Heading into the seventh episode of Chicago Fire, we were a bit worried for Carver’s future after he was sent home early from shift by Kidd in the previous episode. After a series of mishaps throughout the day, Kidd was blunt in telling him not to come back unless he could get himself together which had fans wondering whether his place at 51 was going to be in jeopardy.
Well, those concerns were shortlived as Carver returned to work at the top of the episode and Kidd’s decision to send him home early in the previous episode proved to be the wakeup call he needed to realize that he needed to get his priorities back in line. But this shift in his priorities does not come without consequences.
As Carver works to put boundaries in place and put his focus back on his job at 51, it quickly becomes apparent that a wedge is being driven between him and his girlfriend Tori, who has a very different outlook on life.
Across the episode, it’s foreshadowed that the pair might not be as good for each other as Carver once thought – duh, right?! – as the two fail to see eye-to-eye with many things. At one point, Carver even expresses his need to focus on his work if he wants to keep his job at 51 and Tori basically brushes it off. She then brings lunch to the firehouse and makes some colorful comments which prompts Carver to show her out, telling her he can’t have distractions at work.
When we next see the pair before their next shift, it’s clear Carver is questioning whether they’re good for one another as he confesses that their relationship “feels right because it feels like home, but maybe that’s not such a good thing. Home was a dark, messed up place for both of us.” The comment doesn’t land well and Tori quickly pushes back, telling him the only thing messing things up is the firehouse which he keeps putting at the center of his life.
She tries to convince Carver to blow off work to spend the day with her, but she turns her down and says he needs to get to shift but that he’ll see her when his shift ends. Little did he know, that conversation would be their last.
When Carver returns home after shift, Tori has cleared out all of her belongings from his apartment and is nowhere to be found, hinting she’s left Chicago to return home after realizing the two want different things in life.
And with that, it seems Tori has left Chicago behind and we don’t imagine she’ll be coming back after making away during Carver’s shift in order to avoid saying goodbye in person.
With Tori leaving town, one has to wonder what this could mean for Carver’s future with Violet, who has entered a relationship that is quickly getting serious. Who knows what might be next, but it’s clear Carver is here to stay and that Tori’s exit is sure to create some romantic drama in the episodes ahead!
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC and streaming on Peacock!