The franchise definitely left a lot of plot threads dangling.
One Chicago is on hiatus for the rest of 2024, but they made sure to go out with a bang. All three shows in the franchise, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD, dished out fall finales that were filled with surprises and cliffhangers that put the fate of character’s future in jeopardy.
Of course, not all fall finales are built equal. There are going to be some twists that connect better, and some that, frankly, miss the mark entirely. That’s why we decided to sit down and determine which One Chicago show had the worst fall finale, and which had the best.
3. Chicago Fire
We know Chicago Fire is the mothership show in the franchise, but we feel like the fall finale for season 13 simultaneously had too much going on and not enough. There were tons of balls up in the air with regards to Lyla Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) and her traumatic past, Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) and the dog he encountered, and Herrmann (David Eigenberg) and his Captain exam.
All these plot threads are intriguing on their own. Or at least, they would have been if they had been given a bit more context and time to breath. Everything in the fall finale was so tightly packed that it felt like it was less than the sum of its parts. We don’t even get to find out whether Herrmann passed his exam. The cliffhanger involving Cruz (Joe Minoso) was more than enough, the writers could have at least given us an answer regarding Herrmann. Good, but the weakest episode by comparison.
2. Chicago Med
Chicago Med also had a lot going on, but there was a better balance struck between the subplots and the core storylines involving Dr. Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) and Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber). There was plenty of time given to both of these characters, and genuine concern drummed up as to what their futures will be in relation to Gaffney Medical Center.
Then there was that ending. Archer decides to slide his resignation letter under Goodwin’s door, while the latter was in a fight for her life against a stalker. The episode ended with Goodwin bleeding out from a stab wound, while an oblivious Archer calls it a night. It’s frustrating and thrilling in equal measure, and really has us itching for the winter premiere.
1. Chicago PD
Chicago PD doesn’t pack a cliffhanger ending the way Med does, but the show bolstered one of its most underutilized characters. Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) has struggled to find his footing within the IU, but this fall finale, where he’s forced to confront a huge professional mistake and decide what kind of officer he is, did a lot for his profile.
PD also ended on ambiguous yet impactful yet, as a suspicious and seemingly know Deputy Chief Reid (Shawn Hatosy) tells Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) that he wants to be “friends.” It’s a chilling tease of what’s to come, and it sets up future conflicts without having to deprive the viewer of information. Nicely done.
