Violet & Carver's Slow-Burn Chicago Fire Romance Mirrors Casey & Brett's

Violet & Carver Are Chicago Fire's Most Intriguing Couple

Slow-burn romances are nothing new in Chicago Fire, but its best was undoubtedly Matt Casey and Sylvie Brett, and one season 13 couple is seemingly their replacement, despite the show misusing them. As its name suggests, the NBC procedural drama chronicles the lives of a group of firefighters and paramedics in Chicago, Illinois. The cast of Chicago Fire has changed greatly over the years, but with every character that leaves, the writers try to replace them, which has been the case for Casey and Brett.

Following the fall finale on November 20, 2024, Chicago Fire season 13 returns on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, with episode 9 airing at 9 pm ET on NBC.

Jesse Spencer's Casey had been a part of the Chicago Fire cast since the beginning. Meanwhile, Kara Killmer's Brett joined Firehouse 51 in season 3. Since Casey was married to Brett's paramedic partner, sparks didn't fly between the two until Gabby Dawson was out of the picture. Still, it took time for them to get together, and Casey and Brett's wedding didn't come until Chicago Fire season 12. The couple moved to Oregon afterward, meaning the spot for the show's token slow-burn romance opened up, and Violet Mikami and Sam Carver swiftly stepped into Casey and Brett's shoes.

RELATED: Chicago Fire Season 13 Premiere Makes Its Brett & Casey Replacement Clear

The Chicago Fire season 13 premiere made its Brett and Casey replacement clear — Violet and Carver's love story is now the one to root for. Unfortunately, like Brett and Casey, it's taking a long time for them to get together. As some may recall, Violet and Carver began a casual relationship in season 12, but Carver (unsurprisingly) developed feelings for Violet. She did, too, but Violet didn't realize it until it was too late.

Violet wanted to keep her relationship with Carver casual because she previously saw her boyfriend, Evan Hawkins, die right in front of her. She then decided to never date a first responder again to protect herself from the heartbreak.

Carver professed his love for Violet during the Chicago Fire season 12 finale and then took a furlough to visit his family in Texas. In the six weeks they were apart, Violet gave Carver space but knew she wanted to be with him. Violet was going to tell him about her feelings until she saw Carver kissing Tori, his high school girlfriend, in Chicago Fire season 13, episode 1.

Carver and Tori had gotten back together while he was in Texas, and Violet was resigned to watching from a distance. A few episodes later, Violet also started dating someone (Flynn), prolonging the slow-burn between her and Carver. Afterward, though, Chicago Fire season 13 has seemingly forgotten about Carver and Violet's story in the last episodes of 2024.

The Violet & Carver Story Has Been Neglected In Recent Chicago Fire Episodes

During the first handful of Chicago Fire season 13 episodes, the One Chicago TV show did a good job of adding tension and angst to Violet and Carver's slow-burn romance. But, the episodes leading up to the fall finale barely showed them interacting. They also didn't contain signs of Violet and Carver still having feelings for one another despite their storyline not being resolved. Instead, Carver was focused on his toxic relationship with Tori (which ended with her leaving him), and Violet was cozying up to Flynn.

Yes, Violet and Carver getting new love interests is a good way to prolong their slow-burn love story, making the moment they finally get together even sweeter. However, it's also important to show Violet and Carver being jealous of each other's relationship. Violet was outwardly jealous at the beginning of season 13, but once she met Flynn, she seemingly forgot all about Carver. There was a moment when Violet watched as Carver stormed out of the firehouse in Chicago Fire season 13, episode 6, but it wasn't effective enough to be memorable.

If the audience is meant to care and root for Violet and Carver, then they need to see development in their relationship, no matter how little it is. Meanwhile, Carver doesn't seem to know or care about Violet's relationship status. Even after Tori left, Carver was more focused on getting a dog in the fall finale than checking in on the woman he's supposed to love. If the audience is meant to care and root for Violet and Carver, then they need to see development in their relationship, no matter how little it is. But the past few episodes have failed to even remind fans that Violet and Carver are supposed to be Casey and Brett's replacements.

How Chicago Fire Season 13 Can Fix Its Mistakes When It Returns

The bad news is that Chicago Fire season 13 won't return until