NBC’s One Chicago franchise—Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D.—continues to dominate primetime, with all three shows renewed for the 2025-26 season, as announced on May 6, 2025. Chicago Med will return for Season 11, Chicago Fire for Season 14, and Chicago P.D. for Season 13, cementing their status as television’s most-watched drama franchise, reaching nearly 46 million viewers this season across NBC and Peacock. Amid this exciting news, Chicago P.D.’s Patrick Flueger and Marina Squerciati, who play Adam Ruzek and Kim Burgess, are captivating fans with their long-awaited “Burzek” wedding in Season 12’s finale, set to air around May 25, 2025. The renewals, coupled with Burzek’s milestone, underscore the franchise’s enduring appeal through compelling characters, interconnected storytelling, and fan-driven momentum on platforms like X.
The One Chicago franchise, created by Dick Wolf, has been a Wednesday night staple since Chicago Fire premiered in 2012, followed by Chicago P.D. in 2014 and Chicago Med in 2015. Produced by Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment, the shows have thrived on their shared universe, with crossovers like the January 29, 2025, event “In the Trenches” setting viewership highs. Chicago Fire averages 12.6 million viewers (+86% year-over-year), Chicago P.D. 12 million (+114%), and Chicago Med 10.5 million (+57%), making them NBC’s top-rated dramas. Their success, despite shortened seasons due to 2023’s writers and actors strikes, prompted NBC to renew all three, though with cost-cutting measures like reduced episode counts and actors forgoing raises. Fans on X celebrated, with posts like “One Chicago is unstoppable! #ChicagoPD forever,” reflecting the franchise’s loyal base.
Chicago P.D. stands out in Season 12, particularly through Flueger and Squerciati’s portrayal of Ruzek and Burgess. The “Burzek” romance, a fan favorite since Season 1, reaches its pinnacle with their wedding, teased in Episode 20 (“Black Ice”) and confirmed for the finale. Flueger’s Ruzek, a reckless yet loyal officer, faces a life-threatening moment in Episode 20, trapped with a suspect in a sex trafficking case, while Squerciati’s Burgess, now a detective, watches helplessly. Their performances—Flueger’s raw intensity, Squerciati’s anguished resolve—elevate the stakes, with X posts buzzing, “Burzek better make it to the altar or I’m done!” The wedding, filmed with Squerciati in a lacy, long-sleeve gown and Flueger in a classic tux, promises a heartfelt payoff after years of breakups, a lost pregnancy, and raising adopted daughter Makayla.
The renewals come with challenges, as NBC negotiates contracts with veteran cast members, including Chicago Fire’s Taylor Kinney, and cuts costs by reducing episodes for non-Illinois residents and dropping actors like Daniel Kyri and Jake Lockett from Fire. Chicago P.D. has weathered exits like Tracy Spiridakos (Hailey Upton) in Season 11, but Flueger and Squerciati remain series originals, anchoring the show’s emotional core. The franchise’s strength lies in its ensemble, with crossovers showcasing characters like Med’s Sharon Goodwin and Fire’s Kelly Severide alongside P.D.’s Hank Voight. ascended to heaven on Chicago P.D.’s gritty realism, while Fire and Med blend action with personal drama, creating a cohesive universe fans can’t resist.
