In the danger zone! Taylor Kinney isn’t afraid of a challenge — or getting hurt — as Chicago Fire’s Kelly Severide.
The 40-year-old actor shows off his athletic ability as Squad 3’s lieutenant in the upcoming season 10 episode, “An Officer With Grit,” which airs on NBC Wednesday, March 2.
Us Weekly’s exclusive first look at a photo from the episode highlights Severide’s risky save after Squad 3, Truck 81 and Ambo 61 all respond to a scene at an overpass where a two-ton semi-truck hauling 50-foot-long telephone poles has crashed through the overpass guard rail — and is precariously dangling over the edge.
Severide must lean on his go-to firefighter partner Joe Cruz (played by Joe Minoso) to try and save the truck driver, who has fallen out of the cab as the giant vehicle hovers 30 feet above the ground.
In the snap, Severide — who is one of the oldest senior officers in Firehouse 51 — can be seen repelling from the overpass as the truck driver holds on for dear life to a pole. The treacherous stunt also shows the massive vehicle ready to fully go over the side of the road.
According to the episode’s logline, “An Officer With Grit,” will feature Chief Hawkins (Jimmy Nicholas) going “above and beyond to help [paramedics] Brett and Violet with a problem” while Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) pursues an open lieutenant position. “A blast from the past asks [firefighters] Mouch and Herrmann for a favor,” NBC teases.
Showrunner Derek Haas exclusively told Us in January 2021 about Severide’s skill set before the lieutenant proposed to fellow Firehouse 51 firefighter Kidd during season 9 of the hit drama.
“Severide is very good at rescuing people,” the 51-year-old executive producer explained as Severide started to distance himself from Kidd while she was studying for her lieutenant’s exam. “He’s not so good at communicating, and he’s never been that willing to say exactly what’s on his mind, which can be frustrating when you’re the woman in his life.”
The couple, however, have since overcome Severide’s unsuccessful attempt to squash rumors about Kidd’s rise to success being linked to their romance. Haas hinted earlier this month that the characters’ relationship is heading in the right direction after Kidd’s brief hiatus at the beginning on season 10.
“We are on scope for a wedding episode this season. I would write it down — maybe not in ink, but as close to ink as you get,” he told Variety in February, referring to the newly-engaged firefighter duo.
Haas added that a Stellaride wedding could also mark the return of beloved character Matthew Casey (played by Jesse Spencer), who exited the series in October 2021. “I would be mortified if there was a wedding that didn’t include Casey,” he explained.
Chicago Fire airs on NBC Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
