We knew from the Chicago Fire season 14, episode 11 synopsis that a surprise visitor was set to drop into Firehouse 51. What we did not expect was that this surprise visitor would turn out to be none other than Sam Carver!
NBC has confirmed that Jake Lockett will reprise his role as Sam Carver in the January 28 episode of Chicago Fire, which will see Carver drop in for an unexpected visit at 51. While the circumstances around his return are uncertain, the promo for the episode suggests that Carver might soon find himself at odds with the new man in Violet’s life.
After being warmly greeted by Violet, we get a glimpse of Vasquez joking about Violet putting him in his place as he and Violet enjoy a conversation with Carver at the firehouse. However, the look on Carver’s face immediately hints Carver recognizes there might be more than just friendship between the pair. If there was any doubt about this, the closing moments seem to tease an incoming confrontation as Carver tells Vasquez that Violet deserves the best before Vasquez questions whether they have a problem while out at Molly’s.
It’s honestly not at all surprising that Carver would be at odds with Vasquez, given his complicated history with Violet. However, we’re not so certain the pair will truly be at odds but rather it seems likely that the final moment in the trailer might be overhyping tension between the pair. What’s most likely to be taking place is that Carver has picked up on there being something developing between Vasquez and Violet and goes into protector mode by making it clear to Vasquez that he better not hurt Violet – thus prompting Vasquez’s response about there being a problem.
What will be interesting is to see what brings Carver back to town as this marks Carver’s first time back since his exit following the season 13 finale.
Ahead of the finale, it was revealed that Lockett would not return for season 14 and his exit was introduced in the finale when we learned Carver had accepted a job in Denver. In the season 14 premiere, we learned that Carver had since moved to Denver and cut off communication with Violet in order to give them both the space they needed to move on.
With Carver heading back to Chicago in episode 11, it’s going to be interesting to see what exactly brings him back to town. The one thing that does seem certain is that this is just a surprise visit, as it does not appear that Lockett is returning to the show with his return coming via a guest spot. This is reaffirmed by the fact that when Carver returns to Firehouse 51, he’s not in civilian wear but rather is donning a Denver Fire Department uniform, hinting he’s in town for work.
Considering how abrupt his exit felt, it’ll be nice to get to see Carver again and to get to catch up with the character to see what he’s been up to since leaving town. We also hope that the episode will give us a bit more closure to Carver and Violet’s storyline as their split was just as abrupt as Carver’s exit.
We spent most of season 13 waiting for Carver and Violet to find their way back to one another, only for that moment to finally come on the heels of Carver revealing he was transferring out of the CFD. Hopefully, the show will allow the two characters to share some meaningful moments that help to give fans closure rather than cracking the door open for more what ifs.