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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Chicago Fire Season 13 finale “It Had to End This Way.”]

Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Severide (Taylor Kinney) are formally increasing their household — however not in the way in which they deliberate.

The Chicago Fireplace Season 13 finale ended with Kidd revealing that she’s pregnant! Elsewhere, Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) cleared his personal identify — with vital assist from Severide — within the tried homicide of his spouse’s killer; Herrmann (David Eigenberg) introduced he was stepping all the way down to being an everyday firefighter so Mouch (Christian Stolte) might be lieutenant of engine; and Violet (Hanako Greensmith) and Carver (Jake Lockett) mentioned “I like you” … simply as he’s planning to maneuver to Denver.

Under, showrunner Andrea Newman breaks down the finale and teases extra change coming in Season 14. (She beforehand informed us that the finale wouldn’t be writing out Daniel Kyri‘s Ritter and Jake Lockett’s Carver and we’d need to tune in subsequent season to see how their absences are defined.)

Kidd’s pregnant. Why did you are taking Stellaride on the journey you probably did with having a child?

Andrea Newman: I feel that they each had, particularly Kidd, some actual points and hesitations round it, and it didn’t really feel proper to have her simply leap into it from the beginning. Severide was prepared earlier than she was. In his thoughts, it was less complicated for him for a bunch of causes. It’s extra sophisticated for a feminine firefighter than a male firefighter. And by way of simply how they noticed their very own childhoods, it was sophisticated. However for Kidd particularly so, and this season was actually about her coming to grasp all of that and perceive the issues that occurred when her cousin got here, and he or she bought to actually discover and speak about for the primary time her aunt being so depressed after her being pregnant.

And when she bought to see how different individuals have been mothering and undergo that medical rollercoaster in Episode 20 of the newborn, considering they have been going to undertake, after which on the finish, the mother deciding to — her basically empowering this mom to resolve, “I can do that,” that gave her a preview of herself as a mom, I feel, and her relationship with Natalie has carried out that for her. So I feel she began to actually consider that is one thing not solely that she will do, however that she actually needs to do. And in order that’s the place in my thoughts, she form of left it to the fates. By the tip of [Episode] 20, it’s like, “If the adoption factor occurs, great. If I get pregnant, great, I can deal with something.” She form of got here to a spot the place she believed in herself sufficient to be prepared for no matter parenthood was going to appear like for her.

So what are you able to tease about what this parenthood journey goes to appear like now that Kidd is pregnant? Are you taking part in the standard between-seasons time leap so we’ll choose up months into the being pregnant?

Yeah, we at all times do that point leap. How a lot of a time leap, we don’t know, however I feel the way in which we’re it and who is aware of precisely what’ll occur with this being pregnant journey for her, however what we would like is that concept that oldsters who’re first responders face, which is the stakes go so excessive. You assume they’re excessive now once you’re married to the individual in a firehouse, what if you happen to’re each trapped in a fireplace collectively and realizing you’re going to depart your youngster orphan basically, which is what occurred to Kidd when she was younger. So it’s an enormous concern of hers. And now yeah, the stakes are simply up. Every little thing will get dialed up once you cope with kids on a name, you see the face of your personal youngster.

It’s a technique to actually simply amp all the pieces up for these two and check this relationship in all new methods whereas retaining them in love and attractive and all of the issues we like about them collectively. However yeah, parenthood. that’s going to shake it up for certain.

Was the plan at all times to have Herrmann finally return to being an everyday firefighter as a substitute of chief? Why go about it this manner?

From the very begin, we knew that he had this unbelievable strain on him as a result of Boden had mentioned within the finale final 12 months, you’re the one to take the throne basically. And that coming from Boden, who Herrmann worships, is heavy strain. After which on the opposite facet, you’ve gotten Mouch who had come again from his damage within the earlier season, “Name Me McHolland,” like a completely rejuvenated firefighter on a conflict path. “I’m not going to be the sofa man anymore.” So Herrmann’s form of caught between these two issues. And the one factor he by no means asks himself because the snowball begins rolling down the hill is like, do I would like this? And I feel Pascal senses that and sensed that from the beginning, and so he’s kind of testing him alongside the way in which, “Do that, come to this occasion, attempt main right here.” In the course of the crossover he mentioned, “You don’t get to be boots on the bottom, you bought to face right here.” And in that second Herrmann was like, “I can’t. I’ll by no means forgive myself.” So Pascal’s been watching and that was one thing we wished to see, is Pascal turning the screws a bit of bit. And is he doing it for his personal functions or is he doing it to assist Herrmann was at all times the query. And I feel that’s what leads all these roads to the finale and the choice that Herrmann makes.

So with Herrmann not going for chief, is Pascal staying particularly as a result of he noticed how a lot the firehouse rallied round him all season, with Monica’s dying after which within the finale?

