Kelly Severide is the face of Chicago Fire. We can discuss which character has been in the most episodes, or which have been more consistent in terms of storylines, but Severide has been part of the show's core appeal since its pilot. He's a vital piece of its continued success, which is what made the season 13 fall finale such a bummer.
The episode quickly established that Severide would not be appearing. The veteran firefighter is in Michigan, meaning he will be absent from the rest of the drama that plays out during "Quicksand." It's not ideal, but one episode isn't so bad, right? Well, it gets worse. Chicago Fire is going on break after the airing of this episode.
Severide was in Michigan during the fall finale
This means that Severide will not be back on the small screen until Chicago Fire returns on Jaunary 8. That's about a month and a half of no new episodes. Needless to say, Twitter users were not pleased with the character's absence. Many were frustrated by the fact that they would be deprived of more Stellaride material until the year.
The show went out of its way to note that Severide is traveling in another state, which would be a way of rationalizing future absences. Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) does mention that Severide is coming back "early" towards the end of the fill finale, and the promo at the end of the episode thankfully confirms that Severide will be present for the winter premiere.
Taylor Kinney, the man who plays Severide, is not stranger to schedule changes. The actor was absent for large chunks of Chicago Fire season 11 due to personal reasons. The explanation given onscreen was that Severide was participating in an arson investigation program. He didn't even show up for the season finale.
Severide has missed several episodes since 2023
Severide was written off the show again in season 12 when he accepted an arson investigation case in Tucson, Arizona. The character has a propensity for packing up and leaving with an arson case hits his desk. We're not saying that the same will be true in season 13, but it is worth noting that there has been a pattern of extended absence over the last few years.
To look at things from a glass half full perspective, Severide has been a consistent presence throughout season 13. He had a close professional call in which he covered up for his half sibling, Jack Damon (Michael Bradway), but it was the latter who was ultimately forced to leave Firehouse 51.
It's obvious the Chicago Fire writers still consider Severide a crucial presence, and so we hope to see him stick around come January.