Chicago Fire is known for many things now that the show is nine seasons in, ranging from the crazy cliffhangers to the complicated relationships to the heartbreaking deaths, and none of those would be possible if not for the action, effects, and stunt sequences that set the show apart. The firefighters of 51 have to fight a whole lot more than just fires. According to showrunner Derek Haas, plenty is on the way, including a prank war.
Chicago Fire boss Derek Haas spoke with CinemaBlend about what's coming to Season 9 in the new year, which kicked off with an episode that had Casey dangling off the end of the aerial while in the process of trying to save lives, which itself was shortly after the huge ambulance crash at the start of the season. Haas revealed what's on the way when it comes to action and effects following the aerial stunt, and it's clear that there's a lot to look forward to:
We got a big one [coming up] where we had to build an entire stage for a freight elevator that is caught in a fire. That's a really fun one. That's with Herrmann and Cruz primarily.... I do know in Episode 4 we have the most epic prank war we've ever had on the show. That did require lots of special effects. And in fact had a doughnut cam for the first time ever on the show....We're gonna have a lot. We're gonna have scuba Severide again this year.
Chicago Fire may deliver a lot in the way of dramatic developments, but a prank war is bound to be fun to watch, especially if it's "epic" and required a lot in the way of special effects. Something tells me the heroes of Firehouse 51 are going significantly above and beyond the classic thumbtack on a chair trick! Also on the way in Episode 4 will be a "video billboard truck crash," which sounds about as dangerous as anything the firefighters have faced over the years.
As for the freight elevator caught in a fire, I just hope the end result is less tragic than what Otis experienced with the mom and baby in an elevator a couple seasons back! Engine and Squad both seem likely to be involved in whatever this Season 9 stunt requires if Herrmann and Cruz are involved. And what's not to love about scuba Severide? Even if he's not always making the best decisions in his personal life, he's always a good guy to have on hand in a bad situation.
While these stunts sound pretty ambitious, they're also not too surprising considering what Chicago Fire pulls off on a weekly basis, and has been pulling off for the better part of a decade. Derek Haas credited the Fire crew for continuing to deliver despite all the particular challenges of the 2020-2021 season, and shared an opinion that I'm guessing a lot of viewers can share:
Let me give a hats off to our stunt department, Rick LeFevour at the helm, and our special effects department with John Milinac the helm, those two guys are incredible. We're in the middle of a pandemic, and they have not shortchanged at all the level of stunt making and special effects that we do. I feel like we're the best on television, I don't care what other people say. These guys should get, like how do we not get Emmys for stunts? They don't pay attention enough to what we're doing.
Considering Chicago Fire delivers action sequences that are positively cinematic on the small screen week in and week out, it can be hard to believe that the show hasn't gotten some Emmy recognition. It's certainly not like the One Chicago shows are minor hits that nobody watches, and Fire hasn't lasted this long (with at least another couple of seasons to go) by not delivering stunt action and effects. At least viewers can count on more on the way in 2021, including the prank war.
The next new episode of Chicago Fire airs on Wednesday, January 27 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, between Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. For more of what's on the way in the new year, be sure to check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule.
