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Warning: The following contains major spoilers for Wednesday’s Chicago Fire. Proceed at your own risk!
Chicago Fire officially has a vacancy to fill on Truck 81 following Wednesday’s milestone 200th episode: Leading man Jesse Spencer has exited the NBC drama after playing Captain Matthew Casey for 10 seasons.
The actor has starred on the firefighter drama since its 2012 debut and was one of six remaining series regulars from the first season. (The others are Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg, Eamonn Walker, Christian Stolte and Joe Minoso.) But after going from eight years on Fox’s House straight into Fire, Spencer is ready for a break and to put his focus elsewhere.
“I realized I’ve been doing TV for a long time. I added it up, and I think this year is my 18th year of network television,” Spencer told reporters during a Zoom press conference. “I called [showrunner] Derek [Haas] and broke him the news, said I thought it was time to leave the show, and he agreed that we should at least get Casey to 200 episodes. It was a difficult decision because I’ve loved the show from the start, but there are other things that I would like to do in the future, and there’s some family that I need to take care of, and 18 years is a long time.”
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“I was, of course, wanting to talk Jesse into staying and coming back,” Haas added. “But I was very happy that he gave us five more episodes than just saying at the end of a season, which happens sometimes, too, like, ‘I’m out.’ That let us bring back a storyline from Season 1, which I know Jesse was excited about when we pitched it to him, to bring back the Darden boys and really tie in the pilot to Jesse’s leaving.”
In the 200th installment, Casey told his friends and colleagues at the firehouse that he was moving to Oregon to take care of his late best friend Andy Darden’s sons (at least until Ben gets into college in three years). The life-changing decision made for a “perfect full-circle [moment] and a really reasonable way for Casey to, organically, leave the show,” especially since the firefighter has always wanted to be a father, Spencer said. And after just one call from Deputy District Chief Boden, Casey already had a job lined up with the Portland Fire Department.
In bidding adieu to the Windy City, Casey shared several goodbyes with his firehouse crew and was on the receiving end of a thoughtful speech from Boden (after which the show’s OG firefighters embraced Casey in a group hug). Haas put all of his own feelings about Spencer’s departure into Boden’s words, “so that was a really difficult scene to write,” Haas shared. “Jesse meant so much to me. I wanted to end the episode with that.”
Casey, meanwhile, means a lot to Brett and vice versa, so naturally, he tried to convince her to come to Oregon with him. But his girlfriend was not ready to leave behind the paramedicine program she had just launched. Rather than breaking up, the couple decided to give a long-distance relationship a try, with Casey vowing, “Nothing’s gonna change.” (Famous last words, much?)
After building up to “Brettsey” for three seasons, Spencer admitted that the timing of his exit was unfortunate in regards to the will they/won’t they romance. “We just finally just got there,” he said. “It was difficult because I really like Kara [Killmer, who plays Brett]. We’ve established a really, really nice relationship. I loved working with her… But it was written really well into the episode, because they’re trying to make this relationship work, but they know that he’s leaving. So they’re sort of saying nothing is going to change, but…”
Despite the obstacles against them, Casey and Brett will indeed continue to be committed to each other, even with Spencer no longer on the series. “We’re going to keep it alive,” Haas said of the relationship, noting that things like FaceTime, phone calls and easy flights make that possible. Plus, viewers have very likely not seen the last of Spencer, whose voice will be heard in an upcoming episode. “This is a three-year commitment that Casey is making, but hopefully, we’ll see him before those three years are done,” Haas added.
Spencer, too, echoes the idea that this is not the end for him and Fire: “There is the potential for me to come back. I still am in Chicago right now. I’m not running off to Los Angeles or anything, although I might escape for a little bit of the winter,” he shared with a laugh. “My home here with my wife is in Chicago, and so I’m still going to be here, but I’m just stepping back for right now.”
Fire fans, how are you handling the news of Spencer’s departure? Hit the comments to let us know (after you grade the 200th episode below)!
I have been watching Fire since it first came on. I love watching Casey as he takes over the fires, tell everyone what their part in taking care of the rescues and the fires. I love this show and it’s never going to be the same again. Bye Casey, those are the luckiest boys to have you step up and raise them. 😢😢
I love Captain Casey, I can’t believe he’s leaving.
The show will definitely not be the same, I was hoping he & Brett would get married.
