Chicago Fire Fans Are Tearing Up About Severide's Struggles
Taylor Kinney has portrayed Firehouse 51 Lieutenant Kelly Severide since the "Chicago Fire" series premiere, appearing in more than 225 episodes and counting (via IMDb). Naturally, then, Severide has gone through his fair share of character development over the course of his lengthy story arc. Some fans, for instance, think Severide hasn't been the same since Season 2, arguing that the death of his colleague Leslie Shay (Lauren German) made him more emotionally distant than he was when he debuted.
Perhaps the most important factor in Severide's ongoing storyline since Shay's death is his relationship with fellow firefighter Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), which is referred to by fans as Stellaride. In the best Stellaride moment from Season 9, Severide proposes to his partner in the middle of a burning building. Fans have continued to praise the couple's big moments in the wake of their marriage, like a particular Season 11, Episode 5 Stellaride storyline that fans loved in which the somewhat recently married couple temporarily acts as parental figures to a teenager.
After Season 11, Episode 10 premiered on January 4, fans responded emotionally to Severide's plight in the episode, sympathizing with his personal struggle to help his wife through a tough ordeal.
Fans feel for Severide as he tries to help Kidd with post-traumatic nightmares
Contains spoilers for "Chicago Fire" Season 11, Episode 10
In "Chicago Fire" Season 11, Episode 9, Stella Kidd and Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) end up trapped in a building as a bomb explodes. Episode 10 then reveals that they both survive, though Kidd takes the brunt of the explosion and requires surgery. In its wake, the experience causes her to develop chronic nightmares. Throughout Episode 10, therefore, Kelly Severide tries to help Kidd through these nightmares, and appears helplessly teary-eyed while doing so, letting down his typically stoic façade. In response, plenty of fans empathized with Severide's predicament.
On Reddit, in a discussion thread about the episode, user Doolfan wrote, "Concerned Kelly severide I can't rn," followed by two crying emojis. User sadlegbeard shared that they physically couldn't watch Severide so upset, and received a reply from another user claiming that they experienced the same thing.
Meanwhile on Twitter, users like @BethHoller likewise expressed their sympathy for Severide's emotional outpouring. User @HooliganHeathe1, for instance, wrote, "Kelly is really trying to help Stella through these nightmares but just doesn't know how. He looks so helpless and that hurts." Another user with the handle @THEmaggiewarren shared a similar sentiment, accompanied by a gif of Severide shedding tears.
While Severide and Kidd both have it rough as of Episode 10, fans can most likely look forward to the married couple coming out of the ordeal stronger than before.