It appears one Chicago Fire season 14 star has indeed filmed their final episode of the show, at least for now.
Comings and goings are nothing new to One Chicago fans, who have come to expect cast shakeups at any point in the season. Sometimes these shakeups are widely reported on, while others go quietly under the radar, as was the case with Hero Hunter.
Hunter made his debut as Isaiah early in season 14, joining the show via a storyline that saw Severide and Kidd taking him in as their foster child while his mother recovers from a serious car accident that put her in a coma. As his mother’s health improved through the care she received in the rehab facility in Cleveland, which Kidd helped to get her in, she eventually woke from the coma and turned the corner in her recovery.
While Isaiah’s mom was incredibly grateful for all Kidd and Severide did for her and her son, she arranged for a family friend to take custody of Isaiah so that he could remain in Cleveland full-time as she continued her recovery. In episode 9, “Crime of Passion,” Isaiah left town to move permanently to Cleveland with his mom's friend, Lydia, in a moment that felt like an exit storyline. However, NBC never confirmed Hunter’s exit, and the show continued to work in updates on the character, including one episode in which Severide was out of town visiting him in Cleveland.
Although it seemed the door might have been left open for Hunter to make another appearance or two in the season, Chicago Fire star Miranda Rae Mayo has confirmed the episode was his last.
“It was my 100th episode, and I realized later that it was Hero Hunter's final episode. I didn't take the moment to really honor what a joy it was to have him on set and what a gem he is, how much we all loved working with him. It was bittersweet because we lost Isaiah and we lost Hero,” Mayo told People in a new interview reflecting on the 10-year anniversary of her character’s debut on the show.
Like fans, Mayo is hopeful that we could potentially see Hunter make some appearances in the future; however, it appears that there are no current plans to bring Isaiah back into the mix in the upcoming episodes. This means it is highly unlikely that we’ll see the character again in season 14, which is definitely disappointing, though it does make sense.
Episode 9 brought a natural conclusion to Isaiah’s arc on the show, and while we would love to see more of Hunter, it makes sense that the show puts that storyline to bed as it looks ahead to what’s next for Severide and Kidd. Hopefully, the pair will continue their journey to starting a family no matter whether that comes via adoption, fostering, or a surprise pregnancy!
After watching the pair spend season 13 working to start a family and ending the season with the hope that a Stellaride baby was coming, only to have that hope ripped away in the season 14 premiere. Then to watch Kidd and Severide open their hearts and welcome in Isaiah only for him to leave just a short while later, there is no doubt that Kidd and Severide deserve a happy development.