When Is Taylor Kinney’s Last ‘Chicago Fire’ Episode?

Actor Taylor Kinney shocked fans of Chicago Fire when it was revealed that he is taking a leave of absence from the hit NBC series. While actors are commonly written out of TV shows to accommodate other plans, this was different as the actor had requested time away to handle a personal issue.

Aside from the obvious wanting Taylor and his loved ones to be okay, viewers started wondering what that meant for the show.

Taylor’s character Kelly Severide has always been one of Chicago Fire‘s most prominent characters, and his role on the show became even bigger after Jesse Spencer left the show in Season 10.

On top of that, Severide is one-half of the show’s central romantic relationship, having married longtime love Stella Kidd at the end of Season 10.

The series will take a huge hit without the character—so when will Taylor Kinney’s last episode air? Here’s what’s been said so far.

Since the announcement of Taylor’s departure almost a month ago, audiences have been counting down to the actor’s last Chicago Fire episode. Understandably, NBC has not officially said when the actor’s last episode will air.

They might be wanting to use Taylor’s impending exit as a marketing tool, the way they did when Jesse Lee Soffer left Chicago P.D. In that instance, the entire promo for Jesse’s last episode was about his character Jay Halstead.

Chicago P.D. used the buzz around Jesse’s departure to draw in a bigger audience. And like Jesse, Taylor is a One Chicago fan favorite, so he could get the same treatment.

It’s also possible the network doesn’t know yet when Taylor’s last episode will air. Episode orders change, shows get pre-empted and it could be that NBC is still figuring out its schedule.

Severide is in photos for the Feb. 22 episode “Run Like Hell,” so his last episode can’t be any earlier than March 1.

The bigger question is if this will be Taylor Kinney’s last Chicago Fire episode of Season 11. The actor has not left the show permanently, so he’ll be back at some point.

However, Season 11 is already halfway done; the Feb. 22 episode will be the season’s 14th installment, and broadcast TV seasons are usually between 18-24 episodes. Depending on how long Taylor’s break lasts, the season might end without Severide.

With only a vague idea of when Taylor’s last Chicago Fire episode will air, it’s been hard for viewers to guess how the actor will be written out of the series. But there are a few little clues scattered among recent episodes.

Tension has built up between Stella and Severide professionally, so he could temporarily go to another firehouse. (The show won’t be crazy enough to ruin their marriage after years of fans waiting for a Stellaride wedding.)

Severide also has a lengthy history of helping out the Office of Fire Investigation (OFI), so the in-show explanation for Taylor’s exit could be as simple as Severide going off on some arson investigation for a long time.

Or, given how many times the character has been injured or nearly killed, he could spend some time in the hospital. There are lots of ways to dramatically explain Kinney’s absence… whenever it happens.

Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. on NBC.