Jesse Spencer’s game-changing Chicago Fire exit gets emotional new details from one of the show’s stars. It was announced in October

2021 that Spencer was exiting NBC’s One Chicago franchise as Matthew Casey. It was a significant shift for the procedural drama, with

Spencer being an original cast member who appeared in the very first episode.

 

 

Spencer, who first broke out as Billy Kennedy in the Australian soap Neighbours, has since returned to Chicago Fire as a guest star. But his departure was an important change that the hit procedural continued to deal with and adjust to for a good while. That much was reflected on by David Eigenberg, another original cast member, who plays Christopher Hermann.

In an interview on the One Chicago Podcast, Eigenberg spoke with Brian Luce, a former Chicago police officerwho is also a producer and technical consultant for Chicago P.D. The actor spoke about how, during the first season, the cast would use an empty water bottle as a way of passing the time. The tradition continued when Spencer left the series in season 10:

 

 

Spencer is one of several notable One Chicago exits, with his character moving to Oregon. But the character of Matthew Casey has continued to appear, almost once per season, since his farewell episode. He returns for the season 10 finale, though his official farewell is in episode 5. He is then part of three episodes across seasons 11 and 12.

One of the reasons Spencer returns is to address the gaps within the Chicago Fire cast, which speaks to how close-knit the group is. That is echoed in the podcast remarks by Eigenberg. It is also at least partly the reason why the fire-fighting series has been so vital for NBC. It can serve as a fill-in for the camaraderie of the professions that it spotlights.

One Chicago returns to NBC on Wednesday, October 1, with Chicago Fire season 14 set for 9 PM ET. It’s another season that will have to face monumental exits, particularly with Jake Lockett’s departure as Sam Carver. But as the podcast discussion explains, it’s an aspect that’s built into the show.

All told, Spencer gets one of the better opportunities to bow out during all of One Chicago and especially Chicago Fire. He even returns a few times to provide added closure. But the podcast story shifts the focus, demonstrating how the loss of an original cast member impacted the situation behind the camera.