Well, this has been a long time coming.
Alright, time to own up to a very hilarious mistake. Somewhere in my head, I thought that I’d posted this. Heck, I though I’d finished it! In reality, this isn’t October 4, 2021, it’s late on July 9, 2022, which means it’s been nine months since I started this. So… Don’t be surprised with how barebones this is. At the time of writing, I’m eight episodes away from being done with the next season. It’s been a while. (You have permission to make fun of me for this. I’m sitting here laughing about the situation.)
Anyway, quick reminder before you continue. This is a basic summary of some of the major storylines and major characters in each show. You’ll probably figure out that I have some favorites and some not so favorites.
Chicago Fire Season Four
This season continues this trend of the world making sure that Kelly Severide cannot have nice things. During the first episode, he is stripped of his rank as Lieutenant due to the amount of men going through Squad 3, even though he had basically nothing to do with the people who left/resigned. This is a massive blow to him, and honestly it’s undeserved. Him having to undergo “leadership classes” was something that actually bothered me, and then his rank is just handed back to him anyway when Patterson is promoted. (BTW, I didn’t mind Patterson for the most part. He exists. He did nothing for me. He was just a character created to be an obstacle for 51, just Severide and Boden in particular). But by the middle of the season, things have calmed down for Kelly for the most part. He still has some little storylines, though those don’t exactly last more than a episode or two. However, as the season goes on, newcomer Stella Kidd and Severide slowly get closer, leading to a tense conclusion to the dramatic final few episodes.
Matt Casey also starts this season on a low note. He ended last season getting roped up in an Intelligence case, that causes major repercussions during the beginning of this season. On top of that, he and Dawson end up falling pregnant, though unfortunately they lose the baby early on. This leads to a rough patch in their relationship that they struggle through, coming out stronger on the other side. On another front, Casey decides to step into the political sphere by running for alderman, which leads to many ups and downs for him throughout the remainder of the season, even after he wins. Towards the end of the season, his relationship with Dawson still isn’t perfect, but she’s got other things to worry about.
For her part, Gabriela Dawson has a rough season. She spends the first chunk of the season reassigned to the Arson Investigation Unit as she is pregnant. Tragically, she doesn’t get to stay long, as she loses the pregnancy only a few episodes later. When she is allowed to return to 51 as a firefighter, she finds herself in hot water when she has an outburst at a citizen and it ends up on social media. Things calm for a bit, and then she ends up getting attached to a foster child who she saves on a call. By the end of the season, she and Casey have temporarily separated, with her moving into the studio apartment over Herrmann’s garage.
Sylvie Brett also has a hell of a season, but most of what happens to her is compounded by who she is working with. For the first half of the season, she remains paired with Jessica “Chili” Chilton. While they do have a good working relationship, this breaks down when Chili starts drinking and acting recklessly in the aftermath of learning about the overdose death of her twin sister, Jellybean. Brett is forced to report her for drinking on the job, which ends up being the final nail in Chili’s work coffin. She spends the rest of the season with Jimmy Borelli, the 51 candidate who is assigned to work on the ambulance.
Newcomer Stella Kidd (who I know plays a major role in seasons to come) joins 51 mid season. A firefighter, she immediately makes a name for herself. I like the fact that she has a seemingly good head on her shoulders, but also a pretty good attitude. Her ex-husband causes her some trouble during her storylines, which leads to a chilling final scene.
Elsewhere, Herrmann ends up stabbed, Otis has health issues, Cruz deals with some trouble, Boden gets arrested (it’s a whole thing, first half of the season), and Candidate Jimmy Borelli just doesn’t fit in. The final few episodes reveal that not is all well with 51, and things might break again before they get better.
While this season had some issues, it does come together when it needs to. I’m happy for it. I’m rating it 8/10.
Chicago P.D. Season Three
This season blew me out of the park (if I remember right..). Characters grow and shift, major storylines are handled relatively well, and even the show’s time with crossovers worked pretty well.
Jay Halstead remains my favorite character. He’s a good cop, but he’s also willing to put his badge on the line to protect both his team and victims. His relationship with Erin Lindsay goes through some issues, more so early on than anywhere else. Seeing him interact with his brother Will is always special; both actors have incredible charisma. He suffers through some tragedies, but comes out of it stronger.
The same cannot be said for Lindsay. In the aftermath of last season, she spends the beginning of this one on a destructive spiral. She’s lucky that she’s close to Voight, otherwise her job out be in major jeopardy. I’ll admit, I’ve never been a big fan of Erin. Nothing against the actress, she just never clicked with me. She does do some major good this season, but the pros unfortunately don’t outweigh the cons.
Adam Ruzek and Kim Burgess’ relationship is one that is officially this show’s on-again-off-again. They work well together, than one of them does or says something, and then there’s yet another obstacle for them to get over. As much as I love them both, I want more for them. A little birdy tells me that I’m going to get my wish…
As for Hank Voight, my respect for him as grown. The man spends most of this season dealing with problems. But while he’s putting out fires in his own destructive ways, he also sticks with his morals. By the end of the season, my heart bled for the man as he has to say goodbye to his son, murdered while attempting to help the wife of a man we went through basic training with. In rage, he finds the man who did it, forces him to dig his own grave, and takes care of him.
Other major storylines include more of Jay and Mouse’s backstory (I love Mouse, he’s hilarious and damn good), Platt marrying a Mouch from Fire, and Officer Romen finally being written out.
This was probably the strongest season yet. I happily give it a 9/10.
Chicago Med Season One
So, my first impression of this show (not including what we’ve already seen in the crossovers) is that I feel like I’ve seen it before. It’s very… hospital drama. Which is exactly what it is, but by that I mean, they’re not reinventing the wheel. You’ve got the perfect guy who knows a lot and is returning home (played by the actor who played Tommy Merlyn on Arrow, and he’s hot and he knows it), the cocky one, the new girl, the ladies that exist to butt heads with people… It’s all very generic.
Honestly? I won’t be continuing with it. I only watched through the major crossover and just gave up. I’m not a fan of hospital dramas in the first place. I gave it longer than I normally do. I will however watch episodes or storylines that involve characters from Fire and P.D. It just didn’t work for me. I will say that of what I did see, I was impressed.
I will not be giving this season a rating out of respect for the fact I only watched maybe a fifth of it.
Crossovers and Character Appearances
There are two major crossovers during this year. The first (“The Beating Heart”/”Malignant”/”Now I’m God”) is across all three One Chicago shows, beginning with Christopher Herrmann’s stabbing. Things take a turn during the crossover when it is discovered that cancer-free patients are overdosing on chemotherapy drugs. By the time it hits the final episode, Voight takes center stage in a major performance as it is revealed that his own wife may have been a victim.
While this does end up being two separate storylines that are crossed in the middle with Chicago Med, it shows the powerhouse of acting that are the shows have employed. I can’t say I’m anything but impressed by it. It was magnificent.
The second crossover (“National Manhunt”/”The Song of Gregory William Yates”)is actually one with Law & Order SVU, which ends up being a sequel to a storyline from the previous season. I don’t really want to go into too much detail, because I’m just not a fan of this crossover. There was no need to revisit the storyline. I have respect for everyone involved, but it just wasn’t for me.
All in all, I’m happy to continue on (and I did, nine months later, lol). And how I go onto Year 4 of One Chicago. I’m excited to see what’s coming next.
Until next time!