Sam Carver has had an excruciating season 13 on Chicago Fire. The character was involved in a highly destructive relationship, then, he realized the only way he could kick his drinking habit was by working around the clock. When that plan ran its course, the character had no choice but to step back from 51 duties and focus on himself.
He's been missed. By his firefighting peers, but especially Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith), who confronted and argued with him shortly before he decided to step away. The medic has bore the guilt of this interaction over the past few weeks, but the end of the episode "A Beast Like This" brought about the revelation that Carver is finally coming back. And we're not thrilled to note that he will be coming back to a firehouse in the midst of one of its most chaotic scenarios.
Sam Carver has completed his rehab stay
Carver (Jake Lockett) will be stepping into a "nightmare" in the April 16 episode "Post-Mortem." The firefighter will be on hand when a building collapses, and traps a firefighter underneath. This is such a disaster that 51's former chief, Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker), will be called in to investigate. "Last night was every firefighter’s worst nightmare," Boden says during the promo.
We can only hope Carver is not the firefighter trapped beneath the rubble, but even if he's in the clear in terms of safety, the character's personal struggles may be amplified by this tense work setting. He has tried desperately to kick his drinking habit, and we know through various comments since he left that he attented a rehab facility.
It may be a lot to throw at the firefighter out of the gate. Especially when one considers that he has been absent for the entirety of the trauma that Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) has suffered. The current 51 boss lost his wife shortly after Carver went on leave, and his stability, as well as his competence on the job, has, unfortunately, suffered.
Chicago Fire boss teases Carver's "bumpy road" ahead
Carver may be in a better place than Pascal at the moment, but that does not mean he's out of the woods yet. Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman confirmed that the demons the character has battled during his time on the show remain, and will continue to test him moving forward. Even if he's made notable strides.
"Carver will be back from his stint at rehab very soon," Newman told Parade. "We really wanted to do justice to the addiction journey, and how nothing comes easy. So it’s a bumpy road for him and for the people who love him most."
Bumpy roads make for good television. That said, we ultimately want to see to see Carver succeed.