Ordinary Joe cancelation could be good news for Chicago Fire fans

Unfortunately, it’s going to be one and done for Chicago Fire alum Charlie Barnett’s newest original series Ordinary Joe. 

On March 5, NBC officially announced it would not be proceeding with a second season of its newest original drama Ordinary Joe, canceling the series after just one season. The news came roughly one month after the show’s now series finale aired on NBC and stands as NBC’s first major cancelation of the 2021-22 season.

While disappointing for fans of Barnett who loved seeing the Chicago Fire alum back on their screens, it’s far from surprising when you consider the series averaged 3.3 million total viewers and a 0.5 demo rating among Adults 18-49 making it NBC’s least-watched and lowest-rated drama of the season.

Although we’re saddened by NBC’s decision to cancel Ordinary Joe, it could have a silver lining for Chicago Fire fans.

Will Charlie Barnett return to Chicago Fire?

With NBC opting not to move forward with a second season of Ordinary Joe, Charlie Barnett is no longer connected to any ongoing series which could open the door for him to return to Chicago Fire. 

It’s been more than seven years since we last saw Barnett in the Windy City as Peter Mills, due in large part to Barnett’s busy schedule. After leaving Fire, Barnett has appeared in a number of series including Secrets and Lies, Valor, Russian Doll, You, Arrow and most recently, Ordinary Joe. 

Now that Ordinary Joe is coming to an end, Barnett’s schedule seems to finally be freed up which could open the door for Peter Mills to finally return to Chicago Fire after all these years.

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While it’s important to stress that there are no current plans for Barnett to return, Barnett has made it clear he’d be open to returning to the role that helped to take his career to the next level.

During a 2019 interview with TVLine, Barnett was asked about the prospect of returning to the show in which he made it abundantly clear he’d be more than interested in revisiting the character of Peter Mills telling the outlet:

"“I would be more than happy to return. I love the show, it brought me [Arrow], everything I have. It was an incredible window in my career.”"

Now that Ordinary Joe has come to an end, let’s hope NBC finds a way to keep Charlie Barnett on its airwaves by finding a way to bring him back into the fold on Chicago Fire be it for a guest appearance, recurring guest arc or more regular role.

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