Kara Killmer On Saying Goodbye To ‘Chicago Fire’ & “I Do” In Her Final Episode

Rosy Cordero
·5 min read
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Kara Killmer is saying goodbye and “I do” in her final episode of NBC’s Chicago Fire airing on Wednesday. Killmer, who joined Season 3 of the hit firefighter drama, revealed in November she would be leaving the series after a decade in the role of Sylvie Brett.

“This is the natural end for her character; it’s kind of a perfect bookend, really,” Killmer told Deadline on Friday when asked about her decision to depart.” I’m selfishly delighted over the fact that Sylvie shows up in Chicago a jilted bride who was dumped at the altar by her high school sweetheart and then ends up across the aisle in her last episode from Matt Casey, the love of her life. I just love that her character has been able to come full circle and it’s it’s such a great way to exit her journey. It’s sort of perfect timing,” she added.

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(L-R) Hanako Greensmith as Violet Mikami, Kara Killmer as Sylvie Brett, Eamonn Walker as Chief Wallace Boden, Jesse Spencer as Matt Casey, Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide
(L-R) Hanako Greensmith as Violet Mikami, Kara Killmer as Sylvie Brett, Eamonn Walker as Chief Wallace Boden, Jesse Spencer as Matt Casey, Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide

Jesse Spencer brought to life Matt Casey from the show’s inception until his official exit in late 2021, though he has returned for multiple guest appearances. As a preview of the episode titled “Port in the Storm” teases, the couple will tie the knot in a fish store.

“You know, I think Sylvie is a little controlling, and she’s very organized. And so the humor and shock that ensues with this revelation that Tony [Anthony Ferraris] has been talking about an aquarium store the whole time, it’s kind of fitting for Firehouse 51. You look at the whole thing and go, ‘Yeah, you need to stick to firefighting; do not weddings. Do not do anybody any favors. Just stay on the squad and save people’s lives. That’s what you’re good at.” she said with a laugh.

Killmer continued, “Ultimately, one of the staples of our show is how the family of 51 comes together to make things right for each other. I think people will be very excited to see how it all comes together. You know, it’s a very unique and challenging space. So it was really fun to see how they transformed it into this kind of unique spot, which, I thought Jesse would love. I was like, he’s an Australian. He’s gonna walk in there and he’s gonna go [Using an Australian accent] ‘Oh, look, fish! I kind of like it.’ They didn’t go with doing an old firehouse or this historical church. It’s like something that nobody anywhere in any way would have guessed, including Sylvie.”

Cake! (l-r) Miranda Rae Mayo as Stella Kidd, Christian Stolte as Randy “Mouch” McHolland, Kara Killmer as Sylvie Brett
Cake! (l-r) Miranda Rae Mayo as Stella Kidd, Christian Stolte as Randy “Mouch” McHolland, Kara Killmer as Sylvie Brett

Killmer recalls of shooting her last episode that it was “bittersweet, but more sweet than bitter, for sure.” She loves that her last moments as Sylvie was “one giant party that helped make it a great send-off.” Oh, and she admits she gobbled up lots of delicious wedding cake—that she says she was positioned next to at least four hours— which she is convinced was made by “the tears of angels.”

Upon further reflection, she says the three tiers consisted of chocolate on the bottom and vanilla on top with cream cheese frosting. “Needless to say, the wedding dress was feeling tighter by the end of the episode,” she recalled with a smile.

There was, however, one little messy thing she felt was missing.

“I actually asked permission if I could turn it into a food fight and they said, ‘Let’s not do that to the art department.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, fine.’ I just thought for sure Jesse was going to shove some cake in my face and I had to be prepared to retaliate appropriately,” Killmer revealed. “But you know, it was lovely that they brought Jesse back. It would have been really strange if my character’s journey ended without him being there. It really gave her and me the perfect closure.”

Following Spencer’s departure as Casey, Sylvie tried to get back into the dating game and move on with her life slowly even as Casey kept popping in to visit from Portland. The love between the characters was so strong and had only just finally picked up speed when Spencer left the show, that ultimately, it was too difficult for Sylvie to carry on without him.

“The relationship that they had had this like three-year build-up. And I think the writers and the fans all kind of felt like he’s the one. We tried for a year or two for a whole season to see if she could get over him. She dated Dylan and tried to move on and I think everybody was just like, ‘What is this? This will not do.’ No one would accept it, including Sylvie. I think that those two characters were, as they repeatedly say, they were meant to be. So it’s only appropriate that she would end up with him, which I’m so satisfied with,” she said.

As with Spencer, Killmer revealed she would be happy to return to Chicago Fire.

“You never know what’s going to happen at 51,” Killmer teased. “I think we’ve proven that we love to see familiar faces come back through which is also very true of a real firehouse. It’s a brotherhood and a family bond for life. I could see that happening and I would be more than happy to pop back in.”

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