The long-awaited One Chicago crossover is sort of right here within the 2025 TV schedule, and the storyline on January 29 is epic sufficient that one star expects followers to “go bananas” after they see it. Chicago Hearth will air earlier than Chicago Med for the occasion in a time slot swap, and showrunner Andrea Newman opened up about what “freaked out” the neighbors in Chicago about filming and why one character will likely be absent.
The “Within the Trenches” three-parter will see the primary responders of Hearth, Med, and P.D. be part of forces when a fuel explosion and subsequent fireplace menace a authorities constructing, with a subway tunnel collapse to simply make issues worse for Kidd and Ruzek underground, per the promo that Med‘s boss was stunned to see. Foul play might even be concerned, warranting the abilities of the Intelligence Unit of One Chicago’s crime drama
I used to be lucky sufficient to talk with all three showrunners forward of “Within the Trenches,” and Hearth‘s Andrea Newman described it as “subsequent degree.” She stated:
This one is subsequent degree. That is undoubtedly the most important one we have ever executed. It is received so many issues happening. It is received collapsing tunnels and collapsing buildings and fireplace geysers capturing three and 4 tales into the air. It is actually received character dynamics coming round each nook with the {couples} and the relationships and the fascinating mixtures of characters from exhibits. It is received all of it.
Whereas the crossover has “all of it,” in accordance with the Hearth boss, there was the query of whether or not one character can be within the combine after how the earlier week’s episode ended: what about Cruz in gentle of his suspension? (You will discover that episode streaming with a Peacock subscription now.) The showrunner confirmed my suspicion, saying that “sure,” he will likely be out for the crossover. That actually does not imply a scarcity of characters, although, as she went on:
He is the one one who’s out. The entire episodes have ramifications on the opposite episodes, however the crossover has a huge impact, I feel, on all of the characters. And once more, the relationships on this one. Severide and Kidd, and Ruzek and Burgess, and Mouch and Trudy. We dig into these three relationships significantly, and the challenges that this incident brings. That was lots of enjoyable character-wise, for us to do.
Have issues been going too effectively for too lengthy for the great ship Stellaride, that one thing needed to go improper in the end? After what Patrick John Flueger stated about Burzek just lately in response to the P.D. showrunner’s feedback, my fingers are crossed that they’re going to be okay. Given how Trudy appears within the promo, maybe we must be most nervous about her and Mouch!
Andrea Newman went on to share that though she wasn’t on set whereas the three-parter was filming, she received common updates about simply how epic it was:
I wasn’t on set. Victor [Teran], who wrote the episode, was on set, and we might collect round when he would ship recordings of what was occurring, as a result of a number of the filming of it was so unimaginable. He would report the hearth guys who’re capturing three tales into the air, and ship us that. And we’d all collect round and ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ at it. It felt like we had been there. It was freezing chilly, that a lot I do know. [laughs] It is Chicago! Flames had been in every single place, so it was thrilling.
No less than one factor was no completely different for the crossover: filming was very chilly within the Windy Metropolis! Chicago Hearth seemingly went above and past with the flames, although, and I famous that the present’s stunts at all times strike me as movie-quality. Newman went on to share that they had been so cinematic this time that the neighbors had been alarmed:
I agree! We’ve got Rick LeFevour, who’s a film man, doing our stunts, and his staff is unimaginable. They’re going to do something. I am unable to consider the issues they go flying out of and into. [laughs] It is wonderful. And Rick and his staff are unimaginable, as are our manufacturing particular results individuals. It is executed virtually, as they are saying, which is, it is actual. We do not add it in put up. That fireside was really capturing that top up and freaking out the neighbors. [laughs]
I’ve traditionally been a giant fan of Chicago Hearth‘s sensible motion, starting from Taylor Kinney’s sky-high stunts to the common infernos. Former co-showrunner Derek Haas had ideas on Hearth by no means being acknowledged on the Emmys for its stuntwork, and Andrea Newman stated this once I shared my love for the sensible results:
I am so glad to listen to you say that, as a result of which means so much to us, and that is one thing that is at all times been essential to the present, is to do it actual. The stunts are actual and the hearth is actual. That is not CGI.
Thankfully, the watch for “Within the Trenches” and the fires that freaked out the neighbors within the Windy Metropolis is sort of over. The primary three-part One Chicago crossover since 2019 kicks off on Wednesday, January 29 with Hearth at 8 p.m. ET, adopted by Med at 9 p.m. ET, after which ending with P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. You too can try earlier crossovers streaming on Peacock.