Stella Has Been Busy Promoting Girls On Fire — When Will She Return to 'Chicago Fire'?
Nov. 11 2021, Published 9:31 a.m. ET
Captain Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) bid farewell to the crews of Firehouse 51 and Truck 81 in Season 10, Episode 5 of Chicago Fire. His unexpected exit sparked an entire range of unprecedented events.
His temporary replacement, Lieutenant Jason Pelham (Brett Dalton), took over in Season 10, Episode 7. Meanwhile, the person touted as Casey's replacement, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), has largely stayed away. What's next? Will she ever take over as the Lieutenant?
When is Stella coming back to 'Chicago Fire'?
A key team member since Season 4 of Chicago Fire, Stella has evolved a great deal as a firefighter over the past years. She passed the Lieutenant exam in Season 9, Episode 14 of Chicago Fire, and in Season 10, she left to Boston to promote Girls On Fire, an incentive encouraging girls and young women to pursue a career as firefighters.
Vexingly enough, her return date is unclear.
Stella was on course to become the next Lieutenant taking over Firehouse 51. Now that she has been away for a considerable chunk of time, her chances seem to be dwindling.
"#ChicagoFire 10x08 another week without Stella Kidd ... " tweeted one disappointed fan. Another viewer agreed, adding, "Boden, if you make this man lieutenant when Stella Kidd is the most obvious and best choice ... I'm throwing hands #chicagofire."
'Chicago Fire' showrunner Derek Haas said that Stella will be back before the end of 2021.
Derek Haas, the showrunner of Chicago Fire, told TVLine that Stella will come back to Chicago "before the end of this calendar year." Season 10 of Chicago Fire is bound to go on a mid-season break in the next few weeks — indicating that Stella might return with a bang.
In characteristic showrunner fashion, Derek refused to go into the specifics about Stella's storyline. Regardless, he confirmed that her fight for the Lieutenant gig is far from over.
"Whether or not Stella will be Lieutenant of Truck 81 now that Casey has left is going to be a hot topic of conversation through this next batch of episodes — whether they’re going to hold a spot for her while she’s off doing her good work for Girls on Fire," Derek confirmed.
Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) also expressed some concerns about where his relationship with Stella was headed in Season 10, Episode 8. Arguably, the scene can be taken as a sign indicating that Stella will have to weather some challenges in the romantic arena as well.
Miranda Rae Mayo, the actress portraying Stella Kidd, has been working on other projects...
Miranda Rae Mayo landed a role in Going Places, Max Chernov's forthcoming comedy, in the first half of 2021. She talked about the prospect of leaving Chicago Fire in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly but shared she wasn't ready to say goodbye to Stella.
"Fingers crossed. I'm not ready," she said. "So, no matter what happens, this has been one of the most transformational experiences of my life. But, you know, you always gotta be ready for what might happen."
Stella is set to make a comeback in or before the mid-season finale of Chicago Fire. What will happen to her next? There's only one way to find out.
Catch new episodes of Chicago Fire every Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.
