It’s Time for Chicago Fire to Push Severide Into OFI Once and For All

Since the beginning of Chicago Fire, it’s been clear that Kelly Severide has a passion for arson.

He didn’t like to admit it at first because it was his dad’s career choice, but he is naturally good at determining a fire’s origins

Every now and then, there’s been a hint that Severide could leave Squad 3 for a permanent place at OFI, and now is the time for the series to run with it.

Severide Spends More Time Investigating Fires Than Fighting Them

Throughout the 14-season run, the OFI has turned to Severide when there’s been a tricky case to figure out.

In fact, the OFI specifically asks Severide to assist with an investigation, leading to his being pulled from Firehouse 51 to help with the backlog of cases during Chicago Fire Season 8.

While it was originally written to cover Taylor Kinney’s real-life temporary leave of absence during Chicago Fire Season 11, it says something that the series writers opted to have Severide on an arson training exercise.

The more Severide finds himself in the crosshairs of an investigation, the more he can’t help but get to the bottom of it.

There have even been episodes in which Severide has gone out of his way to investigate a suspicious fire, including Herrmann’s house fire on Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 4 and the situation with the principal that began on Chicago Fire Season 14 Episode 7.

When you start spending more time away from the job you supposedly love than you do working it, you have to start questioning whether your heart really is in it.

It’s hard to keep justifying Severide leaving Firehouse 51 so often, leaving Squad without its leader.

This has been brought up by both Pascal and Hopkins over the last two seasons, and it’s only a matter of time before someone higher up than them begins asking questions, too.

Eventually, the top brass will notice that more investigations are solved because of Severide’s abilities, and they may even question why he isn’t in that line of work permanently.

And honestly, it’s a good question.

Severide Admits It May Be Something He Wants

For the longest time, Severide pushed farther away from this career.

He wanted to become a firefighter in his own right, and that meant not following the path Benny could have carved out for him.

By the end of Chicago Fire Season 14, the opportunity has opened up for Severide to lead OFI. He is now a captain, and the current interim captain doesn’t want that job full-time.

She thinks Severide will be the perfect fit for it, and so does Van Meter, who is still a consultant for OFI after his near-death experience.

Van Meter mentored Severide far more than his father ever did. Maybe it’s time for Severide to realize the passion he feels is real, and it has nothing to do with Benny Severide’s experience in the CFD.

This is likely the turning point for many Chicago Fire fans. Understandably, Severide has realized that maybe he does want the OFI position.

Sure, he loves Squad, but he also loves investigating fires. There’s always a niggling feeling in his brain when an investigation comes up, and he just can’t turn it off. Arson investigation is his passion.

By admitting he wants to make the switch, Severide makes it more likely fans will accept that OFI is the right place.

And stepping into the field of arson investigation doesn’t need to rule out his appearance in almost every episode of Chicago Fire Season 15, either.

In fact, it gives purpose to Severide being off-screen intermittently — as has become common due to budget constraints — whether he’s on a separate investigation or there’s a need to visit the OFI office.

There’s also a great potential leader waiting in the wings to take over Squad 3, something that the One Chicago series has been setting up for the past few seasons: Cruz.

Assuming Cruz makes it out alive after that explosive Chicago Fire Season 14 Finale, he has made it clear that he wants to move up the ranks, and he has proven himself capable when he’s stepped in as acting lieutenant for Severide.

So it makes sense to see the characters’ natural career progression.

Severide could Squad 3 for OFI, and Cruz would take the lieutenant exams and move up to that position. It would be a win for both men and the Chicago Fire Department to have good people in the right positions.

There are many other, smaller reasons for Severide to make the switch, such as the job being safer and to prevent another chief from questioning whether it makes sense for Severide and Kidd to work together.

All of these reasons should come into play and be explored on screen.

However, at the heart of it, it’s simply that it’s time for Severide to move up the chain of command into a position he not only excels at but also loves.

The CFD needs the best of the best in each position, and more arson investigations will yield concrete answers with Severide in charge.

This is where we love hearing from you!

Sound off in the comments about this potential career progression.

How do you hope to see questions answered when Chicago Fire returns?

What do you hope to see for Severide? This is an open space to lay it all out. Drop to the comments below and share your thoughts!