During its one-hour premiere on NBC Friday night, Season 12 of Chicago Fire delivered a number of surprises.

The first episode of the action-drama series aired on Wednesday, Jan. 17, and witnessed the return of some cherished characters while also bidding a heartbreaking farewell to others.

It began with a sensual encounter between Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and her husband Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), which followed their heartbreaking reunion after Kinney departed the show in 2023.

Why did Taylor Kinney leave Chicago Fire?

In January of last year, the 42-year-old actor took a leave of absence from the show “to deal with a personal matter,” according to People.

Kinney was last seen in a scene on Chicago Fire on February 22, 2023.

Stella was distraught at the end of season 11 when she drove south to find her husband, who had never returned home after his arson investigation training course.

As a result of their reunion, the pair’s lack of trust in the upcoming episodes paved the way for a fresh start.

With Kelly’s arrival, Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende) left the firehouse to live with his family in Michigan, causing tears.

Gallo said his final farewell to his former coworkers, saying, “I’m going to miss my family at 51 like hell.”

The episode concluded with Christopher Herrmann, played by David Eigenberg, emerging as the hero after apprehending the arsonist who was attacking the firemen.

A trailer for the following episode hinted to problems between Kelly and Joe Cruz (played by Joe Miñoso), as the latter struggles to take commands after functioning as the team’s leader in Kelly’s absence.