Chicago Fire: How Kara Kilmer’s Exit Affects the Show Greatly

No one could have predicted that a third exit might occur on Chicago Fire, with two others looming.

News about Kara Kilmer’s planned exit surprised everyone, given how instrumental she was to the previous season.

In all fairness, this is not the first time an important character has left the show or the franchise, but every exit feels like a fresh wound.

In Chicago Fire Season 10, Jesse Spencer left the show, and in Season 11, Taylor Kinney left, albeit briefly, but we are concerned that the period might be permanent.

Jesse returned to the show for an episode, but in Season 11, he had a significant uptick in the length of his arc, which led us to believe that he might be returning permanently.

Never in the wildest of dreams would one think his character was preparing for the exit of another character.

Chicago Fire Season 11 saw Sylvie take center stage, especially in the final episodes of the season when her intent to adopt became a burning desire.

She went through hell and high water emotionally and physically so that she could get Amber’s approval to adopt her little girl.

It was one of the best storylines in the latter half of the season, and we were invested in seeing how the story played out.

We Won’t See Much of the Adoption Storyline in Season 12

Some actions people do are so selfless you can’t help but admire the conviction.

Seeing Sylvie become a mom was one of the things I was most excited to see in Chicago Fire Season 12.

We have seen the highs and lows of adoption through various stories, like with Casey and Abby when she wanted to adopt or Joe and Javi, but it never gets old.

The circumstances behind Sylvie’s intention to adopt were so heartwarming and wrenching that one couldn’t help but get drawn into it.

It took her to very extreme places where she threatened to quit.

She was invested in giving the baby a better life because it reminded her of her circumstances.

This storyline would have been exciting to watch as she fell deeper in love with the little girl and raised her.

#Brettsey Fans Will Lose

Few fandoms are as strong as the Brettsey fandoms. We have braved the constantly fluctuating status of Casey and Brett’s relationship, lost Casey for a while and saw Brett struggle with getting into new relationships. When she finally got into one, it was never the same again.

When Casey proposed on Chicago Fire Season 11 Episode 22, there was cause for celebration since this was something we had waited for a long time.

The future looked promising because there seemed to be nothing that could pull them apart, not even the fact that Sylvie was becoming a new mom.

It was exciting thinking of what their life would look like if Casey decided to stay in Chicago.

They would eventually get married and raise Amber’s little girl together after they gave her a name.

It would have also been fun to see Sylvie reconnect with the Darden boys, who were now part of Casey’s life.

Fans will be dealt a double blow when Sylvie leaves because she might go with Casey, and unless NBC gives them a spinoff, the most we can hope for is to hear their name mentioned in passing by other characters.

The other thing we can hope for now is that they appear in several episodes before they leave, and if a wedding happens in Chicago, we wouldn’t be against it. In fact, we would be elated.

Ambulance 51 Loses a Member

For the second time, Ambulance 51 will lose a key member, but thankfully, the circumstances will be better than what happened to Leslie Shay on Chicago Fire Season 3 Episode 1.

The ambulance is a two-person job; Sylvie has been the most experienced. There was a reason she was promoted to Paramedic in Charge.

The kind of experience she has taken time to gain, and Violet will be working for several years before she gains the same experience.

For an ambulance that serves the most critical of cases, future patients will miss Sylvie’s expertise, and the only thing we can hope is that her replacement is not a pain to deal with and they will be qualified.

Violet Loses a Friend and Colleague

People who work together often develop friendships beyond typical relationships between employees of the same workplace.

Spending hours in that vehicle together saw Sylvie and Violet confide in each other the most intimate details of their lives, including relationship troubles.

Sylvie offered her support to Violet when she was going through it with Emma on account of her relationship with Hawkins.

Violet encouraged Sylvie to try dating again and was the one to suggest Dylan.

They are very invested in each other’s lives, and Violet will miss their friendship. Building a relationship takes time, and a void is left when it disappears.

Firehouse 51 Loses a Familiar Face

While Kara Kilmer was not part of the show’s original cast like Jesse Spencer, Eamonn Walker, or Taylor Kinney, she joined in early enough to be considered a staple of the show.

It does something to a TV show when the original cast members depart, and the show is unrecognizable anymore.

Chicago Fire writers have the talent of crafting new characters worth their weight in gold, as they did with Carver in Season 11, but fans who have been watching the show remember.

There’s a certain comfort derived from a show with familiar faces you’ve been watching for over a decade.

The firehouse will have to acclimate to a new colleague, and while they do that, they will terribly miss Sylvie Brett.

Over to you, Chicago Fire Fanatics. What will you miss the most about Sylvie?

Chime in in the comments section.

In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about Chicago Fire Season 12, which premieres on NBC on Wednesday, January 15 at 9 pm.

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Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.