In the shadow of Chicago’s towering skyline, where sirens pierce the night and heroes rise, NBC’s One Chicago franchise—Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med—stands as a beacon of primetime drama. On May 6, 2025, NBC renewed all three for the 2025-26 season, securing Chicago Fire’s 14th season, Chicago P.D.’s 13th, and Chicago Med’s 11th, thrilling nearly 46 million viewers who flock to NBC and Peacock.
But there’s a catch: cost-cutting measures, from slashed episode counts to cast exits, cast a shadow over this victory. Amid the storm, Chicago P.D.’s Patrick Flueger and Marina Squerciati, as Adam Ruzek and Kim Burgess, light up Season 12 with their “Burzek” wedding, a heart-pounding arc that has X ablaze. As Chicago’s finest fight on, will love and valor outshine the budget axe?
The One Chicago universe, crafted by Dick Wolf, is a gritty symphony of sacrifice. Chicago Fire (12.6 million viewers, +86%) battles infernos, Chicago P.D. (12 million, +114%) stalks justice through neon-lit streets, and Chicago Med (10.5 million, +57%) races against death in the ER. Their January 29, 2025, crossover, “In the Trenches,” smashed ratings, weaving heroes like Fire’s Kelly Severide and P.D.’s Hank Voight into a pulse-pounding saga.
Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment fuel this machine, but the 2025-26 renewals come with a price. Shorter seasons—potentially 18-20 episodes instead of 22—cut costs, while some actors, including veterans, skip 5% raises. Chicago Fire loses Daniel Kyri (Ritter) and Jake Lockett (Carver), and Taylor Kinney’s contract talks loom. Reduced “minimum guarantees” may limit appearances for stars like Flueger and Squerciati, a tactic Wolf used on Law & Order. X fans rally, posting, “Budget cuts? One Chicago’s heart won’t quit! #Renewed.”
Chicago P.D.’s Season 12, roaring through May 2025, is a love-soaked thrill ride, with Flueger and Squerciati’s Burzek stealing the spotlight. Ruzek and Burgess, whose spark ignited in Season 1, have dodged two broken engagements, a miscarriage, and the joys of raising adopted daughter Makayla. Their third engagement in Season 11 leads to a wedding in the finale, set for May 25, 2025. But Episode 20 (“Black Ice”), aired in early May, nearly shatters their dream: Ruzek, cornered by a trafficking suspect, fights for survival as Burgess, locked out, screams in despair. Flueger’s feral intensity and Squerciati’s gut-wrenching terror sear the screen, sparking X chaos: “Burzek’s vows better happen, or I’m torching Chicago myself!” Squerciati’s Instagram teases her lacy, plunging gown, while Flueger’s set banter with young co-star Ramona Edith Williams warms hearts.
