Warning! Spoilers ahead for Chicago Fire season 11.
Taylor Kinney's exit from Chicago Fire will have a big impact on the stories of Kelly Severide (Kinney) and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) moving forward. After a series of big One Chicago exits, Kinney follows with an unexpected leave of absence from Chicago Fire. While the franchise has been dealing with cast reshuffling every few years, this one is particularly big not just because Severide is the face of the Chicago Fire, but because of how sudden it is. Suffice it to say, this will drastically change the trajectory of Severide and Kidd's arc.
After both having some second thoughts about getting married, Severide and Kidd finally tied the knot in the Chicago Fire season 10 finale, giving Firehouse 51 something to celebrate. But not long after the celebration, the couple was faced with their first run-in with death as Mr. and Mrs. Severide when their honeymoon was ambushed. Subsequently, Kidd almost got killed during a rescue mission gone awry. Amid all of that, the pair remain strong together, so it would significantly impact their planned future in the show.
Kinney’s Chicago Fire Exit Ruins Severide & Kidd’s Story
Cast changes are always tricky to navigate, but Kinney's impending exit from Chicago Fire is more complicated because it's unplanned. His abrupt decision to take a leave of absence from the series requires NBC to rewrite scripts in the middle of the season. Firehouse 51 has had its fair share of departures, so Chief Boden's crew would just be fine, but it's the impact on Severide's personal relationship that will bear the brunt of Kinney's leave of absence from Chicago Fire. Aside from their marriage, Kidd's arc will also suffer if they can't come up with a good reason to write her husband out soon.
Prior to this massive Chicago Fire shakeup, showrunner Andrea Newman teased a difficult road ahead for Severide and Kidd. After her near-death experience, the incident continues to haunt Kidd. If she is suffering from PTSD, she would need all the love and support she can get, especially from her husband. That can't happen anymore unless One Chicago wants to ruin Severide's image by seeing him leave his wife during this time. Chicago Fire has the chance to show the personal toll that the job has on firefighters with Kidd's narrative, but, now, they will have to pivot their storytelling direction and focus on Severide's departure instead.
How Taylor Kinney’s Severide Will Exit Chicago Fire
If reports are accurate, then NBC still doesn't have a concrete plan on how to write Severide out of the show. Unlike Jay Halstead's exit from Chicago PD and Dr. Ethan Choi from Chicago Med, Chicago Fire has to scramble and adjust to this new development. Depending on how long Kinney will be gone, Severide and Kidd may not even have to break up. Perhaps it has something to do with dealing with a different job, otherwise, it may be something family-related, hence why he needs to go out of town and leave Kidd behind. Whatever it is, it should keep the door open for Severide's expected return.
Chicago Fire season 11 airs Wednesdays on NBC.