Yeah, I feel the important thing second for Pascal was in Episode 16 and the funeral for his spouse, for Monica, after they all confirmed up and he mentioned, “Sorry, this funeral is household solely,” and Mouch mentioned, “That’s why we’re right here, chief.” And to me, that felt just like the second that he understood he was a part of this household, and he form of took it in. He’s so onerous to learn generally, Pascal, however that was one second the place you noticed it actually get him within the coronary heart and the intestine. So I really feel like that from that second transferring ahead, between that and between the deepening bond with Severide, 51 appears like his house. And if he blew it, it’s going to be tragic, if he blew it due to his Achilles heel, Monica and him going after this man, Severide goes to do all the pieces he can for him, however Severide’s questioning on the finish of the day, did he do that, too? So yeah, he’s bought some issues to cope with to have the ability to keep at 51,

So he’s undoubtedly staying although now for Season 14?

I feel that — yeah, I imply, we’ll see him in Season 14, for certain.

You probably did appear to arrange an exit for Carver, with Denver, however then he and Violet appear to be on the trail to getting again collectively. So what are you able to say about their relationship now and the way his plans is perhaps altering?

Yeah, it’s such a journey for them to each have the ability to get to the place the place they will say that to one another for various causes, however it’s been burning below the floor for each of them. So it was such a second to have them have the ability to say that and are available collectively, however it doesn’t make all the issues go away both. As a lot as it’s kind of soul-fulfilling for them and one thing they each wanted to do, it doesn’t make it go away, the truth that Carver appears like he can’t heal, and he can’t keep sober within the place the place he has gone thus far off the rails, that doesn’t change simply because Violet loves him. It’s all the pieces he’s wished on this planet, however it doesn’t change the explanations he was going to depart. So there are some huge selections to make for the 2 of them. And for Violet, she would by no means need to be the explanation that he couldn’t get effectively or if issues went badly, she wouldn’t need to be the explanation why. So there’s numerous loaded, heartbreaking, and heart-fulfilling issues between them, selections to be made.

We all know that Daniel and Jake are leaving a sequence regulars. Is everybody else returning in the identical capability?

Properly, one of many causes we did, and this was earlier than we knew precisely how the ax would fall from above, however we wished to play as a result of it’s very true to what’s taking place now on this planet, this auditor coming in and saying, “Look, CFD is cleansing home, and issues are going to get shaken up,” and there’s no one be protected on this shakeup. So subsequent season goes to be about how the s**t actually hits the fan as soon as that mandate comes down and the way issues get shaken up and the way our staff can maintain collectively as a household whereas all this craziness is occurring round them.

What else are you able to tease about subsequent season?

It’s going to be very a lot about how the change impacts everyone, not simply from the highest, however happening under, too. And one factor we discovered once we introduced in Pascal that was actually enjoyable is it’s not nearly attending to know this new character, it’s {that a} new character brings out new sides to the characters we’ve had for a very long time and also you see completely different elements of them and get to know them higher. So yeah, subsequent season’s going to be all about shakeups and the way everyone reacts and new individuals and comings and goings.

Is there something that you simply needed to scrap from this season? Any vital storylines that simply didn’t slot in for any purpose?

No, the stuff that was actually necessary and emotional, we managed to maintain. We discovered that we had a lot driving story that a number of — we like to do our comedy storylines as effectively, and some of these ended up going by the wayside as a result of stuff bought so heavy and so locomotive in direction of the previous couple of [episodes]. However there’s undoubtedly extra to discover by way of we haven’t seen Kylie [Katelynn Shennett] quite a bit this season and we love Kylie, so how she matches into 51 subsequent season is an effective query. The place the relationships will go between all our important characters and what Herman will do now that he’s taken a pay reduce to earn cash — as a result of we all know he’s not the most effective with cash and funds, so he’s going to try to discover all kinds of latest methods to make up the distinction — and yeah, Mouch goes to really feel unhealthy about that and try to assist and that sounds disastrous to me.

Particularly with all the children that Herrmann has.

I do know, I do know, precisely. That’s what David mentioned. He’s like, “Nice, it’s a candy transfer, however what about my 800 youngsters at house? What am I going to do?”

There are fairly a little bit of shake-ups as a result of Mouch is now going to be lieutenant on engine, there’s the matter of 51 dropping each Ritter and Carver, Kidd will probably be out in some unspecified time in the future on maternity depart. Such as you mentioned, there could possibly be different shakeups. What are you able to say about who’s going to be the place subsequent season in relation to all that?

Yeah, I imply, that’s actually the query. And there’s additionally the query of will they — they usually have carried out this within the CFD — begin having solely two-man vans? You possibly can solely have two individuals on engine, two individuals on squad, after which who goes the place. And so yeah, it’ll be tight, and we’ll most likely see some rotations of individuals coming in and masking and that may get messy, it’s not as clear, and errors can get made when that occurs out within the subject as a result of the communication’s not as straightforward. So yeah, I feel that’ll be a bumpy and thrilling highway for the staff.

Chicago Fireplace, Season 14, Fall 2025, Wednesdays, 9/8c, NBC