Is Stella Kidd Leaving Chicago Fire For Good?

The extended absence of Stella Kidd actor Miranda Rae Mayo from Season 10 of "Chicago Fire" has led fans online to question the status of her character moving forward. Twitter user @booksworm_S, for example, wrote "another week without Stella Kidd..." upon the premiere of Season 10 Episode 8. On Reddit, meanwhile, user headfullofpain started a thread asking users of the "Chicago Fire" subreddit to help explain Stella's whereabouts.

Fortunately, those wondering about Stella's absence can rest assured that Mayo will return to "Chicago Fire" in the near future. In an interview with TVLine published on November 1, showrunner Derek Haas promised that Stella will be back "before the end of this calendar year." Furthermore, Haas told TVLine a couple of weeks prior that Stella is in the running to take over the vacancy left by Casey's departure. "The spot on Truck 81 is potentially open," Haas said, "and she hasn't come back to claim it as of the next episode, so that has its own issues and ramifications." What those ramifications might be should become clearer when Mayo returns to the cast of "Chicago Fire" before the year is through.