Why Stella Kidd Was Missing From Chicago Fire's Midseason Premiere
Stella Kidd is one busy firefighter, and her schedule took her off Truck 81 this week.
Chicago Fire fans may have been puzzled by the notable absence of Miranda Rae Mayo's Lieutenant Stella Kidd in the Season 13 midseason premiere.
A fan favorite since her Season 4 debut, Stella has become a cornerstone of Firehouse 51's success. Stella's bold, compassionate leadership and dedication have made her an MVP of the CFD. Aside from her heroism and quick wit, her relationship with fellow 51 Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) remains an obsession among Chi-Hards, and no one likes it when Stellaride is separated for too long.
RELATED: All About Miranda Rae Mayo's Stella Kidd on Chicago Fire
Stella's absence did not go unnoticed among the 51 crew, nor by Chi-Hards watching the midseason premiere at home. Find out why Stella Kidd was missing from Firehouse 51 during the midseason premiere (Season 13, Episode 9: "A Favor"), below.
Where was Stella Kidd during the Chicago Fire Season 13 midseason premiere?
During Firehouse 51's morning briefing, Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) revealed that Stella was on a trip with the Girls on Fire program in Maryland.
The news of Stella's trip came at a fortuitous time; during the fall finale, Mouch (Christian Stolte) and Herrmann (David Eigenberg) took tests to earn promotions and eagerly awaited those results at the top of the midseason premiere. So the group was naturally confused when Pascal revealed that a floater was at 51 to replace Mouch for that shift, a strange suggestion considering Mouch was standing right there.
"Mouch made rank," Pascal revealed, much to everyone's delight. "He's gonna be Lieutenant on truck for this shift."
"Why don't you look at that?" Mouch rejoiced. Herrmann also passed his test — a happy day at the Windy City firehouse.
RELATED: About Chicago Fire Season 13 - Premiere Date, Cast, News
When will Stella Kidd return on Chicago Fire?
While Stella was surely bummed to miss out on celebrating Herrmann and Mouch's promotions at Molly's, she's not going to be gone from Firehouse 51 for long. While Severide later reported that Stella was having a blast setting up a Girls on Fire program in Baltimore, there is no indication that Stella would leave Chicago long-term.
"[Things are] looking good this season," Miranda Rae Mayo said in an October 2024 interview. "There's a lot to be excited about. And, again, I'm just so grateful, so proud, and fortunate to be on the ride. Thank you forever to [the Chicago Fire writers] for creating Stella, to Dick [Wolf] for having me. Forever grateful to be a part of this crew."
Watch Season 13 of Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC or stream episodes on Peacock.
