Spoiler alert! The following contains details from Wednesday’s season finale of “Chicago Fire.”
Sound the Firehouse 51 alarm! Matthew Casey is back.
Jesse Spencer, the Australian actor who’s portrayed the firefighter on NBC‘s dick wolf-produced drama since its 2012 premiere made appeared in Wednesday’s season finale. Spencer, 43, exited the series in October and returned so his character could perform best man duties for Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) at his wedding to Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) in the Season 10 closer.
Last week’s episode hinted at Casey’s return when Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) offered to be Severide’s “second best man in case there’s any best man duties that Casey can’t fulfill because he doesn’t live here, (and) I do.” Severide originally waved off the offer, seeming unsure about tying the knot with Kidd.
But the couple decided to move their wedding up after Severide was beaten up in the season’s penultimate episode.
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Wednesday’s episode teased a will-he-or-won’t-he return for Casey in the first few minutes. “I just hope Casey can get here,” Severide said to his bride-to-be from her. “Oh, me too,” she responded. ahead of the wedding, Casey’s love interest Sylvie Brett (Kara Kilmer) arrived at the firehouse alone, explaining Casey still needed to get his shifts covered. Brett told Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) that Casey was doing well in Portland.
“It’s not like Casey was unhappy here, obviously,” Brett says. “But the joy he has now being a dad and fighting wildfires, (it) really feels like where he’s meant to be.”
In the show’s 200th episode back in October, Casey revealed plans to move to Oregon for three years to care for his late best friend Andy Darden’s sons. Firehouse 51 legend Darden (Corey Sorenson) died in the series premiere, and more recently his son Griffin (Cameron Scott Roberts) showed up in Chicago asking for help – so Casey secured a job with the Portland Fire Department so he could step in .
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But Casey returned to Chicago, about halfway through the episode to the delight of his former coworkers. “I missed you guys. You have no idea,” he told them.
As the groom prepared for his wedding, Casey took the opportunity to get sentimental. “It’s been something watching you change, since Stella came into your life,” Severide told. “As cliché as it sounds, she’s made you a better man.”
He added: “I’m really grateful to be a part of this, Kelly. You guys are meant to be.”
“I’m even more grateful to have you,” Severide replied. “Hasn’t been the same around here since you left. Never will be.”
A blip with the wedding venue left the bride and groom scrambling to find a last-minute location. Casey stepped in and saved the day, securing a tour boat and an officiant (the ship’s captain) for the nuptials.
“Kelly, the simple truth is that you are magic to me,” she told him, reciting the vows she wrote. “Whenever I’m at my lowest, you lift me up. You never leave my side. You are the best of men, and yes we are taking a huge, crazy leap into the unknown. But we’re doing it together.”
Her husband-to-be responded: “What makes me this better person that I keep hearing about is you keep me from locking things up. Instead, you made sure you really knew me, and by some miracle you still love me.”
But the future for Casey and Brett is less clear. While dancing at the reception the two spokes of the toll distance is taking on their relationship.
“How much longer can we keep this up with so much time apart?” she asked. “I don’t know,” he replied. “But we’re together tonight.” She said.
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spencer you have previously said he wrestled with moving on from his “Chicago Fire” character.
“It was a difficult decision because I’ve loved the show from the start,” he said in a Zoom call with reporters following his exit. “But there’s other things I’d like to do in the future and there’s some family I need to take care of.”
At the time, the actor hinted that viewers hadn’t seen the last of him following his October departure.
“There is the potential for me to come back. I still am in Chicago right now,” where the series, along with spin-offs “Chicago PD” and “Chicago Med,” are filmed. “My home here with my wife is in Chicago, so I’m still going to be here, but I’m just stepping back for right now.”
Contributing: Amy Haneline
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism