“Fans jump on me on social media and people say, When is he going to be happy?” executive producer Derek Haas admitted in an exclusive interview with HollywoodLife.com, adding that Severide (Taylor Kinney) has had a great deal of happiness during Chicago Fire — but maybe some bad luck in the love department. However, after he makes it out of that epic fire we saw in the finale, Severide will have quite the arc.
“We’re going to see a few different things — he’ll have a new roommate this year from the cast,” Derek said, revealing that that roommate will be none other than Stella (Miranda Rae Mayo)… and yes, that will-they-won’t-they vibe will definitely still be there. “They used to have a thing. She’s definitely still hung up on him. He’s a little resistant because one, he’s doing her a favor by letting her stay there and two, he’s got this lifestyle. He’s a little bit back to ‘bad boy Severide’ after the events of last season.”
As we saw last season, Stella and Severide’s romance ended after he literally killed her ex when he attacked her — but their friendship continued. After his girlfriend died, she stepped up as a friend. However, Severide’s still a ladies man. “As Brett says, if you want to be the shoulder for him to cry on, he’s already been comforted by half of the women in Chicago,” Derek added.
But Stella also has some new competition — Brett’s friend, Hope (Eloise Mumford), who is “enamored” by Severide (because who isn’t?). “There will be a little bit of a triangle between Severide, Kidd and Hope,” Derek said, adding that Hope will be causing problems all over Chicago.
“Hope’s a friend of Brett’s from a small town. She sees what Brett has achieved — not just work wise but friendship wise — and he thinks that’s something she would like for herself,” Derek says, adding that instead of working for things though, Hope just “wants to manipulate events to get those things.” She’ll be stirring things up all over the place this season, and becomes “a disrupter.”
Chicago Fire premieres on Sept. 28 at 10 PM ET. Who do you want Severide with, HollywoodLifers?