Spoilers ahead for the Season 10 finale of Chicago Fire, called "The Magnificent City of Chicago."
Season 10 of Chicago Fire came to an end with a finale that not only delivered the long-awaited nuptials of Stella and Severide, but also brought back Jesse Spencer as Casey and Kara Killmer as Brett. The wedding actually went off with just about as few hitches as one could hope for in a One Chicago finale, and the episode delivered some answers that have been a long time coming. In true Fire style, the finale also ended on a cliffhanger, but not the kind that I was expecting.
What Happened For Stella And Severide
I was wondering basically ever since the showrunners announced that the Season 10 finale would involve the Stellaride wedding if it would actually finish. When Derek Haas previewed that their plans would be "thwarted," I was imagining explosions and arson and floods as options for what could happen. Instead, their venue was double-booked, and their nuptials were in jeopardy for a few minutes before Casey realized they could tie the knot on a boat with the captain officiating. Stella and Severide are officially married!
Of course, the episode wasn't full of joy for Stellaride, and what went wrong is seemingly what led to the cliffhanger. Severide was ready and willing to do what he could to help the case against the men who attacked him last week, but he was attacked yet again, and a knife was drawn. The fight got ugly and out-of-control, and ended with the attacker falling to his death. It was clear self-defense for Severide, but also seemed like a guaranteed way to make sure that people would want some vengeance.
What Happened For Brett And Casey
"The Magnificent City of Chicago" delivered the return of Casey, who had been gone since the 200th episode, and Brett, who left not too long after to spend time with him in Portland. They seemed very loving, but Brett also fit right back into her old place at Firehouse 51, and reiterated several times that she was planning on staying. In fact, it came up enough times that I thought Fire might have been building to a twist of Brett deciding to go back to Portland with Casey for good, with Kara Killmer exiting the show.
Instead, what I predicted so many weeks ago came true, and Brett came to the conclusion that the relationship with Casey couldn't last so long as he stayed in Portland, because her whole life had her tethered to Chicago. They didn't officially break up, but that's definitely where their dance was leading. They seemed determined to have one final night of happiness together, before Casey heads back to Oregon and Brett presumably sticks around to return in Season 11.
The Cliffhanger
Chicago Fire has earned a reputation for high-stakes and intense finales that end with lives hanging in the balance, sometimes followed by premieres that actually kill characters off. So, the showrunners' comments about the "nonstop" finale that required them to look ahead to Season 11 had me expecting that something explosive was going to happen. I foresaw a cliffhanger that would leave the fates of half the cast uncertain. Instead, Fire went for a cliffhanger that was more ominous and unsettling than nerve-wracking, and I'm already intrigued.
The finale ended with Stella and Severide happily off to enjoy their wedding night in a cabin, but they weren't entirely alone in the area. Somebody in a dark pickup truck pulled up right after Severide carried his new wife over the threshold and closed the door behind them. I feel pretty comfortable saying that pickup truck isn't Detective Halstead's from Chicago P.D., and somebody following them to what looks like a very remote location when they clearly have no expectation of visitors doesn't bode well. Fire didn't deliver the life-and-death ending that I was expecting, but it looks that the premiere might deliver a life-and-death beginning to Season 11 in the fall!
For now, though, fans have to wait through hiatus to find out what happens next on Chicago Fire. Although the show was renewed quite a while ago, the One Chicago series generally don't return until September or October in the fall. In the meantime, fans can always revisit earlier episodes of the series streaming with a Peacock subscription.
