Who is Van Meter on Chicago Fire?

Chicago Fire referenced Van Meter at the end of a big cliffhanger episode and it could be a huge deal.

After a night that focused mainly on firefighter Sam Carver’s troubles and Lieutenant Stella Kidd trying to get him back in line, the last 30 seconds ended up being pretty dramatic.

Stella had just spoken to Carver at one end of the bar, and it seemed like the episode was going to end on a positive note between them.

But then the camera shifted to the other end of the bar, where Kelly Severide was shown sitting with his phone.

Severide didn’t even have to say a word to impress his seriousness, and here is a link to that pivotal scene for anyone who needs to watch it again.

To summarize it, Stella said that Severide had sent her a message about Van Meter, and he showed her what he was talking about on his phone. This presented a big mystery that will likely be addressed later.

Who is Van Meter on Chicago Fire?

One question that some Chicago Fire fans were left with at the end of that episode was the meaning of the reference to Van Meter. Die-hard fans likely knew immediately who Stella was talking about, but it’s also a detail that some One Chicago fans may not have understood.

Captain Tom Van Meter is an arson investigator for the Office of Fire Investigation (OFI). Played by actor Tim Hopper, the character has asked Severide for a lot of help over the years. At one point, Severide was even assigned to OFI to work for Van Meter on a backlog of cases.

Severide has also learned a lot from Van Meter, but at this stage of their careers, Severide might be the best arson investigator at the CFD. There’s a good reason that his nickname has become “Fire Cop” on the show.

In a recent episode, one of the bosses for the Chicago Fire Department forced Severide to look into Van Meter due to some questions that came up in a fire investigation. It strained the relationship between Van Meter and Severide, possibly to a breaking point that could become even more important.

Now, there are heavy hints that a reason Severide will not be on Chicago Fire for a while is due to a situation that involves Van Meter. Outside of the show, though, most fans already know that actor Taylor Kinney took a leave of absence for personal reasons.

Answers about what is going on should come during the March 1 episode, where Chicago Fire threatened to kill off Blake Gallo.

More news from One Chicago

Elsewhere in the world of One Chicago, a new episode of Chicago P.D. brings back Samantha Beck. It’s going to be an intense night for the Intelligence team.

And some slightly bad news for fans of the shows has come out, as One Chicago is taking another long hiatus at NBC.

Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.