Get ready to feel the heat as NBC’s Chicago Fire returns for its highly anticipated twelfth season! Continue reading to learn more.
Are you ready to delve into the lives of the courageous firefighters, paramedics, and rescue squad members of Firehouse 51 as they navigate the treacherous streets of Chicago? If yes, then we can assure you that the beloved series will definitely return for another season, which is expected to soar higher than ever before! So, if you are curious to know all the latest details, then you have reached the right place to get all your answers for the much-awaited 12th season!
So sit back, relax, and get ready to be mesmerized by getting an insight into this dynamic world of One Chicago Universe, as we have got you covered with all the latest updates, which include details about the potential release date, plot, cast, episodes, and some major spoilers which will be helpful for you to understand what new developments have been disclosed by the network so far. Here is everything we know so far about NBC’s Chicago Fire Season 12.
When will it premiere on NBC?
We know that the fans are excited to see the next chapter of the professional and personal lives of the firefighters from the Chicago Fire Department, as it was initially scheduled to be a part of the fall of the 2023–2024 broadcast season, with September or October being the likely release window. Sadly, major networks are currently experiencing an abrupt whirlwind of obstacles in the face of the ongoing dual strikes, which include the 2023 WGA strike along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which has put Hollywood on a halt for the first time in 63 years!
Due to this, the filming of the series might take a while to resume the completion of scripts and filming of the episodes, just like many other original NBC series, which have also stopped their work due to a lack of writers and actors, leading to a major delay in the official production for the three One Chicago series, which is speculated to commence sometime later this year as the negotiations are still bound to happen in the coming weeks! NBC has confirmed plans to revise its fall 2023–24 schedules.
The majority of the scripted shows, which include the entirety of the One Chicago series, which includes the three series named Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and Chicago Fire, are set to make their official comeback with the best release window for 2024, sometime around the first quarter of next year, starting from January to March. The new seasons will start airing at the same time slot every Wednesday, starting at 8 p.m. and concluding at 10 p.m., in order to avoid any further disruption caused by the dual strikes and disclose new details in the near future.
Hence, any hopes for Chicago Fire Season 12 premiering anytime soon, let alone in 2023, are pretty bleak at this moment! The only thing that has been confirmed so far is that on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 8 p.m., the NBC network will start premiering reruns of Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D. in order to fill up the empty slots in the fall primetime schedule that are filled with previous shows reruns directly caused by the ongoing 2023 WGA and 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes!
Additionally, the shows that were filmed ahead of the dual strikes have been moved up from their original mid-season slot to occupy the empty slots in the fall schedule. So, if we look at this current status, one thing is pretty clear: the production of the new season won’t commence even by October 2023, which will lead to further delays. In conclusion, we’ll just have to wait and see what more the cast and show creators will decide to disclose in the near future! *Finger’s Crossed*
What to expect in the new season?
We would like to bring attention to the fact that not much information regarding the potential future plotlines and character arcs of the upcoming season has been revealed due to an early renewal and efforts to avoid giving away too many spoilers when the writing of the new season hasn’t even been completed yet, but we are confident in saying this that the Chicago Fire Season 12 will undoubtedly look into the basic concept and be true in carrying the core theme forward, which is as follows:
This series will once again delve right into the professional and personal lives of the firefighters and paramedics of Firehouse 51 as they risk their lives every day to save and protect the citizens of Chicago. Even though the series was renewed earlier this year, it is too early to predict future storylines, but we are certain that the new season is intended to carry the story forward, which includes some of the following predictions, which we have summarized for you below.
Beware, dear readers! Major spoilers lie ahead!
The plotlines that are predicted to expand include: In the wake of a fire/extremist threat, Mouch’s life hangs in the balance. Sylvie’s relationship with Dylan came to a close, and a new door opened as Casey proposed to her, all the while as she was looking to adopt an infant girl. Stella makes the decision to leave Chicago in hopes of bringing Kelly back. After looking at these points, one thing is certain: the next season will definitely pick up plotlines and character arcs from the last season’s final episode, “Red Waterfall,” in which the viewers get to see the following events:
The viewers get to see that Brett travels to Indiana, hoping to receive life-changing news. Firehouse 51 is called to the scene of an accident. Stella notices something in the SUV and alerts Boden. Herrmann is taunted by one of the victims he saved at a call and went to a psychic parlor. Casey returns and proposes to Brett. Mouch is injured during a call and is rushed to Chicago Med. Initially, he seems fine, but later, he loses consciousness and flatlines.
It also looks like love might be blossoming for Darren Ritter, who is one of the most steady presences on the Chicago Fire. During a recent interview with TV Insider, Kyri discussed the possibility of Ritter getting a love interest in season 12, saying, “I think that’d be really fun. I think Ritter is confident and competent, but also, when it comes to matters of the heart, he’s kind of a kid,” the actor noted. Further adding, “So I think it’d be just kind of fun to see what that would be like.”
In addition to this, Kyri also elaborated on her wish to learn more about Ritter’s love life, quoting, “I think one that sticks out right now that’s pretty appropriate is the scene where my character, Ritter, comes out for the first time to his beloved Lieutenant Herrmann,” the actor recalled. Further adding, “And it’s one of my favorite scenes because I like working with David Eigenberg, and it was just a beautiful non-event, which we need more of.”
