks to their lasting dedication to one another.

It was said that Kidd will be out of commission for a couple weeks as she recovers, but fans needn’t worry about Miranda Rae Mayo missing a few episodes. There’s a jump in time, so the character will remain at the forefront of the show’s new stories.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 11 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.