Benjamin "Benny" Severide was Kelly and Katie's father and former firefighter who served with Wallace Boden and Henry Mills on Squad 4.
Biography[]
He was also a former Captain in Arson Investigations (also known as Office of Fire Investigations or OFI). He was good friends with Wallace Boden, having served with him on the squad for years.
At one point, he was married to Jennifer Sheridan and they had a son named Kelly. However, the relationship fell apart and he would go on to have affairs. In Forgiving, Relentless, Unconditional, Kelly explains why he passed some time at April Sexton's house during his junior year: Benny cheated on his mom (Jennifer) with a school teacher (from Kelly and April's school) in their own house. Benny ended up leaving her and their son.
He would go onto have relationships with several women afterwards even producing a daughter named Katie Nolan. He would not see Katie for over two decades. Benny would go on to get married to another woman named Beth and become the stepfather to her two sons.
Season 2[]
During Prove It, Kelly seeks out his help to follow up on the string of fires from last week. Benny agrees to work his connections in Arson but warns that Severide might be wrong to think it's a criminal with a vendetta.
In Defcon 1, Benny is contacted by Kelly again to come to the house. Benny is reluctant to enter the fire house due to the tension with Peter Mills. However, Mills put aside the grudge, as his restaurant was lost in the arson spree and accepted the help. With that, Kelly ushers Benny into Boden's office, and the three men chat about the suspected arsonist, Hadley. Benny makes a solid argument for the ex-fireman's involvement, noting he matches the traits of the arsonist.
During A Nuisance Call, he meets Kelly at the house and notices Gail McLeod plotting a way to overthrow Chief Boden. He is surprised to learn that Hadley went to the scene of a recent fire and how he and Kelly nearly came to blows. Later on, he meets McLeod at her office, where he expresses his support for the firehouse and disdain for Boden. Seizing a chance, McLeod recruits Benny to see if he will command Firehouse 51 and accepts the offer.
In A Power Move, he meets with his daughter Katie Nolan and they share a hug. This was witnessed by Severide who mistook her for a mistress. Benny then goes inside and talks with his son about things. They come up with a suspect.
In No Regrets, Benny meets with his son who tells him that he met Katie and knows she is his sister. He lashes out at his father for abandoning him as well as Katie, and his stepbrothers. At the end, Benny backs out of taking the Chief position, realizing his friendship with Wallace was important. Benny meets with Kelly later and apologizes to him for being a crappy father and not being there for him when he really needed it. He knows he screws over women but announces he is going back to Beth and the boys - Firehouse 51 is Boden's. He also implores Kelly to connect with his sister.
In Keep Your Mouth Shut, after his daughter who went missing is found alive, Benny was notified and returned to Chicago to discuss the situation with Kelly but is told his daughter already moved to get away from the drama. Benny tried to persist in talking to his son about the issue, but Kelly told him if he cared so much then he would’ve stuck around. Benny states he had to respect the feelings of her mother, but Kelly tells him he is just making excuses. Very soon, Benny meets with Kelly and tells him that Katie had once gave him a gift when she was a child and how it was to always keep him safe and regrets not being able to do much for her.
During A Rocket Blasting Off, Benny has dinner with Kelly and Leslie Shay who is amazed by his cooking up a fish that he caught in the lake. They discuss the case with the missing mobster Vince Keeler, who kidnapped and raped Katie, Benny is told that the police are looking into firefighters. During this talk, Benny subtly implies that he had a role in the case, something Kelly quietly picks up on from a stare. It is later confirmed Benny had been responsible for the disappearance of Vince Keeler, when he arrived at the 21st police district to speak to Sergeant Hank Voight. Trudy Platt tells him that Voight was not around, so he leaves his number for a talk. At a bar, he meets Voight and seems to confess his involvement while preparing to turn himself in for his crimes. However, Voight understood his grief (being a father himself) and let Benny flee to Kenosha while also telling him to stay away from Chicago until the heat died down about Keeler. Although surprised, Benny thanks Voight for this while Voight commends him for looking out for his family.
Season 4[]
During Sharp Elbows, he comes back for the gala but visits his son when he discovers he was suspended, despite Kelly insisting he not got involved. Benny manages to dig up dirt on Patterson, finding several offenses from when he was 17 which he told Severide to use. He contemplated using the file but at the end, decided to give it to Patterson who revealed the offenses were supposed to stay hidden after his mother committed suicide. Severide tried to push it aside as just doing something good, but Patterson says he wouldn't give him the file and just throw it away if that was the case.
