The Reason Behind NBC’s One Chicago Exits Is Simpler Than You Think

Summary:

• Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. are procedural dramas that exist within the same One Chicago universe on NBC.
• In the new 2024 TV season, each of the shows will undergo several cast changes.
• As the showrunners of each show agree, the departures are necessary to keep the series dynamic.

There is nothing more devastating than saying goodbye to a beloved TV character, especially right after the long hiatus in production that all shows have had to take due to the challenges posed by the recent WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes.

Depending on how the writers decide to write the character off, it could provide some relief or just deepen the sadness. Either way, the thought that there is nothing that can bring them back will linger in the back of most viewers' minds forever once the story is over.

When there's not one, but several characters to say goodbye to in a season, the balance can feel even more out of kilter. All the departures taking place within NBC's One Chicago franchise this season are attracting a lot of viewer attention, as well as a lot of general confusion.

Will the shows be able to maintain the same dynamic without some of the key players in their teams? What is the reason for such big changes all at once? Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. all share the same opinion on the matter.

Chicago Fire, Chicago Med And Chicago P.D Cast Changes

While the simultaneous changes may feel a little overwhelming to fans returning to their favorite shows after a long hiatus, the teams behind them are already used to the idea. In the entertainment industry, you can never expect things to stay the same, so parting ways with some actors is inevitable.

While there's no one who won't miss Chicago Fire's Kara Killmer and Alberto Rosende, Chicago P.D.'s Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos, and Chicago Med's Guy Lockard, Brian Tee and Nick Gehlfuss, the actors have to move on and develop their careers. Just as the writers need to develop new stories.

Here’s what Chicago Fire’s boss Andrea Newman said on the matter to TVLine:

“Honestly, longevity is really just part of it. [In] storytelling and in terms of real life, 12 years is a long time and things need to change, just dynamic-wise. You want new characters and you want new dynamics,” she explained.

Andrew Schneider, who works on Chicago Med, agreed. The showrunner pointed out that this is a common practice on all of Dick Wolf's productions, and reiterated the importance of "keeping the shows fresh."

As much as we all love the characters that have been on our screens for years, the need to shake things up is completely understandable. There's only so much you can say about a character without becoming repetitive, and as any viewer knows, that's what kills the best shows.

If you want to see what the new TV season will bring to the One Chicago universe, tune in to NBC on Wednesdays.

Source: TVLine