Warning: spoilers are ahead for the Season 14 fall finale of Chicago Fire on NBC, called “Pierce the Vein” and available streaming next day with a Peacock subscription.
While it may feel like One Chicago only just returned to the airwaves in the latter half of the 2025 TV schedule, Chicago Fire’s fall finale has officially aired to wrap up the Firehouse 51 heroes’ stories for the year. That’s not to say that all of those stories wrapped up neatly, and there’s more than one cliffhanger to keep fans wondering until the new year. With some lives in jeopardy while other characters have their professional futures uncertain, it’s not too soon to look ahead to the 2026 TV schedule for when One Chicago will be back.
Where “Pierce The Vein” Left Off
Severide seemed like he could be safer than usual in “Pierce the Vein,” as he was playing fire cop and helping Van Meter with an OFI investigation. They ended the episode paying a visit to the arson victim, while a hooded figure lit the building on fire behind them, with the flames already creeping up the staircase when the final credits rolled.
Not for the first time, a fall finale ended with Severide’s life in jeopardy, although I’m more worried about Van Meter at this point. Fire needs Taylor Kinney as the face of the show, as far as I’m concerned; Van Meter is less essential, which can be bad news when it comes to a Fire cliffhanger.
While those are the lives in jeopardy as of the end of “Pierce the Vein,” Mouch’s professional future is uncertain. The budget cuts at the CFD are continuing, and Davis (Season 14 newcomer Annabeth Gish) spent most of the episode having to cancel plans with Pascal because she was trying to prevent a teachers’ strike.
Unfortunately, when the numbers were crunched, the money to prevent the strike may have to come from one of Firehouse 51’s rigs being permanently decommissioned: Engine 51, helmed by Mouch in his first year as a lieutenant. Pascal got the bad news in the same episode that he’d encouraged Mouch showing initiative at the CFD. Davis didn’t guarantee that Engine 51 was on the chopping block, but’s not looking great for Mouch.
And technically, Mouch isn’t the only one whose future is in jeopardy. Engine 51 doesn’t have as many prominent characters anymore since the departure of Ritter, and any hopes that Kylie would join full time haven’t been rewarded. Mouch is the main face of Engine 51 at this point in the season, and it’s not hard to imagine a way for Chicago Fire to at least temporarily decommission 51. In theory, Mouch could always move over to Truck 81, or just take a job elsewhere until Engine could return to action.
There is another character whose return in the first episode of 2026 isn’t guaranteed, but fans don’t really have reason to worry long-term in this case. Stella Kidd took a two-week furlough to take Isaiah to Cleveland, where his mom will be treated at a world-class facility. The news was dropped early in “Pierce the Vein,” and while the Northeast Ohioan in me objected to the Cleveland mockery (other than Tony of all people defending the Cleveland Orchestra), it didn’t give reason to worry about Kidd’s return other than when it will happen.
But hey, at least Novak is fine and Violet just ended the episode by getting closer with Vasquez! So, when will we get all the answers for what was left unsaid in the fall finale?
When Chicago Fire Will Return In 2026
Luckily, NBC announced the midseason premiere schedule just hours before the three One Chicago fall finales aired on November 12. Along with establishing that The Hunting Party Season 2 will be replacing Law & Order: Organized Crime on Thursday nights and when Tracy Morgan’s new Tina Fey-produced comedy – called The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins – will arrive, the schedule confirms that NBC is bringing One Chicago Wednesdays back literally as soon as possible in the new year.
Chicago Fire will return to NBC for the rest of Season 14 on Wednesday, January 7 at 9 p.m. ET, a.k.a. the very first Wednesday of 2026. Chicago Med Season 11 will be back in its usual 8 p.m. ET time slot (with its own cliffhanger to resolve), with Chicago P.D. Season 13 back at 10 p.m. ET.
All three shows will presumably take a break in February, when the 2026 Winter Olympic Games take over primetime from the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 6 to the Closing Ceremony on Feb. 22 in Milan. (As if that’s not enough, NBC will also air Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 and the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15.)
Over the next several weeks, however, you’ll have to head to streaming for a Chicago Fire fix. All fourteen seasons so far are available streaming now on Peacock, as well as all seasons so far of Chicago Med and Chicago P.D., crossovers included.
