Chicago Fire fans, prepare to say “welcome back” to none other than Matt Casey! Jesse Spencer is officially returning for the upcoming Season 10 finale in May, and for the wonderful reason of the Stellaride wedding. Co-showrunners Derek Haas and Andrea Newman confirmed that Spencer will be back as Casey for the first time since the milestone 200th episode, and that’s not the only good news that they shared with CinemaBlend for the end of Season 10.
Fans who have been holding out hope both for the Stelllaride wedding to happen in Season 10 and that Casey would be back for his best man duties are going to be rewarded with a finale to remember. Derek Haas explained how early in the finale planning process the Fire team was able to include Spencer:
We pitch the second half of the season right after the winter break. And at that point, we knew what we wanted to do with a wedding at the end with Severide and Kidd. The whole season was kind of pointing towards their nuptials. And so we pitched to Dick [Wolf] that Casey comes back for the wedding. And of course when you pitch that you don't know if you're going to be able to get him [laughs] but Andrea and I pretty much just got down on our knees and pleaded with the very busy, very accommodating Jesse Spencer who talked to us through our tears, [laughs] and said that yes, he would come back for it. So we knew about three months ago that it was going to happen.
Could Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd really have gotten the wedding that they deserve without Casey on hand to help them celebrate? Derek Haas previously spoke about his hopes for Jesse Spencer to return for later in Season 10, and Casey made some voice cameos while he and Brett were still working on their long-distance relationship.
Now, viewers are just a matter of weeks away from seeing Casey back, and already knowing a bit about what’s in store with the finale. It’s definitely a big deal for fans, so did the co-showrunners consider trying to keep it a secret for a surprise down the line? Andrea Newman explained why they wanted to share the news early:
You know, it's funny. We talked about that, but I think we were so excited about it, and we knew that the audience would be so excited about it, that it felt like something we really wanted to be able to promote and talk about so that everybody was geared up and knew he was going to be there.
“Geared up” is probably a safe way to describe reactions to the news that Casey will be back after months away in Oregon to take care of the Darden boys, to join the people he worked with for so many years on a happy occasion. That’s not to say that everything is going to go perfectly, since this is after all a Chicago Fire finale, and what’s a Chicago Fire finale without plans going sideways? The showrunners didn’t reveal whether or not best man Casey would be throwing a bachelor party for Severide, but Derek Haas previewed:
The wedding isn't going to go exactly as planned. So whatever plans that they might have had pre-wedding are thwarted.
Andrea Newman concurred, saying that “everything kind of goes out the window.” At least Casey knows his old firehouse and his city well enough that he might not be surprised by things going out the window, after nine seasons in the thick of the action! Of course, Jesse Spencer isn’t the only major longtime Chicago Fire star who has been gone for a number of episodes in the 2022 TV schedule, as Kara Killmer’s Brett stepped away from Ambulance 61 to spend more time with Casey in Oregon. When asked if Brett will be back for the finale, Andrea Newman shared:
Yes, she will be there as well.
Brett’s absence has been especially rough on Violet, as her replacement has caused a whole lot of trouble. Emma didn’t waste any time in starting to spread lies in Firehouse 51, and Violet can’t turn to Hawkins to get Emma out without risking appearances of special treatment. She has said that Brett will be back “in a month,” and co-showrunner Andrea Newman shared of the finale that “that’s her return.” So, viewers shouldn’t count on seeing Kara Killmer back before the same episode that brings Jesse Spencer back.
All things considered, there’s a lot to look forward to already for the finale, which is still weeks away! Jesse Spencer and Kara Killmer will both be back, Stella and Severide’s wedding is moving forward after choosing a venue in the most recent episode, and those wedding plans will be thwarted. The thwarting isn’t the best news for Stella and Severide, of course, but should make for the kind of thrilling finale that fans (and stars) have come to expect of Chicago Fire.
For now, you can look forward to the next new episode of Chicago Fire on Wednesday, May 11 at 9 p.m. ET between Chicago Med at 8 p.m. and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m, and check back with CinemaBlend for more from the Fire showrunners . All three One Chicago shows have already been renewed for the 2022-2023 TV season, so fans can go into the finales without any fears of cancellation. Check out our 2022 spring TV finale schedule for when to catch the last episodes of the season for the biggest shows on television!