Just unbelievable, please come back to the show!!!!
This is a must see every. Week. Will miss Jesse
Loved Casey from day 1. He will be deeply missed. Fire is and has been a must watch favorite!
Not very happy with Matt Casey leaving the show. It was very sad especially with Brett. He was finally getting together with Brett after all this time of going back and forth with their feelings for each other and this happens! Not right to have this happen to them. They are great together! They really didn’t have a chance to make their relationship grow. They didn’t have a lot of time like it was with Dawson ( to be honest I’m glad she’s gone!) give Matt snd Brett a chance to get their love and their relationship flourish. I look forward to watching this show and love all the people on there. They are a family and the main characters that make this show is just getting picked off. I cry and laugh with all of them and I also have my granddaughter and husband watching it. Please don’t kill off anymore characters bring Matt Cassy back please. I want to see him and Brett together and and Stella Kidd and her love need to be seen together as well. We love this show please bring these main people back because that is why we watch it the Chief Biden and his house 51 are a great group to watch. They love working together, they help one another, they care and listen to each other and they have each other’s backs. They are funny and as I said they make me laugh and cry. They really do a good job on this this show. This show gives us a glimpse of what fire fighters deal with and makes it very realistic as well as the paramedics. Thank you for a great television show. We look forward to watching it every Wednesday evening. There are lessons to learn from your show and we appreciate this.
Thank you, but please don’t get rid of any more characters that make this show and bring Casey back on this show with Brett and we want to see Stella more with her man Severide they make a great couple. Love them all!! Mouth, Cruz, sorry that Otis was killed off we liked him, Herrmann and the others that make up house 51. I’m really going to miss Casey so hopefully he will return cried tonight for him and Brett and house 51.
I will miss him. Hope he comes back soon..
Not very happy with Matt Casey leaving the show. It was very sad especially with Brett. He was finally getting together with Brett after all this time of going back and forth with their feelings for each other and this happens! Not right to have this happen to them. They are great together! They really didn’t have a chance to make their relationship grow. They didn’t have a lot of time like it was with Dawson ( to be honest I’m glad she’s gone!) give Matt snd Brett a chance to get their love and their relationship flourish. I look forward to watching this show and love all the people on there. They are a family and the main characters that make this show is just getting picked off. I cry and laugh with all of them and I also have my granddaughter and husband watching it. Please don’t kill off anymore characters bring Matt Cassy back please. I want to see him and Brett together and and Stella Kidd and her love need to be seen together as well. We love this show please bring these main people back because that is why we watch it the Chief Biden and his house 51 are a great group to watch. They love working together, they help one another, they care and listen to each other and they have each other’s backs. They are funny and as I said they make me laugh and cry. They really do a good job on this this show. This show gives us a glimpse of what fire fighters deal with and makes it very realistic as well as the paramedics. Thank you for a great television show. We look forward to watching it every Wednesday evening. There are lessons to learn from your show and we appreciate this.
Thank you, but please don’t get rid of any more characters that make this show and bring Casey back on this show with Brett and we want to see Stella more with her man Severide they make a great couple.
I do find find it interesting that they’ve written Casey off with such an obvious tie in the show by him continuing to be in a relationship with Brett. Usually when characters have been written off by leaving rather than dying they’ve given them a clean break, so even though the door is open for a return there are no current characters tied to them.
Makes me wonder whether either Casey’s departure is a temporary one and he’ll be back later this season or next, or whether maybe they’ll be writing Sylvie out at the end of the season when they finish the paramedicine storyline.
At the very least it appears the Brettsey storyline isn’t done yet even though Casey is no longer on canvas. It would be disappointing if they did some sort of off-screen break up after all the build up they’ve had.
It’s either in complete respect to Jesse Spencer (of all the shows, the biggest cast member exit given how long he was on the show and his status as #1 lead), or Kara is likely leaving at the end of the season. I half expect Brett will discover she’s pregnant by the middle of the season, she moves to Oregon by the end of the season, and they have a happy ending together. All in all, this is the time of a long-running show’s life when originals and others who came in early are going to start leaving more frequently, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see Kara go. It looks like Miranda just got promoted from eighth billed to #3 lead of the show based on NBC’s new season 10 cast photo, and, without Jesse/Casey, Brett/Kara is back to hanging out with the comic relief.
