Chicago Fire was the anchor for the One Chicago crossover. The show's characters were front and center with every single aspect of the story, thanks to the overseeing and quick thinking of one Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney).
Chicago Fire is going to resume its usual structure on February 5. While the repercussions from the crossover will still be felt, "Relief Cut" will provide fans with a self-contained story involving one of the show's beloved supporting characters. Kylie Estevez (Katelynn Shennett) will be making her very first appearance on the show in 2025, and we are intrigued by the way she will be incorporated.
Kylie Estevez will make her first 2025 appearance
The synopsis for "Relief Cut" confirms that Kylie Estevez will be teaming up with Herrmann (David Eigenberg) on a case involving missing fire hydrants. Herrmann will lead the charge, but decides to bring the former Firehouse 51 employee to help uncover some of the details.
Kylie was last seen in the season 13 episode "Down the Rabbit Hole." The episode aired in November 2024, and also saw the character join forces with Herrmann again to investigate a truck company with an increasingly sketchy track record.
Kylie was poised to be a protege of Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), especially since she was the first person to complete Kidd's Girl on Fire program. Her bond with Kidd, coupled with her father/daughter dynamic with Chief Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker), made her a natural fit for Firehouse 51.
The character was recently transferred to 51
Kylie ultimately decided that she would thrive at a different firehouse, however. She was hired on at a nearby location, and currently works on Truck 46. THEN she was brought back to 51 when Severide's half brother, Jack Damon (Michael Bradway), was booted. Kylie is technically part of the 51 team, but she exists in an interesting limbo where she doesn't appear in every single episode.
It makes her presence within the show a bit confusing, especially when you look at the number of her appearances over the last few seasons. She appeared in 13 season 11 episodes, but only 6 episodes in season 12. So far, in season 13, despite being a Firehouse 51 member, she's only appeared once.
We're still holding out hope that the character will get more screen time as the season unfolds. She is already established, and given that the franchise has made a point of bringing in younger characters like Carver (Jake Lockett) and Novak (Jocelyn Hudon), it would make sense to give Kylie a boost. We will see if "Relief Cut" is the start of this boost.