After Chicago Fire's emotional goodbye and Severide's bombshell, I can't help but think about the Showrunner's comments about resolving the final cliffhangers

Spoilers ahead for the season 12 finale of the Chicago firetitled “Never Say Goodbye”.

the Chicago fire has earned its reputation for delivering groundbreaking finales, with twists and turns ranging from propositions to characters on death’s door. “Never Say Goodbye” did not end on any life-or-death cliffhanger, but the emotional farewell to Boden combined with the explosive revelation of Severide just after deciding to make a big decision with Stella will definitely raise some questions for Season 13 in the fall 2024 TV lineup. Overall, by the time the final credits rolled and Chicago Police started during the finale night of One Chicago, I was going back to which showrunner Andrea Newman told CinemaBlend this spring.

But first !

How Chicago Fire Ended Season 12

News that Eamonn Walker left the Chicago fire as Boden, but still expected to recur in Season 13, broke well before the finale, so it was no surprise that he threw his hat in the ring for the Deputy Commissioner position and got the job. Yet the scene of the heroes of Firehouse 51 saying goodbye to him and expressing how much he meant to them was such a wonderful and powerful moment that I immediately thought something was going to go terribly wrong to make up for it.

There was a very big twist that followed, although it wasn’t terribly wrong in the sense that season 13 is going to start with a crisis to resolve. Damon revealed the secret he was keeping and why he was a little shady about Severide. The two have a family connection: both are sons of Benny Severide.

The revelation immediately made me wonder if part of why Michael Bradway was cast as Damon because of the eye color that I can only really describe as “Severide blue”, and I wonder how many secret children Benny fathered in his lifetime. Katie may have left Fire as an important character years ago, but longtime fans no doubt remember the first half-brother Severide met during the series.

There were other story threads left hanging at the end of “Never Say Goodbye,” ranging from Boden touchingly naming Herrmann as chosen successor as leader at 51 for everything that happens Sculptor. The one I’m most interested in is Severide pitching the idea of starting a family to Stella, with credit to the squad lieutenant for immediately recognizing that the decision would have a much greater impact on her than on him.

Overall, even though there weren’t any sinking boats or collapsing roofs at the end of the Season 12 finale, there were still cliffhangers and unanswered questions to guide the season 13 pick-up, as Andrea Newman told CinemaBlend.

What Andrea Newman Said About Resolving Season 13’s Cliffhangers

I spoke with the the Chicago fire showrunner of the last episodes of season 12, including that of Severide Die hard-adventure-esque in the 250th episode. At the time, I didn’t yet know what the cliffhangers would be at the end of “Never Say Goodbye,” but I knew the series well enough to ask Andrea Newman if the writers had any plans for how the cliffhangers of the season 12 would take place. in season 13. She shared:

We have general plans, and then you start to get into the nitty-gritty once you come together for the season, and we always know – when there are particular cliffhangers – how we want those to land. You know, the track and its descent, but we still have a lot of stories to plan for next season. It’s always fun to see how they play. We become spectators when we are also writers and we see it. I love watching it at night and feeling the way the audience feels, and that will also affect how we approach all these stories. That’s just what that punch feels like when you watch.

Apparently, reactions from watching live episodes and twists actually affect how cliffhangers are resolved. the Chicago fire. That’s not to say that fans dictate every move made in the original series of One Chicago! I then asked the showrunner if she liked seeing how passionately viewers reacted to certain the Chicago fire twists and turns, and she shared:

I do, I do! It’s funny because I’m one of those people who screams at the TV, and I do that while watching it. It freaks my husband out every time. He says, “You saw that, you wrote that!” You know what happens! ” It’s different ! And I shout with everyone. (laughs) I usually have the same reaction as the fans and it’s probably a little psychotic but it’s true. You’re jazzed. When I watched the edit of (episode) 11, I was swearing like crazy and screaming because I was so into it.

Of course, the Chicago fire Fans aren’t always universally enthusiastic about this series’ twists and turns, but Andrea Newman appreciates those reactions, too. She continued:

I love hearing fan reactions and too often that’s how I feel, and fans hate bad guys and that’s our goal too, so when you see someone say, “Oh, I hate Chief Robinson ! You’re like Yeah, what is she doing here?’ (laughs) And then you know, you write your best to make everyone hate her and make this adventure as fun as possible. And hating her and seeing that she’s right sometimes too, which is just as aggravating.

So if fans respond positively to Damon as Severide’s secret half-brother, Herrmann as the new leader of Firehouse 51, and the idea of Stellaride starting a family, will these storylines be explored in Season 13 ? It’s impossible to say at this point, but the showrunner’s comments provide food for thought during the summer break.

the Chicago fire will return to NBC for season 13 in the fall, once again between Chicago Med And Chicago Police for the success of the One Chicago Wednesdays network. You can also stream previous episodes of all three shows with a Peacock Premium subscription.