The news has been hard to digest, but it is what it is. Alberto Rosende, who has played Blake Gallo on Chicago Fire for 4 seasons, is set to exit the One Chicago drama in Season 12. Well, not in Season 1 — Deadline is reporting Rosende is set to appear in just one episode before departing the show.
And there lies the problem. Or, there is where the problem can become even worse. Because Blake Gallo, is, in all respects, a pretty beloved character. Sure, he’s had his moments where we wish he could read the room better, but he’s a sweet guy who mostly means well, and who typically learns from his mistakes. Rosende plays him with earnestness and joy. He’s a lot of people’s comfort character, and he’s leaving. That’s, of course, the first part.
Then, of course, there’s the fact that Chicago Fire made the decision to kill off Evan Hawkins last year, presumably to pursue a relationship between Violet Hawkami and Blake Gallo — and now, it feels like they basically killed off Hawkins for nothing. We lost Hawkami for nothing. Just shock value, nothing more.
But the fact that Rosende is set to appear in just one episode, while other departing characters — like Kara Kilmer’s Sylvie Brett, are set to have a longer exit arc, is where our worry lies. Gallo came to 51 to replace Otis. If this show pulls off another tragic exit for him, then so help us …
What we’re saying here is, please Chicago Fire, don’t kill Blake Gallo. We’re actually beginning. We can’t take that. Violet can’t take that. Firehouse 51 can’t take that. And honestly, you don’t need to. Throw away the playbook that says drama is the only way character exits work. Let him go train for Squad. Or go take care of his aunt. That way we can check in on him periodically, even if we don’t get to see him.
Don’t kill Blake Gallo off us to manipulate us into feeling stuff. He’s made us feel stuff for 4 seasons, and he’s done that without the shock value. Let us celebrate that by letting him leave on a high. Please.
Chicago Fire is set to return to NBC on January 17th, 2024.
I cannot agree with you more on this post. One episode, one measly episode???? I hope that they do not kill his character. I also really hope that the reason that this is just one episode is because Alberto Rosende has another really good opportunity and he is getting one episode at his request because he needs to move on to another project really quickly.
Frankly I am really going to miss him with Violet and Ritter. The three of them had really good chemistry. I kind of viewed them as the Scoobies of Firehouse 51. They also seem to be moving in the direction of putting Carver and Violet together, not sure how I feel about that. Frankly, I wish Carver and Seager was more than just a fling.