Spoiler Alert: The following contains spoilers from the 2025 One Chicago crossover episode, “In the Trenches.”
The much-anticipated One Chicago crossover brought together the heroes of Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med for a high-stakes emergency. However, rather than feeling like a true three-show event, it primarily played out as a crossover between just two of them—leaving Chicago Med fans frustrated.
The episode kicked off with a massive gas explosion at a government building, drawing firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and doctors into a chaotic, all-hands-on-deck rescue. The drama intensified when Stella Kidd (Chicago Fire) and Adam Ruzek (Chicago PD) got trapped in a collapsed train tunnel, setting off a tense race against time. Meanwhile, Chicago PD’s team uncovered that the explosion was a targeted attack on the building’s pension fund, tied to a $250 million heist.
While the stakes were high for characters from Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, Chicago Med’s doctors and nurses were reduced to the background, relegated to treating the wounded without much narrative depth.
Chicago Med Is Now One Chicago’s Highest-Rated Show—But It Was Overlooked
For years, Chicago Fire led the One Chicago franchise in ratings, followed closely by Chicago Med, with Chicago PD ranking third. However, the latest TV season has flipped the rankings. According to TV Series Finale, Chicago Med has emerged as the top performer in the 2024-2025 season, averaging 5.783 million viewers per episode—beating Chicago Fire’s 5.684 million and Chicago PD’s 4.571 million.
Despite this success, the crossover episode failed to give Chicago Med’s characters a meaningful role. Instead, it focused primarily on the action-packed heroics of Fire and PD, pushing the hospital’s key players aside.
Did the Crossover Waste Chicago Med’s Potential?
In past crossovers, Chicago Med had its fair share of gripping moments, with doctors and nurses playing pivotal roles in medical mysteries or ethical dilemmas. Not this time.
In “In the Trenches,” the high-stakes drama revolved around Kidd, Ruzek, and Sergeant Trudy Platt, all from Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. The hospital staff—Frost, Weber, and Lenox—had a few notable moments, but none were given major storylines. They were supporting players rather than key players, despite their show currently being the most-watched of the three.
For fans of Chicago Med, this felt like a missed opportunity. With Chicago Med gaining traction in the ratings, it deserved a bigger spotlight in the event. The crossover’s focus on action-packed rescues and police investigations meant that the hospital team was left playing a secondary role instead of being integral to the story.
What This Means for Future One Chicago Crossovers
The imbalance in In the Trenches raises a bigger question: Will future One Chicago crossovers continue to sideline Chicago Med?
While Chicago Fire and Chicago PD naturally lend themselves to dramatic rescue missions and crime investigations, Chicago Med has delivered some of the franchise’s most intense ethical dilemmas and emotional character arcs. A truly successful crossover should give each show equal weight rather than relegating one to the background.
With Chicago Med now leading the franchise in ratings, hopefully, future crossovers will reflect its growing importance—and give its characters the attention they deserve.
