For someone who said goodbye in season 10, Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) sure played a big part in season 11 of Chicago Fire. The character broke hearts when he announced that he would be leaving the Windy City for Oregon, but he’s made several trips back, whether it be for a best friend’s wedding or to propose to his ex-girlfriend, Brett (Kara Killmer).

The season 11 finale saw Casey take a knee and propose, and in typical Chicago Fire fashion, the episode cut to black before we could get Brett’s response. It’s a killer cliffhanger but raises more critical questions about Casey’s involvement in season 12. Is he back full-time? Will he move back to Chicago and resume duties at the firehouse?

Well, it’s complicated. Casey has appeared in a handful of episodes since he left, but the show set up obstacles that would make him think twice about moving back. The biggest one being the promise he made to Ben (Liam Booth) and Griffin Darden (Cameron Scott Roberts). Ben and Griffin are the sons of Andy Darden (Corey Sorenson), a friend of Casey’s who died in the Chicago Fire pilot. 

They don’t have either of their parents in their lives (their mother is currently serving a jail sentence), and Casey agreed to become their guardian until they finish high school. Ben and Griffin are a couple of years away from graduating, which means Casey will have to be in Oregon for a while longer. He can’t just pick up and go because the original push for him to move was so the boys could attend the same school and maintain a sense of normalcy.

Will Jesse Spencer return for Chicago Fire season 12?

In addition to the character’s arc, there’s the interest of the real-life actor to consider. Spencer left Chicago Fire because he wanted a break from the grind of a network TV schedule. He explained to Us Magazine that he’d been at it for two decades and reached a point where he was simply running through the motions. “18 years is a long time,” he added. “That’s a long stretch.”

These points are very glass-half-empty, but there are plenty of glass-half-full points, and they happen to be from his most recent interviews. Spencer was asked about his role in the season 11 finale, and he told Deadline that his character’s time in Oregon might be coming to an end. He also seemed hopeful about the possibility of Casey regaining his full-time cast member status.

“The potential to come back would be awesome. I’m always open to that but you know, the ball isn’t really in my court. I always told [series co-creator] Derek Haas that if there were episodes that he thought would be appropriate for me to come back, then I’m totally open to that because I want to see the old gang and I love working there.”

From a practical standpoint, it makes sense to bring Casey back. He’s one of the most beloved characters on Chicago Fire, and the fact that Severide (Taylor Kinney), another longtime character, is stuck in limbo off-screen means that Casey is more valuable to the show than ever. Nothing is set in stone, but the scale is definitely tipping in the direction of his return, and we couldn’t be more excited. Here’s hoping Brett says yes to his proposal.

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