Chicago Fire Season 12 Introduced The Perfect Replacement For Severide & Casey Even Before Jesse Spencer’s Exit

Kelly Severide and Matt Casey’s perfect team-up replacement is introduced in Chicago Fire season 12 before Jesse Spencer’s final appearance. Despite officially exiting in Chicago Fire season 10, original cast member Spencer continued to return as Casey at Firehouse 51, primarily because of his lingering romance with Sylvie Brett. On the heels of the pair’s wedding in Chicago Fire season 12, episode 6, “Port in the Storm,” Casey no longer has any reason to return to Chicago, at least in the foreseeable future. This effectively ends his pairing with Taylor Kinney’s Severide.

As both pioneering cast members, Kinney and Spencer functioned as the poster actors not just for Chicago Fire but for One Chicago as a whole. They fronted every promotional material and were given the most focus during their stint as a pair in the Dick Wolf-created franchise. They led their respective teams at Firehouse 51, while their personal storylines, particularly romances, were often treated as primary narratives in the ensemble procedural. While they were occasionally competitive, Severide and Casey were great friends, and that was a big asset to the Chicago Fire.

Chicago Fire Season 12 Sets Up Carver And Gibson As The Next Severide And Casey

With Casey’s permanent move, it’s the end of an era for Chicago Fire. While Severide remains Rescue Squad 3’s leader, without his oldest pal, the first-responder procedural loses the pair’s dynamic in its storytelling. Luckily for NBC and Wolf Entertainment, Chicago Fire has the perfect replacement for them with Sam Carver and Derrick Gibson. Jake Lockett joined the show not long before Rome Flynn did and, as Firehouse 51’s newest recruits, the pair is already bonding over their shared experience. Depending on how Chicago Fire moves their story forward, they have the potential to be great friends.

In Chicago Fire Season 12, Episode 5, “On The Hook,” Gibson struggles to get comfortable at Firehouse 51, as he is still not used to Chief Boden’s tight-knit team. Carver takes it upon himself to reach out, explaining that he knows what his contemporary is going through, considering that he was once in his place. Eventually, the pair shares a drink, with both men having a vulnerable conversation. Severide and Casey tend to engage in these kinds of talks, and now, their potential successors are having the same bonding activity.

How Carver And Gibson’s Friendship Sets Up Severide’s Possible Exit

Aside from its cases, Chicago Fire‘s biggest asset is the relationship among the members of Firehouse 51. There are different friend groups in the show, and Carver and Gibson’s bond has the potential to become one. However, aside from their bond, the pair could also be the next Severide and Gibson, meaning they can be positioned to be Chicago Fire‘s new generation of male leads. This would pave the way Kinney’s long-rumored exit from One Chicago, which started when the actor unexpectedly took a leave of absence in the middle of season 11.