Spoilers ahead for the sixth episode of Chicago Fire Season 12, called "Port in the Storm."
Chicago Fire has officially said goodbye to Sylvie Brett after ten seasons of her riding Ambulance 61, with Kara Killmer leaving the hit NBC series in the 2024 TV season. One Chicago gave her a happy ending, with Jesse Spencer returning as Matt Casey for a wedding that could allow her to ride off into the sunset after a small (and fishy) ceremony. Not everything went according to plan, however, so it's time to look at how Fire said goodbye to the PIC, whether she could return, and what the actress told CinemaBlend about her last scene that sounds pretty definitive.
How Chicago Fire Said Goodbye To Brett
The stage was set for Brett and Casey to get married as Kara Killmer's farewell to Chicago Fire, but they didn't make it to the altar/front of the fish store without some wedding crises and a dash of very real danger for the paramedic. Somewhat spiraling after learning that her wedding would be at Tony's favorite fish spot rather than the gorgeous Shedd Aquarium, Brett let Violet take over crisis management and late-stage wedding planning once Casey made it into town.
Even with Casey's arrival, there was the possibility that the best man wouldn't make it, which would have been very bad news for me after I've been crossing my fingers for a Casey/Severide reunion. Luckily for fans (and Stella Kidd), after some travel woes, Severide made it back in time for a cigar sitdown with Casey and to stand by his side for the nuptials.
Brett did have one last harrowing call before the end of her time as a Firehouse 51 paramedic. What seemed to be a major fire at the convention center turned into Brett running into a man who was seriously injured trying to steal valuables from the evacuated building, which resulted in him holding her at gunpoint and demanding treatment.
Violet had her suspicions that something was off and recruited Carver to help find her ambo partner, and Casey arrived on the scene with Boden just in time to save his bride and make sure everybody was alive for the celebration. And true to Kara Killmer's preview about the 51 family pulling off a miracle, Brettsey had a lovely wedding despite taking place in a local aquarium/pet store, with the reception at Molly's.
Of course, given that Brett and Casey left the reception to go to Portland rather than just live locally but conveniently off-screen like how Chicago Med said goodbye to Ethan and April in Season 8, it's too much for Brettsey fans to hope for regular appearances from the characters on Fire. Brett also seemed to hand the paramedicine program over to Mouch pretty fully. There aren't really any unresolved stories involving the two characters.
That said, Casey said that "Sylvie and I will always come back" to 51 during "Port in the Storm," as well as "Be back soon" before they drove away to start their new life together. So, Chicago Fire said a pretty final farewell to Brett (and Casey), but left the door open for them to return. Perhaps just not as a paramedic and firefighter! While theirs was an unlikely love story in the aftermath of Dawsey, they got their happy ending.
What Kara Killmer Told Us About Her Exit
News that the actress was leaving Chicago Fire broke months before Season 12 even premiered, which settled my mind about how the show would resolve Casey's proposal cliffhanger. Killmer reminisced on her decade on the show shortly after the news, and fans had plenty of messages for her about Brett.
Since she came back for half a dozen episodes, however, the goodbye didn't happen right off the bat in Season 12 like Gallo's exit in the premiere. When I spoke with Kara Killmer ahead of her final episode airing, she opened up about how she spent her final days on Chicago Fire:
"I definitely made a priority to spend more time savoring than grieving. I had a lot of time to process this sort of being my exit from the show, but these last six episodes were really just a blast. It was a lot of fun just getting to show up to work and do what we do and enjoy the familiarity of it, the well-oiled machine aspect of being on a Dick Wolf show and getting to tell these stories with my friends that I've been with for so long. It was definitely bittersweet, but it was more sweet than bitter."
While there were some bumps in the road for Brett in her final six episodes – including a twist that could have both gotten her booted from the CFD and her future compromised at Portland FD – she didn't have too much to worry about other than putting off her wedding planning a bit too long. These final episodes were sweet for Kara Killmer as well as her character, despite some bitterness. The actress only had great things to say about her very last scene of the show, though. Here's how she put it:
"And it was a party! My very last day, very last scene, was the wedding reception at Molly's, so I was like 'Great! I get to finish my time here in a pretty dress, eating cake and dancing around with all of my friends.' It couldn't have gone better than that. I couldn't have planned it better myself."
Chicago Fire has a history of unconventional weddings, but this was the first that was used to say goodbye to a main character as well as provide another sendoff for a former series regular. If this was the last that fans have seen of Brett and Casey for a while, their story ended on a happy rather than tragic note, which isn't always the case for couples in One Chicago. What better way for Kara Killmer to exit her longtime show than in a pretty dress at a party?
As always after a cast member exits, the show must go on in the world of Dick Wolf series, with the Wolf Entertainment TV universe now consisting of nine shows across two networks. "Port in the Storm" also set up some stories for what remains of Season 12, including Mouch possibly considering retirement and Kylie possibly transferring to Firehouse 51.
Keep tuning in to NBC on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET for new episodes of Chicago Fire, between Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. If you want to revisit Brett's early days on Ambo 61, you can find the full run of Fire so far streaming via Peacock Premium subscription.
