All eyes were on Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) on Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 2 ("Ride the Blade") as he navigated a conflict of interest in Firehouse 51.
As fans know, Severide's estranged brother, Jack Damon (Michael Bradway), joined Truck 81 under the supervision of Severide's wife, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo). The CFD doesn't love it when family members work in the same station, and Severide's been concealing the double whammy of having both his wife and brother as colleagues. Firehouse 51's new chief, Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney), called Severide out for his workplace relationship with Stella, warning him to keep things strictly professional on site. But Severide deliberately neglected to mention that he also had a brother at 51.
Ever since Damon revealed his relation to Severide, the two have grown closer. Severide wants to foster a relationship with Damon, but could that put him at odds with his Stella? As Damon continues to shrug aside Stella's orders on the job and idolize his older brother, Severide found himself in the center of a conflict triangle in Season 13, Episode 2. Here's what happened:
Severide was forced to confront a conflict of interest at Firehouse 51
Jack Damon (Michael Bradway) appears in Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode 11.
Stella and Severide have worked together swimmingly for years, partially thanks to their shared understanding of their lanes: Severide is on squad, while Stella is on truck. They have different responsibilities and years of experience behind them. But Damon's behavior on recent calls has thrown a wrench in Stellaride's happy harmony.
Damon has been assigned to ride along with Stella's truck, but it's clear he wants to work with Severide. Fans will remember that in the Season 13 premiere, Damon ignored one of Stella's requests to stand back as they arrived at a burning building and was subsequently crushed by debris (though he was unharmed). In Episode 2, as 51 responded to a woman who was crushed beneath a boat that crashed into the Lake Michigan shoreline, Damon continued to defy Stella's orders. While Stella commanded Damon to stabilize the boat, he sprinted toward the victim instead. The boat soon collapsed, but 51 could luckily get the woman out with minor injuries.
Back at the station, Stella quickly flagged Damon down. "Your orders were to stabilize the boat," Stella sternly reminded him. "Squad was on the victim."
"I didn't hear you," Damon admitted.
"You mean you didn't listen to your commanding officer?" Stella snapped.
"I guess I just saw that she was trapped under there, and my legs just started moving," Damon blurted. "I had to help her."
"You always wait for orders," Stella said.
"Copy that," Damon nodded.
"Do you hear me now?" Stella snapped.
"I do," Damon said. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking."
Randy "Mouch" McHolland (Christian Stolte), Jack Damon (Michael Bradway) Sam Carver (Jake Lockett), and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) appear in Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode 13. Photo: Adrian S Burrows Sr/NBC
Severide overheard Stella and Damon's exchange and called Damon into his office to chat.
"I know you heard her," Severide explained. "I was right there."
"OK, so maybe I did," Damon admitted. "But if we had been a second later then-"
"Stop," Severide said. "If you had helped stabilize the boat, then it may not have fallen. But we'll never know because we don't get second chances, which is why we follow orders."
"OK, so what now?" Damon asked, pointing out that Stella has had issues with him since his rocky Season 12 introduction. "If you tell her, she'll fire my a– and probably report me for misconduct. It could ruin my career, Kelly."
Later, Stella suggested to Severide that Damon join him for drills. Severide was taken aback by the suggestion at first but agreed after Stella insisted, saying Damon was a puppy with too much energy. (At this point, Severide decided not to tell Stella that Damon actually did hear her on the call.)
Damon was on cloud nine after learning he was running drills with Severide. After Severide explained it was Stella's idea, Damon leveled with him.
"Yeah, but you obviously didn't tell her," Damon explained while beaming ear to ear. Why hadn't Severide told her? What was making him protect Damon?
Severide couldn't keep a secret from Stella for long
Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) on Chicago Fire Episode 1203. Photo: Adrian S Burrows Sr/NBC
After a conversation with Joe Cruz (Joe Miñoso), Severide came clean to his wife about Damon and the call.
"So you knew Damon heard me right from the start?" Stella asked him.
"I thought so," Severide admitted. "I wasn't sure until he told me later."
"I asked him straight up if he heard me give the order," Stella said. "He lied to me."
"He didn't wanna lose his job," Severide explained.
"You lied to me," Stella snapped.
"I should have told you right away," Severide said. "I'm sorry."
Later, Severide invited Damon for a beer at a bar. From the moment Damon arrived, he could tell something was wrong.
"You told her?" Damon asked, panicked.
"She's your Lieutenant," Severide said. "And she's my wife."
"I actually thought you might have my back on this," Damon snapped.
"I did, that's the problem," Severide explained. "I lied to protect you, which is something I wouldn't have done for anyone else."
Damon was furious by the news and demanded that Severide say whatever he needed to say before he left.
"We can't work at the same firehouse," Severide told him. "One of us has to go."
Find out which brother remains at Firehouse 51 by watching Season 13 of Chicago Fire on NBC.
