When the 2021-2022 season of Chicago Fire went on its fall break, some fans looked back on the earlier seasons, and now, they want a reminder of why Lauren German left Chicago Fire way back in Season 2.
Leslie Shay, who Lauren played until her characters tragic death, was a big part of the series. And since she was killed off, fans are curious if Lauren had something to do with the way her character exited the show. Article continues below advertisement
Because Shay was killed off, theres no chance of Lauren coming back to Chicago Fire. Barring any flashbacks involving other characters from the explosion in which Shay died, Laurens time in the Chicago One world is over now. But that doesnt mean fans dont still look back fondly on Shay and often wonder about the events which led to Lauren leaving the show.
Why did Lauren German exit Chicago Fire?
Ultimately, Lauren German’s departure from Chicago Med was the result of the decision to kill off her character on the show. Interestingly, the storyline was not a result of German’s desire to depart the show and was instead one made by the writers.
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As executive producer Matt Olmstead revealed in an interview with TVLine at the time, the writers ultimately decided to bring Shay’s story to an end in making the difficult decision to write the character out of the show. However, as Olmstead revealed, German took the news like a pro and was even able to joke about it a bit.
German has since moved on from her role on “Chicago Fire,” most recently starring as Chloe Decker on “Lucifer,” a show that follows the actual devil himself as he leaves hell behind to start a new life in Los Angeles. As Entertainment Weekly reported, “Lucifer” officially came to an end after six seasons back in September 2021.
Similar to shows like “Greys Anatomy,” the “One Chicago” universe is prone to injure or kill off characters simply for dramatic effect. This flair for the dramatic was showcased when the shows writers decided to kill off beloved character Leslie Shay at the beginning of the third season. In an interview with TVLine, the executive producer of “Chicago Fire,” Matt Olmstead, said that it was decided that they would kill off Shay to make a “big impact, as opposed to going for a lesser-known character.”
“She was very professional about it,” Olmstead told TVLine of Lauren German leaving behind her role as Shay. “She joked that she wasnt going to miss the Chicago winters. Shes a California girl. So it was nice to know she was able to joke about it a little bit.” Olmstead continued, “What Im going to miss about Shay is what Im going to miss about Lauren German, which is an extremely talented actress who can play both heavy dramatic scenes, but had a light touch and was funny and just likable.”
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Given her popularity on the series, it came as a shock to many fans when, at the end of the second season of “Chicago Fire,” Shay was involved in a building exploding by a serial arsonist that left her seriously injured. As Showbiz Cheat Sheet reported, fans were left waiting to find out about Shays fate until the premiere of the third season of the show, which confirmed what many had feared — Shay was dead and German would never be returning to “Chicago Fire” to reprise her role.
Shay was killed off in the ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 2 finale.
At the end of Season 2, Shays life hung in the balance during an explosion that was the result of a building collapse during a fire. Although Boden accounted for most of Firehouse 51 during the incident, Dawson and Shay were noticeably absent. It wasnt until the Season 3 premiere when it was revealed what happened to Dawson and Shay during the explosion.
As fans had feared at the time, Shay was dead. Dawson tried to revive her, but Shay was killed off. It was a fitting end for the fictional hero. But it also meant that Lauren left Chicago Fire with no hope of returning. Luckily, it doesnt seem to have been a result of an issue with the actress. Instead, it was a creative decision made for the sake of the shows storylines. Article continues below advertisement
FAQ
Why does Leslie leave Chicago Fire?
German’s Shay was killed off in season 3. The actress moved on to a series regular role on Lucifer.
What happened between Dawson and Shay on Chicago Fire?
