Chicago Fire has proven itself over the course of its twelve-season run.
One of its most senior cast members, Taylor Kinney, has given the show (and its fans) plenty to love in his years of playing Kelly Severide.
Because Kinney took a leave of absence during Season 11 following a mysterious personal matter, fans have long feared that a more permanent absence could be on the horizon for Severide.
Given how much character development had been invested into Severide, it's obvious why the show opted to keep his future open while Kinney was on leave.
Good thing, too, because he came back in Season 12 with a bang and seems to be home for good — at least for now.
Severide and his relationship with his wife, fellow firefighter Stella Kidd, have been a huge point of interest for the show.
Fans love their chemistry, and we all enjoyed watching them get their happy ending.
It's no secret that Kelly Severide is well-loved by Chicago Fire fans. So what happens if Taylor Kinney decides to leave the show for good?
While the series would definitely take a hit, there's no reason to think it wouldn't survive in Severide's absence. It's done it before, after all.
That doesn't mean people will be happy about it, though. While there's been no news to suggest that Taylor Kinney plans to go anywhere, it's understandable that folks are nervous, given his previous hiatus.
Sure, the character development the writers threw together for Severide was clever. Sending him to Alabama for an impressive training course was a smart move.
It kept Severide in fans' good graces while dealing with Kinney's absence. Other shows have opted for more dramatic exits that left fans upset with their favorite characters.
But Chicago Fire managed to keep fans on Severide's good side, which is an impressive feat.
People still took to social media to express their ire about the firefighter's break from the show.
Historically speaking, we know that if Kinney left for good, it would have plenty of people upset.
But again, that doesn't mean the show wouldn't carry on. Lots of other characters have earned fans' loyalty, and as much as we love Severide, we're not watching the show for one character alone.
Chicago Fire's writers have worked hard for over a decade to make sure that they could successfully build a universe that didn't hinge on one character.
It's a trait that carries over into other One Chicago shows. While each of these shows has its own strong and lovable characters, none of them are carrying their show alone.
As much as we loved Will Halstead and Natalie Manning, Chicago Med seems to be doing fine without them.
If you'd told us that would be the case back in Season 1, we probably wouldn't have believed you.
Chicago PD's choice to say goodbye to Alvin Olinsky left fans devastated, but the show didn't fall apart.
In no way do we want to downplay how important Kelly Severide is to Chicago Fire. Obviously, he's more than a fan favorite — he's a series staple.
It's just a testament to the show's creative team that the universe built around its characters is strong enough to evolve with or without them.
Throughout Chicago Fire's run, we've seen characters come and go (and, in some cases, come back). We've also come close to losing beloved characters like Mouch.
We've said permanent goodbyes to characters we loved and some we didn't, and we've had to put up with new additions to the show that we could have lived without.
So, while it would be a huge bummer to let go of one of the series' longest-standing pillars, we'd still keep watching as long as they kept giving us episodes.
At this point, we just hope that if we ever do have to say farewell to Severide for good, it's because the show has come to a natural end.
In that particular scenario, we'd love to see all our favorite characters get their happily-ever-afters, and right before the credits rolled, Severide and Stella would ride off into the sunset.
Wishful thinking, I know.
Honestly, the series has been chugging along for so long that at this point, we could be looking at another record-breaking hit like Grey's Anatomy, which is in its twentieth season this year.
Maybe we should be asking ourselves if Chicago Fire has what it takes to stretch out another eight or so seasons.
Given its popularity in a primetime environment that is teeming with first-responder hits, it definitely isn't out of the question.
Compared to shows like 9-1-1, which might not be able to survive losing some of its most important characters, Chicago Fire might have a stronger foundation.
Ultimately, we don't want to imagine a world where One Chicago's hottest (literally) installment goes on permanently without Severide.
The damage that would do to Stella alone is enough of a deterrent, but the rest of the house would feel the loss, too.
Our take is that yes, if it had to, Chicago Fire could survive without Kelly Severide.
But we certainly hope it never has to.