It seems Chicago Fire fans will be seeing a familiar face back in the Windy City very soon.
Matthew Daddario will soon be making his way back to the Windy City to reprise his role as McCaffrey, weeks after what, at first, appeared to be his final episode on the show. Daddario’s return was confirmed via a recently shared casting call looking for a stand-in for matching Daddario’s build for camera blocking and lighting tests under the posting of “SI McCaffrey.” It is not yet known what episode Daddario’s return will come in, but with filming beginning this week, the episode is not expected to air until after the upcoming One Chicago crossover scheduled for January 13.
We last saw Daddario in the third episode of the season when a series of poor choices led to the end of his time at Firehouse 51. In the episode, Tony was injured on a call after one of the probies ignored Kidd’s direct orders. We’d come to learn that it was McCaffrey who disobeyed the order, but rather than coming clean about his mistake, he tried to use his family connections to sweep things under the rug. Needless to say, McCaffrey’s actions did not sit well with Kidd and Severide, and they decided to recommend his dismissal from the CFD.
Given the circumstances, it seemed that was the end of McCaffrey’s time on the show, but then the 300th episode rolled around and brought about a surprise development.
While Chief Tomlin might not have been able to help McCaffrey get out of the bind he found himself in as a result of his actions, Tomlin ultimately used his influence to get McCaffrey back on the CFD payroll… just not in the way he hoped. As Mouch and Severide fought to get an extension before his occupational health evaluation, Tomlin agreed to issue an extension only if Severide rescinded his letter to the DC and had McCaffrey reinstated. Severide did not back down, but he did present an alternative: helping get McCaffrey a job at the front-desk of the equipment and supply team within the CFD, which would get McCaffrey back on the payroll and give him the chance to earn his way back into the field.
Of course, Cruz ultimately chose to walk away from the CFD, but the deal Severide and Tomlin struck had seemingly gone through: Severide got Cruz the extension, which means he rescinded his letter to the DC, meaning McCaffrey was, presumably, offered the job at equipment and supply. That storyline opened the door for Daddario to return, and it seems the writers will be walking through it soon by bringing McCaffrey back in an upcoming episode.
It's certainly going to be interesting to see if McCaffrey has learned from his mistakes and accepted the consequences of his actions or if he’s going to be holding a grudge against Severide and Kidd when he next crosses paths with them. Hopefully, McCaffrey's return will be the beginning of a redemption arc for the character, as we would certainly love to see more of Daddario on the show and to see McCaffrey turn over a new leaf.
We’ll find out what the future holds soon enough and will be eagerly awaiting Daddario’s return!
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.
Add us as a preferred source on Google