We are officially into the portion of the 2023 TV schedule of rotating One Chicago reruns on Wednesday nights rather than the usual three-hour block of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med. Due to the WGA strike and SAG-AFTRA strike, NBC is instead filling the 10 p.m. slot on Wednesdays with repeats after new releases of Magnum P.I. and Quantum Leap. Instead of going in order, the network is airing standout episodes for the second time, starting with Chicago Fire's "A Guy I Used To Know" on October 4.
I rewatched the episode, and Severide's actions with Van Meter hit a little differently after the full eleventh season aired... and I think his absence makes more sense in light of what went down.
Severide's Story In "A Guy I Used To Know"
"A Guy I Used To Know" aired back in February as Episode 11 of Season 11, and the biggest takeaway at the time was how Evan Hawkins saved the day from beyond the grave, but it hits a bit different now that I know Severide would only appear in another three episodes of the season. In this installment, Severide had to repay a favor by investigating Van Meter behind his back, as he appeared to be dirty by abusing his powers as head of the Office of Fire Investigation. He didn't believe Van Meter truly was dirty, but initially couldn't find evidence to exonerate him.
Severide had to come clean to the OFI leader after Van Meter confronted him at Firehouse 51, and the Squad lieutenant wasn't ready to give up on his friend even when the only available evidence pointed toward guilt. He finally tracked down the evidence that had been filed incorrectly, clearing Van Meter's name. He ended the episode by telling Commander Pearce, who had called in the favor, that Van Meter was a teacher and example for him that his own father never was.
Why I Saw It Differently This Time
Severide's speech to Pearce showed just how high an opinion he has of Van Meter and values his teachings, which I think justifies his decision to leave the Windy City to continue his arson investigation training even better than the episode that revealed it. Admittedly, Severide leaving was written in service of actor Taylor Kinney's desire to step away from the show, but it makes more sense to me in-show after revisiting "A Guy I Used To Know." Hindsight is 20/20, right?
Severide's respect for Van Meter runs a lot deeper than I originally gave it credit for, and I may not be the only one. The respect and faith in Van Meter that showed in "A Guy I Used To Know" really explains why Kelly would take the OFI leader's recommendation seriously and take a leave from CFD for the arson investigation program.
His respect for Van Meter doesn't excuse why he went radio silent on Stella and didn't tell her the truth about why he wasn't coming home, but the fallout should be interesting since Stella more or less did the same thing to him in Season 10. Plus, one of the Season 11 finale cliffhangers concerned Stella preparing to go after her husband. Whether or not that cliffhanger has a happy ending likely depends on whether Taylor Kinney's leave of absence turns into leaving the show entirely after missing the finale.
You can also revisit episodes of Season 11 (and the first ten seasons) streaming now with a Peacock Premium subscription, along with every season of Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med. All three were renewed for the 2023-2024 TV season, and the question now is whether they'll be able to return before the end of the year or early next. The WGA writers strike has ended, but SAG-AFTRA's is ongoing at the time of writing.
