There were several gleeful moments at the end of Chicago Fire season 13, but fans shouldn’t be too quick to celebrate one triumphant revelation from the finale thanks to what it actually means for the series’ future. The Chicago Fire season 13 finale is full of touching moments, from Herrmann furthering Mouch’s career by taking a voluntary demotion to the reveal that Kidd and Severide are pregnant after having lost their first adoption prospect. But these are far from the only moments in the finale certain to carry over into Chicago Fire season 14.

Among changes such as Mouch adjusting to his full-time leadership position and Kidd adapting to her newly discovered pregnancy, the Chicago Fire cast will also be getting a little smaller. As of Chicago Fire season 14, the show will be losing two of its series regulars as a result of necessary budget cuts. Ritter’s departure will leave Novak once again without a roommate, an issue that was only raised and resolved toward the end of season 13. But Novak’s loss won’t be nearly as tragic as the fate set up for her Ambo 61 partner.

Carver & Violet Finally Got Together In The Chicago Fire Season 13 Finale

They’d Been Dancing Around It For A While

When looking at the most important episodes in Chicago Fire’s timeline, it feels almost immediately apparent that the relationship between Sam Carver and Violet Mikami has been one of the most prominent storylines in season 13 next to the death of Monica Pascal. Violet and Carver struggled to get on less awkward footing after Tori moved back to Texas, and it seemed clear that the tension between them hinted at a much steamier endgame than mere friendship. Their storyline finally paid off in the Chicago Fire season 13 finale with a kiss and a mutual confession of love.

It now finally feels as if Sam and Violet are able to find each other on nearly equal footing. Unfortunately, it couldn’t have happened at a worse possible time.

It was long overdue, and it would have happened much earlier if not for Carver’s drinking problem. That one issue caused so many problems between them — from Violet being attacked by Carver’s possessive recovery buddy to him spending several episodes in treatment. It now finally feels as if Sam and Violet are able to find each other on nearly equal footing. Unfortunately, it couldn’t have happened at a worse possible time.

Jake Lockett’s Impending Exit Only Delays Carver’s Inevitable Departure From Firehouse 51

It’s No Longer Clear If His Exit Will Happen Onscreen

For the most part, all One Chicago leads are returning for the 2025-2026 season. However, Jake Lockett’s Sam Carver joins Daniel Kyri’s Darren Ritter as one of two characters leaving in Chicago Fire season 14. What’s unclear is what his departure will look like now that he’s embraced his love for Violet. Neither Carver nor Ritter formally departs the story by the end of the season 13 finale, leaving it uncertain as to how the series will address either one of their exits.

Chicago Fire season 14 needs to keep featuring one recent character, even if their main storyline technically ended in the season 13 finale.

Sam Carver’s Chicago Fire exit, however, is strongly suggested throughout the finale. Firehouse 51 hasn’t exactly been a haven for Carver recently, and Sam decides in the finale that he needs to make a fresh start for himself by transferring to Denver. It’s only late in the episode, after Carver reads the letter Violet wrote him while he was in treatment, that he seems to decide he’d rather stay in the Windy City with Mikami. This would usually be a welcome development had Jake Lockett’s exit as a series regular not been confirmed weeks before the finale aired.

Stella Kidd and Kelly Severide learn shocking news during the Chicago Fire season 13 finale, and the development saves their latest story.

It would be a horrible blow to Violet’s storyline if she were to finally get with Carver, only to watch him ultimately choose Denver over her anyway. It would mean that she’d spent the better part of a day pouring her heart into a letter that ultimately failed to sway his emotions in a truly meaningful way. But hopeful fans shouldn’t expect that Carver’s departure announcement was a mere tactic to keep his love confession a surprise. There are plenty of reasons to suspect that this is truly the end of the road for Sam and Violet’s love story.

There’s No Future For Carver & Violet As A Couple In Chicago Fire

Chicago Fire Can’t Keep Their Romance Interesting Anymore

It would be great to see Mikami and Carver embrace their relationship for the long haul, but it’s difficult to do that, given the circumstance. There’s a common storytelling problem referred to as “shipping death” that asks how to keep relationships interesting, particularly when there’s no remaining dramatic tension derived from wondering when they’ll finally get together. Sadly, Sam and Violet are prime targets for this sort of issue.

Daniel Kyri’s Ritter is one of two Chicago Fire characters leaving the show following season 13, which is frustrating given the events of the finale.

Next to Mouch and Trudy, who aren’t seen together frequently, the most stable Chicago Fire couple is Kidd and Severide. They weren’t always on solid ground, but their story since the wedding has largely concerned how to move forward with other major life decisions such as parenthood. Watching Carver and Mikami follow in the same footsteps wouldn’t feel particularly fresh, meaning the most interesting part of their love story ended the moment they expressed their affections out loud. With that arc concluded and Carver’s recovery mostly under control, there are few places to take his character other than out the door.

How Chicago Fire Season 14 Can Write Out Carver

Sam Doesn’t Have Much Opportunity For A Happy Ending

Carver’s departure could easily wind up ranking among One Chicago’s saddest character exits, simply because it replaces the story of him choosing to stay with the far more tragic twist that he and Violet wind up single anyway. It’s possible that Carver simply quits the 51 while staying in Chicago to continue his relationship with Violet offscreen, but a lack of information regarding whether he might continue in a recurring role makes this difficult to predict. But if he doesn’t appear in Chicago Fire season 14 at all, then even a happy ending like this would feel woefully underwhelming.

It was announced before Chicago Fire season 13 ended that two series regulars would exit, but the finale didn’t make it seem like they were leaving.

The best-case scenario would be for Carver to at least appear onscreen to establish his exit formally. At that point, however, anything short of a goodbye party would likely fall under tragedy. The pair has barely spent any good time together on-screen. Whether he fails to survive a call or actively chooses to leave Violet after sharing that kiss, Chicago Fire has a gargantuan task ahead if seeking to write off Carver in a satisfying manner. To play it safe, fans may want to prepare to see Violet in much lower spirits than season 13 left her.