Chicago Fire fans were left shocked when it was announced that Taylor Kinney would be taking a leave of absence from the show. The actor, who is adored for portraying Lieutenant Kelly Severide in the NBC drama, has not spoken publicly about the news, but it has been confirmed that scriptwriters have accommodated his exit. The question is, how will Severide bow out?
Fans have been taking to social media to share their theories about how Kelly Severide's sudden absence from Firehouse 51 could be explained. Before we find out when the episode eventually airs, check out some fan theories below on how they think it might happen.
WATCH: Chicago Fire hint at trouble ahead of Severide in latest episode
Taking to Reddit, one fan was convinced that Severide's disappearance will be an off-camera, quiet maneuver put down to him simply heading elsewhere to focus on a case away from his wife and colleague, Stella Kidd (Miranda Ray Mayo).
"Those worried about what happens to Severide, if this is a case of an unexpected and unplanned absence happening, it's going to be off camera that something happened and that it's just explained away by Stella or Boden that Severide is doing this thing," they mused, adding: "Much like they did with Stella in S10, he'll just pop back up later when things are sorted."
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Taylor Kinney has been on the show since the beginning
Another fan echoed this thought, adding: "I don't think they'll do what they did with Stella and have him just stop talking to her. It wouldn't surprise me if they say he has to do some type of investigation by himself that wouldn't need Stella."
A third fan was also hopeful that Kelly's exit won't be a lengthy one, leaving his character arc more or less unscathed: "There might be plenty of time for his personal issue to resolve and have him be back with him missing very little."
Fans have been voicing their admiration for Taylor Kinney after the announcement
However, others are more convinced that a bigger plot twist could be on the horizon for the Lieutenant which may prompt his exit. This week's episode, The Man of the Moment, had one fan fearful that the man Kelly and Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) saved from dying could eventually cause some trouble. A fan speculated on Twitter: "Neck arrow man is about to cause all kinds of trouble for Kelly and Sylvie #ChicagoFire."
Meanwhile, other fans seem to think that Kelly's exit will be explained by him going to meet Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) in Oregon. This week's episode saw Kelly open up about missing his friend, so this storyline could have potential. "If Kelly goes to see Casey as a way for him to leave while Taylor takes a break I'd be happy with that. #ChicagoFire," said one viewer.
Another agreed: "And I bet Kelly is going to visit Casey to explain Taylor's leave of absence!!" Fans will have to wait to find out.
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