The Stella Disdain Continues Among Annoyed Chicago Fire Fans As Season 11 Ticks On
Working in a fire department has got to be one of the most stressful jobs on the planet. Working in a position of authority within said fire department is even more intense, as a leader feels the burden of responsibility for everybody. The immensely popular "Chicago Fire" is a great example of the inner workings of a fictional fire department and its leaders. Currently in Season 11, one of the biggest rising stars of the show is Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo). Not only is Stella a Lieutenant in the organization, but she is also married to Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), who proposed to her in the middle of a burning building.
Besides her normal duties in "Chicago Fire," Stella also runs a special community outreach program that takes at-risk teens and trains them to be effective firefighters, which has earned Stella some ire from a parent in the most recent episode. Unfortunately for Stella, it seems like some fans are not particularly enjoying her current character arcs and long for an earlier version of Stella.
Fans don't like how Chicago Fire is becoming the Stella Kidd show
Starting the conversation on Reddit, u/AGray2019 expressed their opinion by saying that they really aren't happy with Stella Kidd this season of "Chicago Fire." They clarified that they had loved the character from day one, but this season has been horrible to the character by making them hate Stella's interactions with Carver (Jake Lockett) and Seager (Andy Allo). They added, "I'm begging the writers to bring back the old Stella. I wished she would have went to the other firehouse and Pelham would have stayed as the Lt with the way she is acting."
Others also had some potent emotions involving Stella, with u/sullyiii saying that they have always disliked the character and that she is quickly becoming more annoying than Dawson (Monica Raymund) in this current season of "Chicago Fire." u/tamitrail has taken an even more extreme position when it comes to the character, writing, "Stopped watching because of Stella. The show revolves around her too much and she is a very obnoxious character. The other characters are not getting enough airtime. As I've said before, Kelly has lost his backbone to her and now he is taking a backseat to her. I want to see other characters front and center, WITHOUT any involvement from Stella and I want to see Kelly have other friendships." They continued that they do not like the direction the show is going, noting that it is quickly becoming the Stella Kidd show.
Some viewers aren't a fan of Stella's storylines
The above comments weren't the only ones who aren't the biggest fans of Stella Kidd. u/NoBusiness51 said, "I think some the things she's done this season was very out of character, mainly toward Carver. For example, when she ordered Carver to help her with her officer's quarters ... And the comment about his 'train wreck' life caught me off guard."
u/Givemeamop, on the other hand, was surprised by the amount of vitriol cast towards Stella, and stated, "Wow. So much hate. I agree that in their efforts to portray Stella as a strong woman leader they have gone overboard. Mostly I think she and Kelly are just boring. I can't see any chemistry between them at all." u/Boglee9 elaborated on their longstanding feelings for Stella and said that they have hated the character since she rolled into the bar and challenged Herrmann (David Eigenberg).
In other words, it definitely seems like there is a group of fans that have never liked Stella, and some that have previously liked the character but do not care for her current characterization. Unfortunately, it remains to be seen if anything will change in her characterization moving forward.