The three shows of NBC’s One Chicago took a brief break for the Thanksgiving holiday and then the 2022 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting special, but Fire, P.D., and Med will all be back on December 7 for their winter finales. These three series can always be counted on to deliver finales and premieres that shouldn’t be missed. After watching the promos and checking out the episode descriptions, I would say that there are some specific reasons to be excited about their final bows before 2023.
Chicago Med - Ethan Is Getting Married!
While the Season 8 winter finale (called “This Could Be The Start Of Something New”) will be the end of an era with the departure of Brian Tee as Dr. Ethan Choi, Chicago Med has taken the time to build up to his exit, and that means the good doctor is finally tying the knot with April! Even though NBC’s episode description does preview that Ethan and April's wedding will “run into some roadblocks,” co-showrunner Diane Frolov’s comments to People suggest that the two characters will finally get a well-earned "happy ending" together.
Plus, even though Ethan is leaving the hospital, he’ll still be in Chicago, as he’s starting a new endeavor in the Windy City, and Brian Tee will be back to direct an episode. The promo also hints that there’s plenty of drama for other characters as well. The Med winter finale airs on December 7 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Chicago Fire - Somebody Is Coming Back
While the promo for “Nemesis” as the Chicago Fire Season 11 winter finale suggests that Stella will be in some serious danger with a grenade, it wouldn’t be an episode of Fire if characters weren’t in peril! The episode description from NBC is what really catches my eye, with the reveal that a “familiar face makes a shocking return.” There are no clues about who this familiar face might be and if they could be a huge character like Casey or even Dawson coming back, or somebody more minor like Emma (who Violet surely wouldn’t be happy to see) or Foster. Either way, a shocking return is a solid reason to be excited ahead of hiatus!
Severide will also continue his struggles in the aftermath of helping Det. Pryma with a CPD case while Gallo wants Herrmann to represent Firehouse 51 at a conference, but I know that my eyes will be peeled for a familiar face. The Fire winter finale airs on December 7 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
Chicago P.D. - Intelligence May Finally Catch Sean O’Neal
Chicago P.D. is generally pretty reliable when it comes to intense winter finales, whether they end in a cliffhanger like Halstead being shot or a secret wedding like Upstead eloping. In “Proof of Burden” as the Season 10 winter finale, the Intelligence Unit finally has an evidence trail linking Sean O’Neal to trafficking. The episode description reveals that Chief O’Neal wants to keep his son out of prison, although it’s not clear whether he believes that Sean is guilty or not.
O’Neal seems to be in denial about Sean in the promo, while Sean appears as cocky as ever. It looks like Upton is still incredibly invested in nailing him for the trafficking, and all signs point toward Intelligence having their best – and perhaps last – shot at making the arrest. The P.D. winter finale airs on December 7 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
The One Chicago Break Won’t Be Too Long
While major network TV shows pretty much always go on winter breaks, One Chicago fans won’t be stuck without any new episodes for too long. Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D. will all return to their normal NBC time slots on Wednesday, January 4 in the 2023 TV premiere schedule, meaning that hiatus will only last for a month. The breaks have been considerably longer in the past, and One Chicago fans are certainly luckier than viewers of shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, which won’t be back until February. We may not all be excited that Med, Fire, and P.D. are going on a break through the end of the year, but I think we can celebrate that they’ll be back early in 2023.
If you’re going to want some One Chicago action during those weeks between the December 7 winter finale and January 4 winter premiere, however, you can always check out a Peacock Premium subscription for past seasons of all three shows!
