Why Stella Kidd's Chicago Fire Return May Not Be What Fans Think

"Chicago Fire" fans have been getting increasingly worried that Stella Kidd might be leaving the show for good, after she opted to pursue her Girls on Fire program far away from the Windy City. As Cheat Sheet notes, during Season 10 her fiancé, Kelly Severide, panicked that Kidd wasn't coming back despite the fact Chief Wallace Boden suggested she could potentially take over the high-ranking role currently occupied by Matt Casey. However, Boden wasn't impressed when Kidd opted not to hurry back and take the position when it was offered to her, griping, "Four weeks became eight."

Showrunner Derek Haas promised fans hadn't seen the last of Kidd and indeed actor Miranda Rae Mayo hasn't given any indication that she's ready to move on from the hit show either, thankfully. At the same time, Haas admitted in an interview with Parade that, although he did want to get Kidd back "before we broke for the winter," he "wasn't sure just from a schedule making standpoint if I was going to have the actress be available for the ninth episode." Thankfully, everything worked out and Mayo was able to make it after all. 

However, Haas has warned that her return isn't quite what it seems.

In a chat with Cinema Blend, Derek Haas, the showrunner on "Chicago Med," confirmed Stella Kidd would be back in time for the show's festive finale. However, just because she's reunited with the Firehouse 51 team doesn't mean everything is hunky dory for Kidd, and especially with Severide, who's annoyed at the lack of communication during her absence. First off, Haas pointed out she's going to be tasked with answering to him about their relationship, and likely to Boden too, about why she didn't want to take the promotion that was offered to her.  

As for where Kidd's romantic relationship stands now, Haas admitted, "I think fans should be worried" about the fact she didn't bother responding to Severide while she was away. Thankfully, this plot thread is going to be picked up when the show returns in January so fans won't be left on a cliff-hanger for too long. But suffice to say, just because Kidd is back doesn't mean everything is sorted between them. 

In fact, Kidd might be reconsidering both her relationship and her choice of career going forward. As Haas shared with TV Insider, "Sometimes when you get away from the situation you're in and you're on that hamster wheel and you take a breath and you're doing something really worthwhile, it makes you question, what was I doing back there? So she's done some life evaluating and that'll come out in the 10th episode."