“They’re Friends”: ‘Chicago Fire’ Star Discusses Novak and Damon’s Romantic Future

The will-they/won’t-they dynamic is a well-worn trope in Chicago Fire, and it looks like the show has found its next slow-burn couple in Lizzie Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) and Jack Damon (Michael Bradway).

Upped to a series regular at the start of Season 13, Lizzie saw the magnifying glass move over her personal life more often in the latest installment. The show first danced around a romantic possibility between her and fellow new arrival Chief Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) when Lizzie admitted to finding him attractive. With that tease soon fizzling away, the show instead paired her with Damon, with whom she seems to have a more solid connection. However, Season 13 leaves things uncertain between the pair, and now Hudon has weighed in on the prospects for the duo as an item.

Starting as friends, Lizzie and Damon soon embraced their feelings for each other after they shared a steamy kiss and ended up in bed together. However, their tryst was only a one-off and couldn't seal them as an official couple, with Damon hesitant to pursue a relationship with her for obvious reasons. Despite the disappointment, Lizzie has since been playing it cool and going with the casual friendship thing, but their lingering chemistry continues to raise questions about where things might go next. Hudon recently admitted in an interview with ScreenRant that she’s just as in the dark as viewers are about the couple’s future. "I don't know because he low-key broke up with her in one of the episodes, and then she's kind of still around," the actress said when asked about her hopes for their relationship.

Further elaborating on Damon's decision to friend-zone Novak, Hudon noted that Novak may have another potential connection with John Frost (Darren Barnet) of Chicago Med. "She's with him in the hospital. They're friends. He came over for dinner at her and Ritter's place, so I'm not exactly sure where that's going. And there are a bunch of fans also shipping Novak and Frost from Med, so I don't know what direction it's going to go." When asked who she’d personally like to see Novak end up with, Hudon stayed neutral, "I don't have a team. I'm just excited to see the episodes and see where the writers take it, and I'm on board with whatever way they go. I love getting new episodes and being like, 'Oh, okay, great!'"

Novak and Damon Could Be Season 14's Major Couple

Chicago Fire does enjoy giving fans a good relationship tease, and the show appears to be headed in this direction once more with Novak and Damon. With Carver potentially on his way out after the finale twist – he reveals he's considering taking a job in Denver after making up with Violet (Hanako Greensmith) – the show might be ending one will-they/won't-they dynamic, only to opt for another. With Carver actor Jake Lockett recently announced to be exiting the series after Season 13, it's anyone's guess where that leaves his relationship with Violet. However, stepping in to take their place might be Novak and Damon, and Hudon is down with the idea, telling the outlet, "I would love a drawn-out long situation where we try to figure it out."

All episodes of Chicago Fire Season 13 are available to stream on Peacock. Stay tuned for more coverage of the series as we build up to the upcoming Season 14.