“I’m pleased to continue my four-decade relationship with Universal Television and NBC,” One Chicago creator Dick Wolf said in a statement. “All six shows [including the Law & Order franchise] being picked up again is the ultimate accolade to our incredible casts, producers, and writers. I’d also like to thank our loyal fans who have kept our NBC shows on the air for what will be a cumulative 84 seasons.” Check out the official promo of the 11th season’s final episode to recall what has transpired in the series so far:
Who will reprise their roles in the series?
The main cast members who are still speculated to return in the new season are as follows: David Eigenberg as Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann, Joe Miñoso as Firefighter Joe Cruz, Miranda Rae Mayo as Lieutenant Stella Kidd, Alberto Rosende as Firefighter Blake Gallo, Daniel Kyri as Firefighter Darren Ritter, Hanako Greensmith as Paramedic Violet Mikami, and Eamonn Walker as Deputy District Chief Wallace Boden among other recurring cast members.
On the other hand, due to a striking deal with NBC on budgets that will put the series on the air for another season, One Chicago producers Universal Television and Dick Wolf’s studio-based Wolf Entertainment are also cutting talent expenditures. As the new season of our beloved show approaches, fans are eagerly awaiting the return of their favorite characters. However, in order to keep budget expenses down, there may be a cast shake-up, so we have to predict that there are some characters who might not return in the new season.
For your convenience, we have listed all of them down, which are as follows:
Taylor Kinney (Kelly Severide) has taken a leave of absence to focus on a “personal matter.” Miranda Rae Mayo (Stella Nichole Severide), might make the decision to leave in hopes of bringing Kelly back. Kara Killmer (Sylvie Brett) might also leave the show, with her character being in Oregon with Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer), who is still reported to not have returned. In the final episode of the 11th season, Christian Stolte’s life hangs in the balance as he is injured by shrapnel, and fans are left wondering if the worst is going to happen to him or not.
Lastly, all these cast members are still subject to change because the network may subsequently make announcements about other cast members who will join or leave the series. Moreover, the series’ executive producers are Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Andrea Newman, Michael Gilvary, Reza Tabrizi, Arthur Forney, and Peter Jankowski. It is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.
“We understand the emotional connection our audience has with these characters and we can’t wait to bring more of their stories to the forefront next season,” Lisa Katz, the president of scripted programming at NBCUniversal and Streaming, said in a statement. Further adding, “A huge thank you to Dick and his amazing team who are the masters of producing incredibly compelling television week after week.”
Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode Count: Has it been affected by the strikes?
When renewed, the next season was initially speculated to consist of a 22-episode order with a runtime of 42 to 44 minutes, which is expected to air on a weekly basis. It is intended to follow the same count to maintain the season’s flow. We’d also like to point out that the titles and synopsis have not been released. These details will be revealed once the release date draws closer to avoid any early leaks about the respective plotlines and character arcs.
We would also like to emphasize that NBC Chicago reported an unfortunate update which indicates that the ongoing dual strikes could also result in seasons being shortened due to the lack of episode scripts and the writer’s room not resuming their work until a proper resolution, which will eventually lead to production delays. “They could be forced to cut seasons short or delay filming altogether,” the report added, which will be quite unfortunate but for the best in order to avoid another delay!
So, there are many chances that the customary 22-episode count might be reduced to 18–20 episodes for this upcoming season. Of course! It can only happen if the production is further delayed later this year and the network still wants to release the show by early 2024 in order to be consistent. As of this writing, we can only speculate as to what the show’s producers will do with this One Chicago series, which will eventually allow fans to rejoin their celebrated characters!
Is there a trailer for Chicago Fire Season 12?
We would like to draw attention to the fact that there is currently no official teaser or trailer for Chicago Fire Season 12 because production hasn’t even started yet. The production has been put on a halt until the dual strikes are able to reach an agreement.
In the recent meeting, The Writers Guild said that the AMPTP’s latest counteroffer for a new contract “is neither nothing nor nearly enough.” The guild said it “will continue to advocate for proposals that fully address our issues rather than accept half measures like those.” The guild said that “we remain committed to direct negotiations with the companies.” The WGA conceded that the companies had come closer to meeting several of the guild’s demands on several key strike issues.
On the hot-button issue of artificial intelligence, the guild said: “We have had real discussions and seen movement on their part regarding AI protections. But we are not yet where we need to be.” Until there is any resolution, we encourage viewers to check out the prior seasons for international viewers, the series aired on Global and then moved to CityTV in Canada. Whereas, in Malaysia, the series aired on PRIMEtime for eight seasons, then moved to Universal Channel Asia and AXN Asia.
Moreover, the entire three series of One Chicago are available to watch on NBC’s official website and app, where the episodes are published after they air on the channel. The show is also available to stream on Peacock, FuboTV, and Hulu Plus. You can also stream the series by renting or purchasing on Amazon Instant Video or Vudu, with a vast number of membership plans. The previous seasons of this beloved franchise are also available to stream for free on IMDb TV, based on the user’s location.
#OneChicago summertime vibes are SO good ☀️ pic.twitter.com/OqWZrlNsgF
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) July 3, 2023
While you wait for more Chicago Fire Season 12 updates on Web News Observer, catch up on the previous seasons on NBC.