Is Severide leaving Chicago Fire for good? Is Taylor Kinney gone?

Severide (Taylor Kinney) is no more. At least, as far as season 11 is concerned. The Chicago Fire mainstay took a leave of absence earlier in the season, and it’s been confirmed that he won’t be coming back in time for the finale.

It’s disappointing, for sure, but the bigger question for fans is whether Severide will be coming back at all. Will the character decide to make an appearance in the season 12 premiere, or some time down the line? Is he gone for good? Let’s discuss what we know about his future with the 51.

Where did Severide go on Chicago Fire?

Severide left the Windy City to attend an arson investigation program in Alabama. We were under the impression he would return once he completed the program, as was his wife, Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), but it looks as though he had other plans. Thanks to Cruz (Joe Minoso), we found out that he completed the program and left the state to help his trainers with a current ATF case.

Now he hasn’t mentioned this promotion to Kidd, or to Cruz, for that matter (Cruz found out through another source in the training program). It’s a shocking revelation, because Severide doesn’t really seem the type to withhold information from people he cares about.

Especially when it seems as though the information in question is good. Kidd has yet to confront Severide about what she learned, but we anticipate that the confrontation will be coming soon.

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Because so little has been revealed about Severide’s return plans, or Taylor Kinney’s, for that matter (the actor is taking a leave of absence for undisclosed reasons), it’s difficult to predict when he will return. It’s possible that fans will have to wait several episodes into season 12 to see the character again.

That being said, we’re confident that he will return. Severide left offscreen in season 11, and the idea that a character of his stature and importance wouldn’t have a grand sendoff is unrealistic. There’s also the fact that he’s married to Kidd, so whatever the character decides to do, we feel he’ll return to the 51 to tie off any loose ends and give fans a proper goodbye. Ideally he would stick around, but either way, fans should expect to see him again.

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