Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd’s story significantly moves forward in Chicago Fire season 12, episode 12, “Relief Cut,” but I’m having a

difficult time being excited about it. Despite being a procedural, the One Chicago franchise separates itself from other Wolf Entertainment

franchises by leaning a little more on the personal storylines of its characters. This is most true with Firehouse 51, where its members’ narratives tend to be seamlessly integrated into its w

 

 

Like many Chi-hards, I’m having a difficult time remembering what Chicago Fire was without the couple. Romances are usual in Firehouse 51, with several characters dating a co-worker or two. However, because of the nature of their job, not to mention the show’s long-term format, maintaining a happy relationship is tricky. Kidd and Severide have underdone their fair share of crises, with the latest one being in the 2025 One Chicago crossover. After that, however, Chicago Fire season 13 finally decides to move their personal narrative forward, as the pair revisit their stance on starting a family.

 

 

The couple has been married since the season 10 finale, but Kidd and Severide’s story has been stagnant for a while. I’m mainly chalking it to Kinney’s unexpected time-off in the middle of season 11, and the truncated run the following year. Even then, when Severide brought up the idea of starting a family in the Chicago Fire season 12 finale, I was against it. I didn’t want a pregnancy storyline that would take her agency. At that time, I even suggested that it was time for Kidd and Severide’s marriage to end.

Admittedly, I’m still not happy with the way Chicago Fire didn’t fully explore the fallout from Severide’s disappearance, but at least, when the idea of having a kid is brought up again, it’s coming from Kidd. This alleviates my fears about a dramatic unexpected pregnancy storyline that would drive a wedge between them. I’m convinced that Chicago Fire can keep their story interesting without pitting them against each other. That said, my excitement deflated when Kidd suggested adopting instead of getting pregnant. While still better than a pregnancy twist trope, it’s a tired storyline, especially in One Chicago.

Being on the air for more than a decade, I understand that storylines and plots being redone is inevitable. As long as NBC and One Chicago come up with fresh twists, I assume that die-hard viewers will continue to tune-in because they are invested in the characters’ journeys. That being said, doing another adoption story for Severide and Kidd at this point is just wildly uninspired. We’ve seen this plot done so many times, with Matt Casey and Gabby Dawson, and later on with Sylvie Brett. Joe Cruz also underwent the same route when it came to expanding his family.

 

eekly cases. While everyone has their respective woes, it’s safe to say that Chicago Fire‘s most prominent characters are Taylor Kinney’s Severide and Miranda Rae Mayo’s Kidd.