Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) is gone. The firefighter decided to step away from his duties at Firehouse 51 and focus on himself for an undisclosed amount of time. It was tough for him to decide, but it was even tougher on those around him.
Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), Carver's closest friend since he joined 51, and Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith), the person who Carver still has romantic feelings toward, made it clear they were sad to see him go. But will he be gone for good? We argue that exit will be a small, albeit painful step in a plan to bring the character back.
Things seemed pretty bleak for Carver on "Bar Time." The character revealed that he was working double shifts at other firehouses, and keeping himself busy around the clock. Why? Well, he found that the only time he didn't drink was when he was working. Hence, nonstop work.
Sam Carver took a leave of absence
This was never going to be a long term fix, though. Carver realized it, and decided to take a big step forward in his addiction by taking it head on. The character has become such a big part of Chicago Fire, though, that it would be difficult to envision the show without him.
He's become a core member, and therefore would have been written off the show with much more fanfare if this were his true blue exit. It was treated with dramatic weight, don't get us wrong, but it came so late in "Bar Time" that it did feel somewhat out of the blue.
Carver is coming back. We suspect the character will be gone for a couple of episodes, and may even pop up to say hello in an off duty capacity, but he will not be gone for the long term. We could see an instance in which Carver's return is a plot point for the season 13 finale or season 14 premiere.
The character has several unresolved arcs
Why? Well, there's so much to resolve with Carver's character. His relationship with Violet still has to be addressed, and it's obvious from the argument they had in "Bar Time" (not to mention the note he left in her locker) that they still have feelings for each other.
Plus, Carver occupies an important role in the show. He's the younger daredevil, the spot that used to be filled by Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney). It's good to have a character like that on the show. Plus, the fans love him, despite or perhaps because of his gruff exterior and tortured past.
Sam Carver has a long road ahead, but we're confident that the writers have a plan when it comes to bringing him back into the Chicago Fire fold.