The 2024 TV schedule is slowly but surely getting closer to premiere season for the major broadcast networks, which means that the three shows of NBC’s One Chicago will return next month. Between what happened in the finales and what has been announced over hiatus, it’s been safe to say that changes are in store in the fall, but only Chicago P.D. had announced a new cast member over the past week… until now, anyway! Chicago Med and Chicago Fire have added new stars, and I’m so ready to (hopefully) get some crossover action back.
The first new casting over the past week was also the most obvious, since Tracy Spiridakos’ departure from P.D. was announced before the last season even started, so the question of who would replace Upton in Season 12 was being asked long before the answer was announced with a One Chicago alum coming on board the cop drama. Read on for what Med and Fire have in store!
Chicago Fire Adds Two New Stars And Promotes Another
Station 19 vet Dermot Mulroney was the first new addition to Chicago Fire for Season 13 that was announced over the summer, and he’ll play new Battalion Chief Dom Pascal as a series regular to replace Eamonn Walker’s Boden at Firehouse 51. It remains to be seen if he’ll be a series regular for the long term, since Boden wanted Herrmann as his successor and the former 51 Chief is still with the CFD; for now, fans can count on seeing some fresh blood in the firehouse.
KaDee Strickland, who also comes from the TV universe of Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 as an alum of Private Practice, is on board. TVLine reports that she’ll be playing the estranged wife of Mulroney’s new character, by the name of Monica Pascal.
Finally, TVLine further reports on the Fire front that Jake Lockett has been promoted to series regular status for the upcoming Season 13. If you’re anything like me, the only surprise here is that he hadn’t already been a series regular in Season 12 after Carver got some meaty storylines and the growing relationship with Violet. Jocelyn Hudson had already been confirmed as a regular as paramedic Lyla Novak, so Fire seems to be fleshing out Violet’s relationships in Season 13.
Chicago Med Casts Multiple New Characters As One Regular Leaves
News broke over the summer that Dominic Rains was leaving Med ahead of the tenth season, which effectively resolved Crockett Marcell’s cliffhanger from the Season 9 finale. It seemed likely that Med would add another doctor to the ED and/or surgery to fill in his vacancy, but the medical drama has actually added two new characters as well as confirmed three returning stars
Parenthood’s Sarah Ramos and Never Have I Ever’s Darren Barnet have been cast for Season 10 to play Dr. Caitlin Lenox and Dr. John Frost, respectively, according to Deadline. Lenox will contribute as a new attending in the ED, while Dr. Frost is a pediatric resident with a secret to hide. Chicago Med is fresh off of a story of an ED doctor hiding a secret with Luke Mitchell – who was promoted to series regular for Season 10 – as Dr. Mitch Ripley, but I’m glad to have a pediatric doctor back in the mix after Dylan Scott (Guy Lockard) abruptly left the hospital in early Season 8.
Throw in Chicago P.D. casting One Chicago and New Amsterdam alum Toya Turner for Season 12, and there will be plenty of fresh faces across all three shows starting this fall. I’m not going to get my hopes up for another three-part crossover event like what was possible prior to the new production protocols courtesy of COVID-19, but I’d love to see characters popping up on the other shows more often, even if just for a cameo.
That trend did increase a bit in what actually aired of the 2023-2024 TV season, but that season was also abbreviated after the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike. While it remains to be seen if One Chicago will be more cohesive across all three shows starting next month, at least the wait is almost over! One Chicago returns to NBC this fall on Wednesday, September 25 with Med at 8 p.m. ET, Fire at 9 p.m. ET, and P.D. at 10 p.m. ET, as usual. All three shows are also available streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
