Guess Who's Back: Major Star Returns to Chicago Fire After a Long Break
Trained and prepped, the character is ready to lead the team of firefighters again.
Summary
- Chicago Fire is one of many shows whose production got foiled by the strikes.
- Season 11 of the show saw the disappearance of a major character.
- The character is featured in the first scripts for the twelfth installment of Chicago Fire.
This year has proven pretty disruptive for Hollywood as the writers' and actors' strikes almost brought the film and TV industry to a standstill. Arguably, every viewer can name a project they love that got delayed because of the strikes. For instance, we immensely miss CBS's flagship sitcom Young Sheldon that was supposed to return with its seventh and last installment this fall. Chicago Fire is also among the long-running shows we haven't got this Season.
Premiering in 2012, this NBC drama instigated the creation of one of the biggest and most popular TV franchises in history – One Chicago. Following the crew of the fictional Firehouse 51 in their dangerous yet crucial jobs, Chicago Fire has spanned eleven Seasons, with Season 12 greenlit back in April. Over the course of its run, the show has portrayed a wide variety of characters. Lieutenant Kelly Severide is undoubtedly the most beloved of them all.
As a central character on Chicago Fire, Kelly appeared in every season of the show. However, he disappeared from the NBC drama in the middle of Season 11, breaking fans' hearts. But now it looks like Severide is coming back, as Taylor Kinney, the actor who portrays the firefighter, has been announced to return to the show in the twelfth installment.
Season 11 Disappearance
Originally released in September 2022, Season 11 of Chicago Fire aired through May 2023, when the WGA strike was in full swing. Naturally, Lieutenant Kelly Severide was at the center of the plot, as the installment largely followed him and Stella Kidd after their wedding at the end of Season 10.
However, the fan-favorite leader of Rescue Squad 3 made his last appearance in episode 14 of Season 11, meaning that one third of the installment didn't feature its central character. Titled Run Like Hell, the episode follows Lt. Severide in an arson investigation that leads him to take off-screen courses in that field for the rest of the Season.
But that's Chicago Fire's narrative. In real life, Taylor Kinney had to take a leave of absence to deal with a personal matter. Though the actor never revealed the problem in question, he saw an outpouring of fan support. Now, viewers are over the moon with the news of Kinney's return.
When Will Chicago Fire Season 12 Premiere?
While the news of Tylor Kinney's return to the show is exhilarating, there's still a question of when exactly the next installment of Chicago Fire will be released. Fortunately, now that the writers' strike is over, Season 12 is currently being written, and the first glimpses of the script prove that the actor will return to the show. However, with the SAG-AFTRA strike still in effect, there's no word yet on when the new season of the popular NBC drama will be filmed and, logically, ready to premiere.