Some of my new favorite shows are the collective known as
One Chicago. It consists of Chicago Fire, Chicago PD and Chicago
Med. Created by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas and produced by Dick Wolfe
(Law and Order franchise), the shows follow the men and women who serve and
protect the citizens of Chicago as well as the medical staff that treats them
in emergency situations. The shows air Wednesday night on NBC starting at 8 pm
with Chicago Med, followed by Chicago Fire at 9pm and Chicago
PD at 10. Although the lineup changes as needed for the franchises
crossover episodes. It was recently announced that each show has been renewed
for three more seasons. Past episodes are available on streaming services such
as Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. They will also be available on NBC’s Peacock
streaming service which is set to launch on July 15, 2020.
Chicago Fire premiered October 10, 2012 and is
currently in its eighth season. Of the three shows, Chicago Fire is my
favorite. It is the stories and lives of the firefighters and paramedics of
Firehouse 51. Firehouse 51 is the home of Truck Company 81, Engine Company 51,
Rescue Squad 2, Ambulance 61 and Battalion 25. Starring Jesse Spencer as
Captain Matt Casey of Truck Company 81. Most might remember him as Dr. Robert
Chase from House M.D. (2004-2012). He is usually aloof and introverted,
but he is fiercely loyal and protective of the firefighters in this command and
in return receives their loyalty and respect. Taylor Kinney plays the handsome
and ladies’ man Lieutenant Kelly Severide of Rescue Squad 3. Charismatic, a bit
of a maverick, Severide was raised and groomed to climb the ladder within
department. And despite the best efforts of some, he is perfectly happy and
content with his boots on the ground on calls. There are so many great
characters and interactions between them that it looks and feels like it could
be a real firehouse. I like the realistic feel (although I’m sure there is a
poetic license taken) to the fires and rescues. The impact of the job on the
men and woman who risk their lives. I have cried more at Chicago Fire
than any other show. Even rewatching episodes years later, I still cry at the
emotional impact of the story, despite knowing that the characters service or
don’t, it is still a very emotionally impactful.
Chicago P.D. is the first show in the franchise that
I was introduced to after it began syndication on the Oxygen, USA and MyNetwork
TV (channel 13) channels. Premiering on January 8, 2014 and currently in its
seventh season, it follows the elite Intelligence Unit of the Chicago P.D. Lead
by Detective Sergeant Hank Voight (played by Jason Beghe), a tough,
take-no-prisoners approach to police work and its afraid to bend or even break
the law to solve crimes. A few of my favorite characters include Officer Adam
Ruzek (played by Patrick John Flueger) who at the beginning of the show as a
bit of a whiny show-off but has truly matured into a seasoned officer. Another
favorite of mine is Officer Kevin Atwater (played by LaRoyce Hawkins), a loyal
brother and friend who is constantly trying to find the balance between being a
black man and a brother in blue. Chicago P.D. is one show that has had a
revolving door of actors leaving the show. Beginning with Sophia Bush, who
played Detective Erin Lindsay and one of the original cast members, left the
show after four seasons. Despite the cast changes, the show remains a high octane
of drama, suspense and a race against time with a bit of ambiguity. Does the
case truly get solved with the bad guy in cuffs or is someone taking the fall? The
stories of Chicago P.D. don’t always have the same emotional impact that
Chicago Fire does but the stories are impactful and keep you hooked.
Chicago Med is the newest show in the One Chicago
franchise and my least favorite. Premiering on November 17, 2015 and currently
in its fifth season, it follows the doctors and nurses of the Emergency Department
(ED) of the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. One of my favorite
characters is Dr Daniel Charles (played by Oliver Platt), the chief of
psychiatry and is often called on to consult on difficult cases. Another
favorite character of mine is Sharon Goodwin (played by S Epatha Merkerson,
many know her as Lt. Anita Van Buren of Law and Order), the Chief of Patient
and Medical Services. She is often called on the make decisions on the legality
of treatments, especially against patient wishes, and the allocation of the
hospital resources. I do like that Chicago Med often shows the fine line
doctors face when treating a patient. How they do they make a treatment
decision when the patient is not responsive or cooperative? Can they face the
life or death decision and its consequences? One of the reasons I watch the
show is that characters from Chicago Fire and Chicago PD will
appear as needed for a story. Sometimes the drama between characters is good
and other times, especially now with one current storyline, it’s like enough
already! One Chicago is known for its crossover specials which follows one case
as the department entities deal with a crisis. One of my favorite crossovers is
the Infection (October 16, 2019) crossover.
In conclusion, the shows of One Chicago make for a great
night of television. Chicago Fire is by far my favorite for being
emotional and impactful. Although the stories and actions of its characters may
not be too realistic, it still gives an insight to the firefighters and their jobs.
And it’s just different from the many police procedurals and medical shows that
are on many different networks. Chicago PD is also a great show that
shows the sometimes nitty and gritty of police work when the bad guy sometimes
isn’t the right bad guy. Chicago Med is still kind of growing on me; but
it still isn’t one I rush to watch on Wednesday night. If you haven’t checked
out the One Chicago franchise and you have access to the streaming services, I
highly recommend starting with Chicago Fire.
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