Season 7[]
In All The Proof, Benny suffers a stroke and dies.
Kelly and Katie attended his funeral, along with House 51 and many others. Benny was honored by the fire department for his services and Kelly placed the medal that Katie found on his casket.
Season 9[]
In Funny What Things Remind Us, Boden mentions Benny could not stand Red X duty but when the chief gave a nod that he would have a bottle of whiskey was on his desk. Boden bet Benny did not lift a hammer in 15 years. Kelly also mentions although it has been two years since his death that he still thinks about him.
Career Trivia[]
- Its mentioned in S7 E07, that he led one of the busiest battalions in his district.
- Its mentioned in S7 E07, that "He had a 35-year career in the department.
- Its mentioned in S7 E07, that he won the CFD`s Highest Honors.
- He mentions in S6 E17, "Retired Battalion Chief, CFD"
Notes[]
- Despite abandoning them, he ultimately proved he cared for his children.
- He sent Katie Christmas gifts every year.
- He was good friends with Hank Voight.
- He once slept with his son's teacher.
Appearances[]
| Season 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Mon Amour | Professional Courtesy | One Minute | Hanging On |
| Rear View Mirror | Two Families | Leaving the Station | It Ain't Easy | Merry Christmas, Etc. |
| God Has Spoken | Under the Knife | Warm and Dead | A Little Taste | Nazdarovya! |
| Viral | Better to Lie | Fireworks | A Coffin That Small | Ambition |
| Retaliation Hit | Leaders Lead | Let Her Go | A Hell of a Ride | |
| Season 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Problem House | Prove It | Defcon 1 | A Nuisance Call | A Power Move |
| Joyriding | No Regrets | Rhymes with Shout | You Will Hurt Him | Not Like This |
| Shoved In My Face | Out With a Bang | Tonight’s the Night | Virgin Skin | Keep Your Mouth Shut |
| A Rocket Blasting Off | When Things Got Rough | Until Your Feet Leave the Ground | A Heavy Weight | A Dark Day |
| One More Shot | Real Never Waits | |||
| Season 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Let It Burn | A Taste of Panama City | I Walk Away | Your Day Is Coming | Regarding This Wedding |
| 2112 | Sharp Elbows | When Tortoises Fly | Short and Fat | The Beating Heart |
| The Path of Destruction | Not Everyone Makes It | The Sky Is Falling | All Hard Parts | Bad For the Soul |
| Two Ts | What Happened to Courtney | On the Warpath | I Will Be Walking | The Last One for Mom |
| Kind of a Crazy Idea | Where the Collapse Started | Superhero | ||
| Season 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hose or the Animal | A Real Wake-Up Call | Scorched Earth | Nobody Else Is Dying Today | I Held Her Hand |
| That Day | Lift Each Other | One Hundred | Some Make It, Some Don’t | The People We Meet |
| Who Lives and Who Dies | An Agent of the Machine | Trading in Scuttlebutt | Purgatory | Deathtrap |
| Telling Her Goodbye | Babies and Fools | Take a Knee | Carry Their Legacy | Carry Me |
| Sixty Days | My Miracle | |||
| Season 6 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It Wasn't Enough | Ignite on Contact | An Even Bigger Surprise | A Breaking Point | Devil's Bargain |
| Down Is Better | A Man's Legacy | The Whole Point of Being Roommates | Foul Is Fair | Slamigan |
| Law of the Jungle | The F is For | Hiding Not Seeking | Looking for a Lifeline | The Chance to Forgive |
| The One That Matters Most | Put White on Me | When They See Us Coming | Where I Want To Be | The Strongest Among Us |
| The Unrivaled Standard | One for the Ages | The Grand Gesture | ||
| Season 7 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Closer Eye | Going To War | Thirty Percent Sleight Of Hand | This Isn't Charity | A Volatile Mixture |
| All The Proof | What Will Define You | The Solution to Everything | Always A Catch | Inside These Walls |
| You Choose | Make This Right | The Plunge | It Wasn't About Hockey | What I Saw |
| Fault in Him | Move a Wall | No Such Thing As Bad Luck | Until the Weather Breaks | Try Like Hell |
| The White Whale | I'm Not Leaving You | |||
Image Gallery[]
