Chicago Fire had its most questionable season during a large chunk of the last two years when it decided to kill off one of its most riveting characters to progress another love story. At the same time, when Taylor Kinney took time off the series, the writers didn’t’ exactly flesh out Kelly Severide’s temporary exit, making the relationship between Stella and Severide rocky and awkward. Now, we have the news that Alberto Rosende will exit the series as Blake Gallo when it returns for Season 12, adding further questions to the mix. Before that, we were made aware that Kara Killmer will be exiting as Sylvie Brett.
In more ways than one, Killmer’s exit makes a lot of sense, especially for the character and where she could potentially go because the series hasn’t known what to do with her for a while. But Gallo’s is the one that raises more concerns. We could argue that perhaps writers didn’t know about Rosende’s desire to leave when wanting to progress the relationship between Gallo and Violet (Hanako Greensmith), but if the relationship is that important to the series and the story writers want to tell, why wouldn’t they check with the actors? Situations that’d be abrupt can come up, but there’s something to be said about decision-making that doesn’t always feel right for the characters, and pushing it makes the story arcs dreary and unnecessary.
Any writer knows that sometimes, a character has a mind of its own. When it’s their story and their arc is the one that matters, we can sit down with the desire to write one thing, but they’ll draw us toward a different outcome. Sure, perhaps Gallo and Violet were always the vision, but the chemistry between Violet and Hawkins was far more intriguing, vulnerable, and profoundly moving. Gallo and Violet were always better as friends, and pushing that when all other signs were leading to another ship didn’t sit well with a lot of viewers. It didn’t sit well with us either.
The shake-ups coming to Chicago Fire Season 12 could make or break the series this far along. There’s a reason SVU still does incredibly well, and a large part of the reason is that the show continues to allow its characters to move the plot forward. However, with Chicago Fire continuing to make decisions that favor the plot instead of the characters, there are still many questions about the fate of the series and its quality.
Of all the shows in the One Chicago universe, Chicago Fire always had the most heart. Its characters were a poignant part of the show’s importance, and fortifying their relationships with one another—both platonic and romantic—made the show feel comforting. There’s always the chance that when something runs this long, actors will want to move forward with other projects, yet there are ways to honor those decisions without ruining buildup and dynamics. There are ways to tell stories without untying the thread stringing together years of character development.
It’s hard to say where the series will go in Season 12 and how it’ll keep things afloat with heartbreaking plot points consistently being at the forefront of storytelling. Their line of work is tragic enough without adding more stress to the characters’ lives. It’s not just about the romance, but it’s about the friendships, too—it’s about consistency and careful attention to the details fans are constantly aware of and rooting for. In the last two years, the narratives simply don’t feel earned, so hopefully, with all the changes, the show gets back to what makes it special.