Is Kelly Severide leaving 'Chicago Fire'? Taylor Kinney's character takes on an arson investigation
'Chicago Fire' just aired a new episode, giving fans a glimpse into Kelly's major decision at the start of this season. Kelly (Taylor Kinney) was previously offered two positions. He could either lead the OFI or Firehouse 51. Eventually, he chose the latter, but apparently his heart was set on OFI. This revelation came to light when Agent Calloway (Carlos Sanz) asked Kelly to help him in an arson investigation in 'A Perfect Arson.' They needed to investigate a fire at a judge's house, which killed a babysitter. The judge's five-year-old daughter has also disappeared after the disaster.
Kelly arrives at the site, and the sitter's body quickly grabs his attention. The body's position suggested that she had been killed before the fire. Unfortunately, the Captain couldn't find a point of origin. This implied that the arsonist had left no trail for them to follow. Agent Calloway and Kelly then went to the medical examiner for further clues. They found no breakthroughs, but Kelly came clean to Calloway about last season. He shared that OFI offered him a job, which he rejected. Van Meter (Tim Hopper) didn't like Kelly's decision, which Calloway understood. Calloway could clearly see that Van Meter was grooming Kelly as the future Commander, and the decision threw a wench in his plans.
Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) also helps in the case. She shares a firefighter's testimony about a car speeding in the opposite direction the night of the fire. Kelly and Calloway receive intel on the car. Kelly is the one who locates it, but is a bit late. The car has been set on fire, possibly to remove all evidence. All they could find in the vehicle was the daughter’s blanket and graffiti. The graffiti appeared to be scales of justice. This implied that the judge had wronged someone who was now out for justice. Severide and Calloway go to the evidence tech, who informs them that a chemical started the fire. Seeing the evidence, Calloway seems to recall something but doesn't share it with Kelly.
Kelly also finds similarities between the fire at the judge's house and an arson that Van Meter once discussed with him. He asks Kidd to talk to Van Meter, who remembered the 2008 case, and offers to talk with the perpetrator, Anton Liddell, who is currently incarcerated. Van Meter and Kidd meet with Anton, who tells them about a detective on his case who was a worthy adversary. The detective was Calloway. Kelly confronted him, but Calloway refused to say anything. All he said was that if Anton was behind this, then the whole situation was Calloway's fault. At the time of Anton's arrest, some evidence pointed towards another arsonist, but he never pursued the case.
Calloway's hunch was correct, as Anton confessed there was another arsonist. However, to give away his name, he asked for a deal. As Kidd and Van Meter discuss Anton's demands, the former reveals that Severide wanted to choose OFI, but Cruz's injuries made him change his decision. Calloway and Kidd zero in on a suspect named Palmer. They head to his shop, but fail to catch him. Later, Calloway disappears, and based on a flyer Kelly saw in his house, the Captain goes to the hotel where Anton was arrested. Kidd accompanies him.
The duo finds the judge's daughter, and Kidd takes her to safety. Kelly finds Calloway. Unfortunately, before he could save the agent, a blast takes Calloway's life. FBI also finds Palmer's dead body. Severide believes there is more to the case, but cannot prove it. He later talks to Kidd, who notices that Kelly hasn't been this passionate in a long time. Kelly also realizes that, but understands he cannot work for both OFI and Firestation. Does this mean that when things turn stable, the fan favorite may move to the department of his dreams? Only time will tell, but as of now, he is rooted in the Firehouse 51. To find out what happens with Kelly, tune in to NBC every Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET.
