We have entered the wonderful time of year of the holiday season. It’s a time to gather with friends and enjoy the treats, but with that comes the bad news about TV shows. Chicago Fire, along with the rest of the One Chicago lineup, is not new tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 19.
We’re used to a short break around now. Usually, NBC brings new episodes up until the week before Thanksgiving and then goes on a longer break. Sometimes, we’ve had one episode in December and then the winter hiatus. In 2025, NBC is doing things very differently, airing the fall finale a week earlier than expected.
Chicago Fire season 14 has already aired its fall finale
Yes, the Nov. 12 episode was the fall finale of Chicago Fire season 14. It didn’t quite feel like a fall finale episode with not quite as big of a cliffhanger as we’re used to, but it definitely has a story that we want to tune into again. The episode left Severide and Van Meter going to see the principal of the high school at his home, only for someone to set a fire in the stairwell.
The winter premiere will focus on this situation, as Severide and Van Meter focus on staying calm to get themselves and the principal out of the apartment building. They’ll also need to alert Firehouse 51 and PD, as this was definitely an arson case. Could it mean a mini crossover moment with Chicago PD? We can only hope!
So, when will Chicago Fire season 14 return?
There isn’t too long to wait, with NBC bringing its shows back around the usual time. On Wednesday, Jan. 7 all three One Chicago shows will be back. Chicago Fire season 14, episode 8 will air at the usual time of 9 p.m. ET/PT.
For now, you can turn to Peacock to catch up on the series. All 13 full seasons and the seven episodes of season 14 are available.
Now for a little bit of bad news. The show will head on another break, but I think this won’t feel as bad as the usual style of schedule.
NBC airs the Winter Olympics, which start on Friday, Feb. 6. The games will run for two weeks, with the Closing Ceremony airing on NBC on Sunday, Feb. 22. After that, the NBC shows can return as normal. In some good news, the short break will allow NBC to keep the on-off scheduling of scripted shows to a minimum, meaning fewer one-off breaks here and there. There’s a lot to be said for consistency.
Chicago Fire returns on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 9/8c on NBC.