Chicago Fire season 7 spotlight: Where does Casey go from here?
It definitely makes sense to start with Matthew Casey, mostly because of what happened to him at the end of season 6 and the inevitability of him having to start season 7 without Dawson. It is still not entirely clear if Monica Raymund will be showing up at some point in the near future (creator Derek Haas seems interested in getting her back); from our vantage point, we just have to think in terms of Dawson being already gone come the premiere.
So where will things go moving forward with Casey? The first thing that the writers have to do obviously is come up with a way in which for Dawson to have departed and try to establish some sort of temporary resolution. While it may be frustrating for viewers to think that she and Casey had some off-screen conversations about her leaving that we didn’t get a chance to see, that’s better than the alternative: A situation where Dawson just leaves Casey a note or something before taking off. A move like that would probably start real fires inside the brains of many fans. It wouldn’t be altogether respectful for any characters involved.
Beyond any resolution here, there is likely going to be a pretty big time jump during the premiere. Most premiere episodes tend to jump forward the action a few months, and the writers can put Casey in a position where he has had some time to deal with the aftermath of Dawson’s exit. On the other side of the jump he could have himself together a little bit better and be back to being more of the version of the characters we expect him to be. That includes him leading Firehouse 51 as the captain in a more active way depending on what happens with Boden and his potential promotion. We would love to see Casey more as the leader just in terms of his style, how he reacts the other characters entering the firehouse, and also just if it impacts his friendships even more than we have seen to date.
Also, what other pursuits is Casey going to have in season 7 outside of life in the firehouse? Is politics something that he will look at it again, or will he find a new way to channel some of his creative energy and drive outside of work? We would like to see more of that in season 7 that’s somewhat independent both of the job and of Dawson.
Obviously, what happens with Dawson and Casey is going to influence his story in the months to come. For example, if the two remain married we don’t imagine there being any real questions about Casey’s romantic life at all. However, if the writers split up Dawsey there could be potential for a new love interest on the road. We would personally be opposed to it over the course of season 7 just to give him a little bit of time to heal, but beyond that anything is possible. It’s just not something we like to think about right now.
What do you want to see for Matthew Casey moving forward on Chicago Fire season 7? Be sure to let us know in the attached comments!
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