Not very happy with Matt Casey leaving the show. It was very sad especially with Brett. He was finally getting together with Brett after all this time of going back and forth with their feelings for each other and this happens! Not right to have this happen to them. They are great together! They really didn’t have a chance to make their relationship grow. They didn’t have a lot of time like it was with Dawson ( to be honest I’m glad she’s gone!) give Matt snd Brett a chance to get their love and their relationship flourish. I look forward to watching this show and love all the people on there. They are a family and the main characters that make this show is just getting picked off. I cry and laugh with all of them and I also have my granddaughter and husband watching it. Please don’t kill off anymore characters bring Matt Cassy back please. I want to see him and Brett together and and Stella Kidd and her love need to be seen together as well. We love this show please bring these main people back because that is why we watch it the Chief Biden and his house 51 are a great group to watch. They love working together, they help one another, they care and listen to each other and they have each other’s backs. They are funny and as I said they make me laugh and cry. They really do a good job on this this show. This show gives us a glimpse of what fire fighters deal with and makes it very realistic as well as the paramedics. Thank you for a great television show.
Jesse gave us close to 10 seasons of playing one of my all time favorite characters and I’m so grateful he did. I’m going to miss Casey so much, but I get it.
I am truly going to miss Spencer playing Matt Casey and not having him be the Hero he is on all the calls. He has made this show entertaining and fun to watch. I am devastated but respect his decision. I wish him all the luck.
Should have just killed him off 2 seasons ago dissipated
Very sad! I have waited so long for the Brett and Casey romance ! I understand his need to leave for now . So hoping he comes back!
My favorite show! I am sad that he is leaving Chicago Fire I think it will be hard for Viewers for the next few weeks to get used to him not being on the show. When you watch a show for so long like Chicago Fire the characters become like family. Dawson coming back ? Hmmmm
Series stars who want to leave have every right to do so without the need to go on an ‘apology tour’ explaining their private circumstances to viewers/fans.
Well Kidd now has a spot open for her to get a promotion and stay at 51. Imagine they’ll be adding someone else to truck with so them down a member.
Casey is a Captain. Kidd a Lieutenant. Maybe Severide will be promoted? My guess brand new interim Captain.
Casey was lieutenant of 81 for 5 years before he became a captain. Kidd does not need to be a captain to be the officer of Truck 81. They didn’t have a captain from seasons 1-5, with the brief exception of Patterson for a few episodes. I don’t like Kidd and think she relies too much on ~~Kelly~~ for professional work-related stuff, and they have too much PDA at scenes and even during raging fires they’re supposed to be fighting, but she’s canonically qualified to be Truck 81’s lieutenant. Period.
I really love Jesse Spencer as Matt Casey and no one can replace him. I understand him
needing a break from the show as his family is important to him. Hopefully he will be back for some episodes towards the end of the season. Like he said he’s not going anywhere. He probably needs a long break as he’s been working hard since House and Chicago Fire.
Give kudos to Jesse Spencer. He could have easily left after last season or sooner, but he was willing to give the character — and the fans — a proper goodbye. Some actors leave at a TV show abruptly, because of various reasons. Some stay only because it was in their contract and they continue to feel horrible. At least with Spencer, he left on his own terms, but at the same time honored the show and his character by giving us bonus time. Thank you Jesse for 10 great seasons.
This! Shows what a class act Jesse Spencer is.
I agree 100%. I also like that he gave the powers that be plenty of notice he wanted to leave and agreed to do a few more episodes to wrap up his story. The way he left was solid too as it brought his story full circle and left open the possibility for his return.
My guess is we’ll see him again at Severide and Kidd’s wedding.
☹️
They could always have his friends visit him or he writes them an email about a call he had . The show emergency had it’s two paramedics visiting other firehouses. In fact there was a three episode story arc where they visited a big city I can’t remember what city it was though.
I’ll love any show or movie this man does in the future but he will be missed. Casey was the heart of the show in a lot of ways, but Cruz, Boden, Mouch and Severide are still going strong. Hope to see Matt back again someday!
Unless he plays a bad guy I wouldn’t like that.
I’m heartbroken, I will miss seeing him at 51 every week.
Great character and important to the show. Will be missed for sure!
Sad he’s leaving
Casey will be missed by his fans a very good actor! Good Luck on your next Journey!!!