Chicago Fire will return in 2020, and there is already word that some living arrangements will be changing. What about Matthew Casey, specifically? Will the NBC drama give him more action in 2020? Yes, and he will have a "big part" in a very climactic time for Chicago Fire – the show's Season 8 finale.
Casey will have a lot going on heading into the Season 8 finale, according to Chicago Fire showrunner Derek Haas. Following that seismic midseason finale cliffhanger, Chicago Fire will return in 2020 with more fuel in Casey’s tank. Teasing the lead-up and what is to come, Haas told TVLine:
I’m like, Casey went and got Gallo! That was all a big Casey storyline, but you don’t think about it because I guess Severide’s off doing his own office of fire investigation thing. To me, it’s balanced. ... [He] didn’t have a romantic storyline the way Severide and Kidd have. He had more of a mentoring storyline… and we want Casey to be subsuming the Boden philosophy on how to be a leader. [However] there will be a lot more coming for Casey. He will be having his own storylines and arcs and all those kind of things. And he will be a big part of the season finale when we get there.
Chicago Fire’s showrunner acknowledges that Casey’s Season 8 storylines have not been as prominent in the romance department as his peers. So far this season, Firehouse 51’s captain did get to enjoy the brief return of his ex-wife, Gabby Dawson. They even hooked up! Unfortunately for fans of the former couple, Dawson left again, leaving the future of Casey's developing relationship with Sylvie Brett uncertain.
Following Dawson’s return, things between Brett and Casey have gotten even more complicated. If you thought that ship started sailing too soon, the seas have certainly not been smooth. It sounds like fans can prepare to see Casey encounter drama on multiple fronts on Chicago Fire. There is Casey’s leadership role and a lot more on its way.
Chicago Fire’s showrunner touched on Kelly Severide’s more independent storyline after he left Firehouse 51. Meanwhile, Stella Kidd and Severide’s romance has provided a consistent love story for the show to draw from, which is a story mostly missing for Casey in Season 8. There will be more for Casey beyond romantic storylines, though.
The series’ showrunner hints at him getting his “own storylines” and that he will play a “big part” in the Season 8 finale. The end of the season is still quite a bit into the future, so speculation on what that could entail for Casey is limited. A lot can change between where Chicago Fire left off and when the season finishes its second half.
Just consider all of the questions that the midseason finale left viewers with and how they will get resolved. There is potential for a lot of game-changers that could impact Casey’s storyline for the rest of the season. One character should have more to do when Season 8 resumes, so lots of excitement is coming Chicago Fire’s way as a whole.
Chicago Fire knows how to build dramatic storylines, so viewers will have to wait and see what is in store. Casey has certainly developed a devoted following that wants to see him taking on a solo-driven arc.
Find out what happens with Casey when new episodes of Chicago Fire return as one of this winter’s premieres. Season 8 resumes on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
