The One Chicago franchise has captivated audiences for over a decade with its blend of high-stakes action, emotional character arcs, and seamless crossover storytelling. From the intense flames of Chicago Fire, to the ethical dilemmas of Chicago Med, to the gritty justice of Chicago P.D., the shows have built a universe that feels alive, grounded, and deeply interconnected. But as the years go on and some original cast members depart, there’s a growing sense among fans and critics that the franchise could benefit from a creative revival. Rather than continuing forward with more spin-offs or extensions, what if the answer lies in looking back?
Prequels, though tricky to execute, can breathe new life into a familiar world by exploring the untold pasts of beloved characters, pivotal historical events in the city, and the formative moments that shaped the institutions fans know so well. Imagine seeing a young Hank Voight wrestling with the corrupt moral gray zones of the Chicago Police Department long before he became the hardened Intelligence chief. Or witnessing Wallace Boden as a rookie firefighter in the 1980s, earning the respect of the firehouse one call at a time. These stories wouldn’t just rehash familiar beats—they’d deepen the emotional stakes and provide fresh lenses through which to understand the choices characters make in the present.
One particularly rich area for exploration is the early life of the Halstead brothers. Jay and Will are central to Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med, but their complicated family history, including a rough upbringing with an alcoholic father in Bridgeport, has only been hinted at. A show chronicling their teenage years could reveal the early signs of Jay’s loyalty and hot temper, and Will’s decision to pursue medicine as an escape from chaos. These themes of trauma, family loyalty, and diverging paths are perfect for compelling television—and they tap into an origin story that many fans have long wanted to see.
Another potential gem lies within the Chicago Police Academy. A prequel set in the early 2000s following young recruits—some of whom may grow up to be familiar faces like Voight, Trudy Platt, or even Antonio Dawson—could offer a fresh perspective on police training and corruption. Watching these cadets navigate moral dilemmas, institutional pressure, and camaraderie would create the kind of character-driven tension that Chicago P.D. thrives on. Trudy Platt, in particular, would be a strong candidate for a solo prequel. Her sarcasm, loyalty, and toughness suggest a backstory full of uphill battles, sexism in the force, and hard-earned victories. Her rise through the ranks could make for a smart, emotionally resonant series that also brings some much-needed humor.
And what about Chicago Med? While it often focuses on modern medicine’s fast-paced, high-tech drama, a prequel centered on Sharon Goodwin’s early days as a doctor in a chaotic 1990s emergency room could show just how much the field—and the city—has changed. Back when resources were scarce and the line between personal sacrifice and professional duty was even blurrier, a young Goodwin making her way up the ladder would provide powerful context for her future decisions as hospital administrator. Her storyline could intersect with that of other young doctors and nurses navigating a flawed, overburdened healthcare system in one of America’s busiest cities.
Let’s not forget the endless potential of a show exploring Firehouse 51 in its early years. Before Casey, Severide, and Brett, who manned the trucks and answered the alarms? A 1980s or 1990s version of the station, with a young Boden as the passionate but green recruit, could explore a pre-digital firefighting world filled with outdated gear, city politics, and fires that were fought on instinct and experience. The tone could be more nostalgic and gritty, using the backdrop of Chicago’s socioeconomic shifts to emphasize the courage and community of early responders.
The franchise could also take a risk and introduce completely new characters in a prequel set around a group of paramedics in the 1990s—especially women who worked in a system not yet ready to support them. This show could explore how gender, race, and class impacted the EMS world and highlight how those early warriors set the stage for future characters like Gabby Dawson and Sylvie Brett. It could have a distinctly emotional tone, rooted in real social issues, while still delivering the medical drama fans love.
Prequels offer something that sequels or reboots can’t: context. They allow us to understand how the systems in place today were built, how relationships evolved, and how generational choices echo across time. In the One Chicago universe, every character has a past—and exploring those pasts doesn’t just honor the shows’ legacies, it expands them. A successful prequel wouldn’t just tell us what happened before; it would challenge how we view what came after. And in doing so, it could reignite the passion that made One Chicago a television institution in the first place.
