Chicago Fire fans were left heartbroken on Wednesday when it was revealed that Kara Killmer, who plays Sylvie Brett, would be leaving the show indefinitely.
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Her character made the decision to move to Portland to be with her partner Matthew Casey - who fans saw leave earlier this season - after realizing that occasional weekends weren't enough to keep their romance going.
WATCH: Casey say goodbye to Firehouse 51
"I can’t stop thinking about when Amelia and Scott were here last time. Scott said that ‘every moment with the person you love is precious. Don’t just let the time slip by.’ I need to take some real time off. Not just a week or even a month. I have to go to Portland and be with Casey," she told Kidd and Violet.
"I will take some time off from CF, see you when Brett returns," tweeted one fan after the episode ended as another shared that they were "HEARTBROKEN that Sylvie Brett is leaving".
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"It’s gonna suck not seeing Brett for a while but I’m happy to know that she’ll be with Casey," added another.
Kara and Chicago Fire bosses are keeping quiet about what this means for the character long term, but it is not thought that Casey - played by Jesse Spencer - will be permanently returning to the show.
Brett made the decision to follow Casey
He may, however, return to Chicago at some point which would allow Brett to return and therefore to return to Firehouse 51.
“Navigating long distance relationships is never easy. I think you set in your mind that, oh, we can handle this and then reality sets in and it’s not always what you think,” co-showrunner Derek Haas told TV Insider in December.
"However, I will say I do think they’re handling it well, I do think she’s going to go see him before too long this season and hopefully, fingers and toes crossed, we can get a certain actor who has had a long experience on the show back for a guest appearance. That would be delightful."
Casey is expected to return for Severide's wedding
Casey is expected to return for the wedding of his best friends, Lieutenant Kelly Severide and Lieutenant Stella Kidd.
In the show's milestone 200th episode, fans saw the firefighter leave the Windy City for three years to move to Oregon and help raise his late best friend's children.
Explaining his reasons for exiting the show after almost ten years, Jesse told press at the time: "I realized I'd been doing TV for a long time, so I added it up… We were coming up on the 200th episode and I called Derek to break the news that it was time for me to leave the show."
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