On May 21, NBC’s One Chicago night delivers a double punch of heartbreak and high-stakes drama as Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. close out their seasons. With Med warming up the stage at 8 p.m. ET, fans will immediately be pulled into the chaos at Firehouse 51 and the brutal war waging in Chicago’s streets between Voight and Deputy Chief Reid.
But these aren’t just finales. They’re turning points—reshaping the futures of characters we’ve grown with for over a decade.
Chicago Fire: Severide’s Gamble, Herrmann’s Test, and Two Exits Nobody Saw Coming
The biggest headline in the Fire world came weeks ago: Daniel Kyri (Ritter) and Jake Lockett (Carver) will not return as series regulars in season 14. For a show built on found family, the news shocked fans. Showrunner Andrea Newman admits the decision is bittersweet.
“We love these actors so much and the characters are such an inherent part of the show,” Newman says. “They may not be regulars, but that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of them.”
So, will their exits tie into the finale? Newman keeps the cards close, but teases “explosive endings—or quieter wind-downs.” Either way, the door isn’t fully closed.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and his unwavering loyalty to Dom Pascal. When Franklin’s attempted murder puts Pascal under suspicion, Severide throws himself into proving his friend’s innocence—at great personal risk.
“If Pascal goes down, Severide goes down,” Newman warns.
And then there’s Herrmann’s crossroads. If he passes the chief’s test, only one man can lead Firehouse 51: Herrmann or Pascal. The bond with both men makes the choice devastating. As Newman puts it:
“Somebody is going to have to go, and that’s the mystery that must be solved.”
Of course, the emotional heartbeat of the finale belongs to Severide and Kidd. Their struggles with parenthood, loss, and self-doubt have defined season 13. After a crushing near-adoption and Kidd’s breakthrough about her own family history, the couple faces a decision in the finale that could alter their journey forever.
“Kidd comes out of it empowered,” Newman explains. “She’s saying, ‘I can do this. I can be a mom. I’m ready for it.’”
Expect a finale that blends action with a raw exploration of family, loyalty, and the meaning of home.
Chicago P.D.: Vows and Violence
If Fire is about family, Chicago P.D. is about the price of power—and no one pays it more than Hank Voight.
Season 12 has built to an inevitable collision between Voight and Deputy Chief Reid. Their war reaches its peak in the finale, appropriately titled “Vows.” While Burgess and Ruzek prepare to finally tie the knot after 12 years of near-misses, Voight faces the question fans have debated for months: Is he any different from Reid?
Showrunner Gwen Sigan promises no easy answers.
“The whole finale is built to keep testing him,” she says. “By the end, the audience will have to decide: have the lines he’s crossed made him similar to Reid, worse than Reid, or better?”
For Burgess, the timing couldn’t be worse. Just a week before her wedding, she loses her badge. The shadow of professional failure looms over what should be her happiest moment.
“She deserves to feel joy,” Sigan says. “Instead, she’s forced to ask, ‘Is this the best time? Is this what I wanted?’”
And then there’s Voight and Chapman. Their slow-burn chemistry has hovered at the edges of the season, but the finale finally brings it forward—tied directly to Voight’s moral battle.
“Chapman is the angel on his shoulder,” Sigan explains. “She’s trying to pull him back to the right side, but at some point, if she’s giving and giving, what is she getting back?”
The result? A finale that delivers action, heartbreak, and a lingering question that will echo into season 13: Can Voight ever escape the darkness inside him—or has he already become the very thing he’s fighting?
The Verdict: Two Shows, One Night of Reckoning
With Firehouse 51 facing upheaval and Intelligence wrestling with morality, the One Chicago finales promise to leave fans reeling. Relationships will be tested, futures rewritten, and loyalties pushed to their breaking point.
It’s not just the end of a season—it’s the start of a new era for both shows.
