'Chicago Fire' Loses Another Firefighter From Firehouse 51

Rome Flynn

The departure of Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende) in the Chicago Fire Season 12 premiere, left a vacancy that needed to be filled in Firehouse 51 and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) thought she had the perfect substitute in Derek Gibson (Rome Flynn).

Gibson was introduced as a floater on Truck 46 who was recruited by Stella when she witnessed a heroic act on his part. But later, his past was revealed when he admitted that he had accidentally killed his opponent in a boxing match, which led him to leave the sport and take up firefighting.

But in tonight’s episode, Gibson was forced to voluntarily take a leave of absence to deal with a substance abuse problem. Gibson was jittery the entire episode and when he is finally confronted by Sam Carver (Jake Lockett), he punches the locker and injures his hand. Stella finds him hiding in one of the shower stalls, bleeding, and he tells her he has to go.

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It wasn’t clear exactly what his drug addiction stemmed from. Was it a previous injury or the guilt from killing someone?

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Flynn had previously left the cryptic message, “It was a gift to be on truck 81” on an Instagram Story on his official account. Now it turns out, it may not have been so cryptic after all.

“The character is definitely bringing some intrigue into 51,” showrunner Andrea Newman told Parade for the season premiere. “We meet him in a very heroic way. He impresses Kidd especially and she wants him at 51, wants to bring him onto her team. He’s a great character with a great backstory that will be revealed very slowly. There’s lots of layers to peel back on Gibson to get to the heart of Derek. The actor is phenomenal, Rome Flynn who’s playing him. We’re really excited to have him on board.”

Related: Kara Killmer on Her Bittersweet Chicago Fire Exit and That Oh-So-Fabulous Wedding Dress

Gibson was a good guy, liked by all, so there is the possibility that he could return later if he cleans up his act.

Another departure took place tonight as well when Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) took the bull by the horns and told Lennox (Wesam Keesh) that he wasn’t a good fit for Firehouse 51 and that he would have to go back to being a floater and they would find a new partner for Violet (Hanako Greensmith). It was typical of Boden to protect his team, but this may have consequences in the future as he has made an enemy of Chief Robinson (Laura Allen).

Chicago Fire airs Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

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