Chicago Fire officially added another member to the Firehouse 51 family in Season 13, with Jocelyn Hudon returning as a series regular after recurring in Season 12. As one of One Chicago’s newest stars, the When Hope Calls alum had big shoes to fill as 51’s newest full-time paramedic after Kara Killmer’s departure as Brett, and Novak quickly proved up to the task as Violet’s (Hanako Greensmith) partner. NBC recently re-aired one of my favorite Season 13 episodes, and it has me more excited than ever for what’s in store with Novak in Season 14.
While I’d have a hard time narrowing down my favorite Chicago Fire episodes ever out of 13 seasons and counting, “Chaos Theory” – a.k.a. Episode 10 of Season 13, airing on NBC on January 22 in the 2025 TV schedule – was a favorite from the most recent season. It was not only exciting for the Cruz story at the time, but even more interesting when looking. The episode touched on the lovely friendship between Novak and Violet, and paired both paramedics with characters who won’t be back in Season 14.
I couldn’t help but think about the potential that sets up for both characters come fall, separately and together as a duo. So, whether you’re watching summer reruns on NBC like I am, revisiting past episodes streaming with a Peacock subscription, or just following along here, read on for what Jocelyn Hudon told CinemaBlend about her first season as a Chicago Fire series regular!
Novak Settling In As Violet’s Partner
When I spoke with Jocelyn Hudon in the weeks following the three-show crossover event, I couldn’t help but drop the compliment that her relationship as Novak and Hanako Greensmith’s Violet was one of my Season 13 highlights. Luckily – for me, anyway – there was no break in their partnership to contribute to what would make me cry in the Season 13 finale by the end of May. Hudon shared what it was like to work full-time with Greensmith after just recurring in Season 12, saying:
It’s been great. We’re tight. Same thing. We’re both kind of funny and goofy, and we have a good time. All of our scenes are mostly together, and I’m so glad we get along the way we do. We just click and it’s a good time.
As the season went on, fans got to see Novak and Violet’s friendship deepen beyond silly and goofy, as both characters were there for each other when needed outside of Firehouse 51. Even if that was just watching reality TV together, it showed the pair bonding. After Novak’s uncertain future when she first arrived and Violet having to move on from Brett, Fire delivered some nice developments. According to Hudon, Violet being true to her word about supporting Novak meant a lot to her character. She said:
I don’t know if [Novak] has had those experiences before, and I think having the support from Violet is probably what made her stay, feeling just like she really could rely on someone. I think that is why she’s still there.
Considering Chicago Fire has a history of strong female friendships going back to the earliest days of Dawson (Monica Raymund) and Shay (Lauren German), that bond between Novak and Violet could come in handier than ever in Season 14 in light of events from the end of the thirteenth season.
Showrunner Andrea Newman previewed “big endings” for the finale’s farewell with Carver (Jake Lockett) and Ritter (Daniel Kyri) departing the show, although the episode wrapped without setting up an exit for Ritter. In light of Carver as Violet’s long-standing will they/won’t they partner and Ritter as Novak’s roommate, their looming absences should affect the paramedics more than any others in Firehouse 51.
Fortunately, Jocelyn Hudon bringing up another show from the expansive Dick Wolf TV universe is something to smile about. She said:
I watch SVU, so what it reminds me of is Kelli [Giddish] and Mariska [Hargitay]. I’m like, I’m the Kelli and Hanako is the Mariska. [laughs] But yeah, I think the bond is that strong because it’s real in real life, so it’s not put on, and it’s not just the lines. It’s like our friendship.
There are worse comparisons to make than Law & Order: SVU‘s Mariska Hargitay and Kelli Giddish! Fans likely shouldn’t cross their fingers too hard for another crossover between SVU and One Chicago to bring Violet, Novak, Benson, and Rollins together, but it’s a fun comparison.
Jocelyn Hudon Settling In As A Series Regular
Jocelyn Hudon only had good things to say about being welcomed by the Chicago Fire cast with “no divas” and “no difficult personalities” to deal with. But was it tricky for Hudon to step into Kara Killmer’s shoes as 51’s newest series regular in Season 13? Hudon recounted meeting the actress who’d played Brett for so long:
I met her. I think I might have been a few episodes in when she came to visit, and so I got to meet her, and then she watched one of the scenes. I think it was like me and Hanako, we were doing the heavy bag, and she watched us do that, and she was like, ‘Nice.’ [laughs] So I got to meet her.
Getting the stamp of approval from Kara Killmer surely boded well for Hudon as she received the promotion from recurring to regular. As the longest-running of the three One Chicago shows, Fire of course has a passionate fanbase and a history of divisive discourse over relationships in particular. The actress shared her positive experiences with the fandom:
When I joined, I was looking a lot at the tweets and the comments and the Reddit just to make sure people were kind of like happy with what I was doing. [laughs] But I found the fandom very supportive of me. I haven’t seen anything negative, and everyone’s been very nice and welcoming. And I answer as many people as I can. Yeah, everyone’s been pretty nice and supportive.
While it took some episodes to really get to know Novak, it was at least clear early on that she was going to be a much better partner for Violet than the very messy Emma and the unfortunate Lennox! Fans have evidently responded well to what Novak brought to the show.
So, after Jocelyn Hudon settled into Chicago Fire after being promoted to series regular status, is there anything she’d like to do on the show if the sky was the limit? Earlier this year, when there were still episodes left in Season 13, she said:
I would like to go into a building. On this show, I would love to be in a fire. They film on the burn stage, and I would love to do that. If something happened where the paramedics had to go do it, I would jump at the chance of going into a fire.
It’s certainly not unprecedented for paramedics to wind up in flames alongside the firefighters of Truck 81, Squad 3, and Engine 51, so perhaps we’ll see Novak in some more peril when Chicago Fire returns in the fall! NBC has not yet announced a premiere date for Season 14, but the network is continuing the successful One Chicago Wednesday block of primetime. As usual, the lineup will open with Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET, continue with Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET, and wrap with Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET.
In the meantime, you can keep tuning in to NBC on Wednesday nights to check out Chicago Fire Season 13 reruns, or take your pick up episodes with the full series so far streaming on Peacock now.
